US Military Strikes Over 1,000 Targets in Iran Using AI-Powered Targeting

Apr 26, 2026

The US military struck more than 1,000 targets in Iran within the first 24 hours of an assault, nearly double the scale of the Iraq 'shock and awe' attack from over two decades ago. The unprecedented operational tempo was enabled by AI-powered targeting systems, primarily the Maven Smart System, which accelerated the targeting process. Project Maven began in 2017 as an experiment applying computer vision to drone footage, with Google as the initial contractor before employee protests over military AI applications. Journalist Katrina Manson documented the development in her book Project Maven: A Marine Colonel, His Team, and the Dawn of AI Warfare. The assault represents the first large-scale deployment of AI warfare capabilities in combat operations.

AI-powered targeting in the Iran military strikes

▪The Maven Smart System was the chief AI system used in the US military assault on Iran.
▪The US military struck more than 1,000 targets in Iran in the first 24 hours of the assault.
▪AI systems that speed up the targeting process made the acceleration of the US military assault on Iran possible.
▪The US military assault on Iran was nearly double the scale of the shock and awe attack on Iraq over two decades ago.

Development and history of Project Maven

▪Katrina Manson is a journalist who investigated the development of Project Maven.
▪Katrina Manson wrote a book titled Project Maven: A Marine Colonel, His Team, and the Dawn of AI Warfare.
▪Project Maven began in 2017 as an experiment in applying computer vision to drone footage.

Google's involvement and employee protests

▪Google was the initial contractor for Project Maven.
▪Project Maven spurred employee protests at Google.

Perspective of Google employees who protested Project Maven

▪Employee protests at Google led to scrutiny of the ethical implications of developing AI systems for military targeting.
▪Google employees protested the company's involvement in Project Maven due to concerns about military applications of AI.

Perspective of US Military leadership

▪Project Maven represents the US military's strategic shift toward AI-enabled warfare capabilities.
▪The US military views AI-powered targeting systems as enabling significantly faster and larger-scale military operations than previously possible.

Perspective of Iran

▪The scale of the US military assault on Iran exceeded historical precedents including the Iraq shock and awe campaign.
▪Iran experienced the largest AI-powered military assault in history with over 1,000 targets struck in 24 hours.