Pentagon cloud tie-up with Silicon Valley off to a slow start

Published on December 22, 2023

 

The Pentagon's transition to cloud computing, a standard in American business, faces challenges due to concerns over its security for sensitive military use. After the failure of the earlier JEDI cloud initiative, which was mired in legal challenges by Microsoft, Amazon, and Oracle, the Pentagon launched the Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability (JWCC) in December 2022 with a $9 billion contract divided among Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Oracle. However, a year into JWCC, only a small fraction of the budget has been utilized, reflecting ongoing security concerns. This slow progress is seen as a hindrance to the U.S. military's competitiveness, particularly in developing AI and machine learning capabilities, which are crucial for modern warfare. Despite Microsoft leading in JWCC contracts, the overall pace remains sluggish. The JWCC is integral to the Pentagon's modernization efforts, especially for projects like JADC2, which aims to integrate AI and automation in military operations. The delay in cloud adoption is a concern, as it potentially slows down the U.S. in keeping pace with adversaries in technological advancements.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/12/21/pentagon-cloud-computing-contracts/

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