NATO taps Google for air-gapped sovereign cloud

Steven

NATO taps Google for air-gapped sovereign cloud

Summary

NATO has contracted Google Cloud to deliver “air-gapped” sovereign cloud and AI services for the alliance’s Joint Analysis, Training, and Education Centre (JATEC). The multimillion-dollar agreement with the NATO Communication and Information Agency (NCIA) promises fully disconnected, highly secure environments with strict data residency and operational controls to protect highly sensitive information. The contract value was not disclosed.

The deal is part of a broader, multi-vendor cloud approach: NATO also uses AWS and works with Microsoft to validate deployments against the alliance’s D32 directive. The move comes amid rising cloud-sovereignty concerns in Europe — a Gartner survey found 61% of Western European CIOs want to increase use of local cloud providers due to geopolitical uncertainty.

Key Points

  • Google Cloud won an NCIA contract to provide air-gapped sovereign cloud and AI capabilities for NATO’s JATEC.
  • Services will operate in fully disconnected, highly secure environments with uncompromised data residency and operational controls.
  • NATO maintains a multi-cloud, multi-vendor posture — existing arrangements with AWS and Microsoft continue alongside the Google deal.
  • The agreement aims to strengthen NATO’s operational capabilities and safeguard sensitive data, per NCIA leadership statements.
  • The purchase reflects wider European interest in cloud sovereignty and localised control over data and infrastructure.

Why should I read this?

Quick and informal: NATO just asked Google to build fully disconnected, sovereign cloud kit. If you work in defence IT, public-sector cloud procurement or security policy, this matters. It’s a clear signal that hyperscalers are being trusted for air-gapped, high-assurance environments — and that affects procurement, compliance and who actually gets to hold the keys.

Author style

Punchy: this is a notable development. For anyone tracking cloud sovereignty or defence-grade cloud adoption, it’s essential — it shows large alliances are moving past proofs-of-concept and into real hyperscaler partnerships for sensitive, disconnected systems.

Source

Source:https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2025/11/24/nato_google_cloud/