Australia to partner with Amazon Web Services to deliver top secret cloud capabilities

The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) will partner with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to deliver a Top Secret Cloud computing capability for the Australian Government.

The $2 billion deal will see AWS establish a sovereign Top Secret (TS) Cloud in Australia to deliver resilient information, communication and technology (ICT) services for the Government.

The government says the TS Cloud will be purpose-built for Australia’s Defence and National Intelligence Community agencies to securely host the country’s most sensitive information. It says it will improve Australia’s ability to securely share and analyse classified data at speed and at scale and provides opportunities to harness leading technologies, including artificial intelligence and machine learning.

It says the TS Cloud will bolster the resilience of Defence’s communications networks. It is described as a critical enabling capability in supporting the Australian Defence Force’s military operations, and will support greater interoperability and deeper collaboration with the US.

“My government is bolstering our defence and national intelligence community to ensure they can deliver world-leading protection for our nation,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

“We face a range of complex and serious security challenges and I am incredibly proud of the work our national security agencies undertake on a daily basis to keep Australians safe. We must never underestimate their value and importance. That is what this investment today is about.”

The Australian Government says AWS is the world’s most widely adopted cloud computing service, with a longstanding presence in Australia and specialist expertise in delivering classified cloud services that provide security, reliability and resilience.

It says the announcement is a major investment from the Albanese Government and is another important step in implementing the 2024 National Defence Strategy, which Defence Minister Richard Marles released in April.

Mr Marles said the investment is a reflection of the government’s approach to prioritising the enabling capabilities the ADF needs in order to address Australia’s increasingly complex strategic circumstances.

“The Albanese Government is enhancing Defence’s cyber capabilities as a matter of priority under the National Defence Strategy by investing at least $2 billion to establish and operate a Top Secret Cloud platform, which is central to achieving this objective,” Mr Marles said.

“This cutting-edge technology will enhance Defence’s resilience, improve the ADF’s warfighting capacity, strengthen interoperability with key international partners, and deliver up to 2000 Australian jobs.”

The partnership is part of the ADF’s Project REDSPICE, a $15 billion to $20 billion project to enhance Defence’s cyber capabilities, and the 10-year $8.5 billion to $11 billion project to bolster Defence’s enterprise data and ICT announced in the 2024 Integrated Investment Program that accompanied April’s National Defence Strategy.

“For ASD, this capability is a vital part of our REDSPICE program, which is lifting our intelligence and offensive and defensive cyber capabilities,” the Director-General of the Australian Signals Directorate, Rachel Noble, said.

“This is another fantastic example of what we can achieve for Australia when the private and public sectors work together in partnership.

“The TS Cloud with AWS in Australia will provide a state-of-the-art collaborative space for our intelligence and defence community to store and access top secret data. This will transform how we work together as agencies and partners.”

Director-General of National Intelligence Andrew Shearer said the TS Cloud represents a transformative capability boost for the National Intelligence Community.

“It will drive even closer integration, sharing and collaboration between agencies, greater resilience and greater interoperability with our most important international intelligence partners,” he said.

Vice President, Worldwide Public Sector for AWS Dave Levy said the company is excited to embark on this strategic partnership with the Australian Government.

“This partnership will enable the Australian Government and its defence and intelligence agencies to securely share information, speed up innovation, and achieve their missions faster,” he said.

“We look forward to supporting the Australian Government’s mission of protecting and advancing Australia’s interests, and remain steadfast in our long-term commitment to Australia, helping drive innovation and improving lives for its communities.”

AWS’s Managing Director, Public Sector, Australia and New Zealand Iain Rouse added, “AWS is uniquely positioned as a trusted, long-term partner to the Australian Government to deliver on this important partnership.

“This critical national security initiative allows AWS to demonstrate our commitment to not just deliver a fixed set of requirements, but to continuously adapt, enhance and innovate together over the years to come.”