The Australian federal government is preparing to roll out a new ‘Top Secret’ (TS) cloud in collaboration with Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) Web Services (AWS), aimed at significantly improving data sharing within the nation's intelligence and defence sectors.
This initiative will grant access to a suite of AWS offerings, including computing power, storage solutions, databases and sophisticated analytics powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.
The project is initially valued at A$2 billion, though the ongoing operational costs have yet to be disclosed. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese underscored the wider economic benefits, noting that the agreement will generate 2,000 new jobs for Australians.
Rachel Noble, director-general of the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), described the partnership as a game-changer for Australia’s defence and intelligence infrastructure.
While Noble did not go into detail about the specific daily uses of AI, she acknowledged that the technology would expedite data analysis, allowing for the quicker identification of key information critical to national security and the generation of intelligence reports, continuing traditional methods.
Transition of intelligence data
The ASD has also announced a significant collaboration with AWS, amounting to a £1.5 billion (AU$2 billion) agreement, which will see the transition of its intelligence data to AWS's cloud platform.
The deal also involves the construction of three new data centres at undisclosed locations, with plans to use AI to improve the analysis of intercepts, reports and other essential national security data.
Defence Minister Richard Marles praised the agreement, saying that it would enhance Australia’s military cooperation with allied nations.
“Today, modern defence forces, and indeed modern conflict, is more reliant upon information technology, upon computing infrastructure, than ever before,” Marles said.
“What that means is that, increasingly, modern conflict is occurring at a top-secret level. So this capability in terms of computing infrastructure will ensure that Australia maintains at pace with the leading defence forces in the world.”
Other sovereign clouds
Australia is following the precedent set by countries like the United States and the United Kingdom, both of which have already transitioned their national security data to AWS-operated sovereign clouds.
Lakshmi Raman, Chief of AI at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), highlighted the advantages of these arrangements at the 2022 Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA) Symposium, noting that such cloud services provide the necessary infrastructure for agencies to develop and deploy AI and data analytics tools as required.
Raman also emphasised that managed cloud services will be critical in applying AI to high-priority mission challenges.
This collaboration marks a significant investment by the Albanese government and is a key component in the advancement of the 2024 National Defence Strategy.
The initiative is part of a broader financial strategy, which includes plans to invest between A$15 and A$20 billion by 2033-34 to enhance Defence’s cybersecurity capabilities.
Additionally, A$8.5 to A$11 billion has been allocated to improve Defence’s enterprise data and ICT infrastructure, as outlined in the 2024 Integrated Investment Program.