NATO’s technology arm has signed a multi-million-dollar agreement with Google Cloud to expand the alliance’s sovereign cloud capabilities and accelerate its digital modernization strategy. The deal brings Google’s air-gapped Distributed Cloud infrastructure to the NATO Communication and Information Agency (NCIA) for use within the Joint Analysis, Training and Education Centre (JATEC).
Under the contract, NCIA will deploy Google Distributed Cloud (GDC) to support classified workloads and modernize data-intensive operations at JATEC. The environment is built around Google’s air-gapped, fully disconnected sovereign cloud offering—an architecture designed for organizations that require tight operational control, strict data-residency guarantees and isolation from the public internet.
The deployment is expected to give NATO access to advanced cloud services and AI tooling in a controlled, sovereign setting, enabling the alliance to run analytics, simulation, and other high-sensitivity workloads with improved speed and scale. For Google, the agreement signals growing demand for hybrid and sovereign cloud architectures that can support modern AI models without compromising on regulatory or security requirements.
NATO officials emphasized that the collaboration fits into a broader effort to modernize digital infrastructure across the alliance and adopt industrial technologies that can operate securely in mission-critical environments. The sovereign deployment model is particularly relevant as defense organizations increase their reliance on AI-enabled systems, while facing tightening expectations around data governance and operational resilience.
Tara Brady, President of Google Cloud EMEA, said: "Google Cloud is dedicated to supporting NATO's critical mission to develop a robust and resilient infrastructure and harness the latest technology innovations. This partnership will enable NATO to decisively accelerate its digital modernization efforts while maintaining the highest levels of security and digital sovereignty."
Antonio Calderon, Chief Technology Officer of NCIA, said: "NCIA is committed to leveraging next-generation technology, including AI, to enhance NATO's operational capabilities and safeguard the Alliance's digital environment. Partnership with industry is a critical component of our digital transformation strategy. Through this collaboration, we will deliver a secure, resilient and scalable cloud environment for JATEC that meets the highest standards required to protect highly sensitive data."
The agreement adds to a growing wave of sovereign cloud projects across Europe and the public sector, where AI initiatives increasingly depend on infrastructure that can provide high-performance computing without relaxing national or organizational control over sensitive information.