US Air Force Orders Contractors to Remove Anthropic AI Tools by Sept. 1

The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory issued an internal memo demanding that all contractors eliminate Anthropic‑produced AI products and services from their systems by September 1, an almost month‑earlier deadline than the Pentagon’s September 29 cut‑off for defense‑contract work. The expedited timeline follows Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s February claim that Anthropic poses a national‑security supply‑chain risk, prompting a narrowed ban on AI tools used in defense contracts.

Anthropic has filed a lawsuit challenging the order, arguing the Department of Defense lacks authority to dictate vendor tool selection. The Air Force acknowledges the difficulty of purging Anthropic code embedded in outsourced software, noting the extensive effort required to avoid disrupting existing defense programs.

The story was highlighted in a broader defense and space briefing that also covered unrelated items such as SpaceX’s Booster 20 static fire and new satellite approvals.