Smack Technologies' Omega AI Plans Military Strikes at Scale

A defense technology startup founded by a former Marine Raider is building artificial intelligence software that automates the complex calculus of allocating limited munitions across hundreds or thousands of targets during extended military campaigns.

Smack Technologies' Omega platform draws directly from CEO Andy Markoff's 2016 deployment to Mosul, where his unit faced a hundred-mile front against ISIS with insufficient weapon systems. Commanders had to mentally calculate whether each potential target justified expending scarce air support resources.

"Even if that target wasn't active, knowing that it might be and maintaining availability of that type of a weapon system on station in case it showed up, that was all math I was doing in my head," Markoff told Military Times in an interview.

How the system works

Omega operates across three time horizons: long-range planning, deliberate planning cycles, and immediate tactical execution. Commanders begin by uploading intelligence and planning documents to establish operational context. The system then generates detailed strike plans and workflows that resemble human-created products but arrive in seconds rather than weeks.

According to a 14-minute demonstration video Smack shared with Military Times, the software determines not just which targets to strike but how to sequence operations over one to two months to systematically degrade enemy forces. The platform presents commanders with multiple options along with trade-offs for each approach.

"Sometimes it takes people like a month to build that plan," Markoff said. "Building the next one to four days takes one to four days. And figuring out, 'What do we do right now?' Well, the good news is you only have a few seconds, and it only takes a few seconds."

During execution, commanders monitor operations in real time and adjust plans using updated intelligence reports, inventory lists, or weather forecasts. Smack compares the challenge to Amazon's last-mile delivery optimization—pairing and scheduling assets while adapting to changing resources and risk tolerances without losing sight of the overall objective.

Why it matters

The Pentagon faces growing pressure to operate effectively in contested environments where munitions supply chains may be disrupted and targets proliferate faster than human planners can process. Automating campaign-level strike planning could help commanders make faster, more informed decisions about resource allocation across extended operations—a capability that becomes critical as the military prepares for potential large-scale conflicts.

Beyond combat operations

While Omega was designed for campaign-level military threats at both operational and tactical scales, Smack is expanding the platform's scope to coordinate humanitarian efforts in response to user demand, though current contracts remain focused on combat applications.

The company is transitioning from prototyping to production and currently holds contracts with three U.S. military branches. Markoff expects to expand to all six services by year's end. Smack recently raised $61 million for its Alpha wrist-worn device, which Markoff discussed with Military Times earlier this month.

These details were first reported by Daniel Terrill for Military Times.