Nov. 25, 2025 /Mpelembe Media/ — A multi-million-dollar contract between NATO and Google Cloud for a secure, AI-enabled sovereign cloud solution involves the NATO Communication and Information Agency (NCIA) selecting Google Distributed Cloud (GDC) air-gapped to modernise its infrastructure, specifically supporting the Joint Analysis, Training and Education Centre (JATEC). The purpose of using GDC air-gapped is to ensure uncompromised data residency, operational control, and high security for classified workloads, as this technology operates in completely disconnected environments. Both parties emphasise that this collaboration will significantly accelerate NATO’s digital modernisation efforts and enable the organisation to securely harness advanced AI and cloud capabilities. The Chief Technology Officer of NCIA confirmed that partnering with industry is vital for NATO’s digital transformation, allowing them to create a resilient and scalable cloud environment for highly sensitive data.
The specific technology that ensures NATO maintains data residency and operational control within this partnership is Google Distributed Cloud air-gapped .
This platform is a crucial component of Google’s Sovereign Cloud solutions and is designed specifically for workloads that necessitate strict data residency and security controls.
Key features of this technology that guarantee NATO’s sovereignty and control include:
Air-Gapped Environment: Google Distributed Cloud (GDC) air-gapped provides a hardened environment that is completely disconnected from the internet and public cloud. This ensures high security.
Operational Control and Autonomy: Leveraging this technology ensures NATO maintains uncompromised data residency and operational controls. This allows the organization to achieve absolute operational control while meeting the strictest digital sovereignty requirements.
Location of Data: The platform ensures that the NCIA’s highly sensitive data remains under its direct control and within NATO’s sovereign territory.
Application: The GDC air-gapped infrastructure will be used by the Joint Analysis, Training and Education Centre (JATEC) to modernize operational capabilities and handle classified workloads.
The goal of implementing this sovereign cloud environment is to enable NATO to securely leverage cutting-edge cloud and AI capabilities while decisively accelerating its digital modernization efforts.
To visualize the function of the “air-gapped” technology, imagine a highly secure bank vault (NATO’s sovereign territory) built entirely within a massive warehouse (the GDC platform). While the construction materials and security systems (Google’s cloud services and AI) are provided by a partner, the vault operates entirely offline and independently from the rest of the world (disconnected from the internet and public cloud), ensuring that the valuable contents (data) never leave the secured structure and always remain under the bank’s direct control.
The specific Google Cloud product that delivers sovereign cloud capabilities, as detailed in the sources, is Google Distributed Cloud (GDC) air-gapped.
Key information regarding this product:
Designation: GDC air-gapped is identified as a key component of Google’s Sovereign Cloud solutions.
Function: It is a platform specifically designed for workloads that require strict data residency and security controls.
Features: It provides a hardened, air-gapped environment, meaning it is disconnected from the internet and public cloud.
Purpose for NATO: The contract signed with the NATO Communication and Information Agency (NCIA) is specifically for GDC air-gapped, to deliver highly secure, sovereign cloud capabilities. This ensures NATO maintains uncompromised data residency and operational controls and meets the strictest digital sovereignty requirements.
Capability: GDC air-gapped allows organizations, such as NATO, to run modern AI and analytics workloads on their most important data, unlocking valuable insights while maintaining absolute operational control.
The contract between NATO and Google Cloud was announced on November 24, 2025. The agency that contracted Google Cloud is the NATO Communication and Information Agency (NCIA).
Key details from the sources regarding this contract:
The contract’s purpose is to bolster NATO’s digital infrastructure, strengthen its data governance, and enable it to securely leverage cutting-edge cloud and AI capabilities.
The NCIA selected Google Distributed Cloud (GDC) to support the Joint Analysis, Training and Education Centre (JATEC).
Antonio Calderon, Chief Technology Officer of the NCIA, confirmed the commitment to leveraging next-generation technology, including AI, to enhance NATO’s operational capabilities and safeguard the Alliance’s digital environment.
The sources indicate that the contract between the NATO Communication and Information Agency (NCIA) and Google Cloud is a multi-million-dollar deal.
While the exact figure is not specified, the press release title and description confirm it is a “significant, multi-million-dollar contract”.
The specific Google product selected by the NATO Communication and Information Agency (NCIA) is Google Distributed Cloud (GDC) air-gapped. This product was chosen to deliver highly secure, sovereign cloud capabilities for NATO’s digital infrastructure.
Key details about the selected product:
Platform Name: Google Distributed Cloud air-gapped.
Context: It is described as a key component of Google’s Sovereign Cloud solutions.
Function: It is a platform designed for workloads that require strict data residency and security controls.
Environment: The product provides a hardened, air-gapped environment, meaning it is disconnected from the internet and public cloud.
Use Case: The NCIA selected GDC to support the Joint Analysis, Training and Education Centre (JATEC), enabling it to modernize its operational capabilities and handle classified workloads.
Goal: Utilizing this technology ensures NATO maintains uncompromised data residency and operational controls, providing the highest degree of security and autonomy.
The NCIA selected Google Distributed Cloud (GDC) to support the Joint Analysis, Training and Education Centre (JATEC). The contract, which is a significant, multi-million-dollar deal, was signed between Google Cloud and the NCIA. The goal of the selection was to deliver a secure, resilient, and scalable cloud environment for JATEC that meets the highest standards required to protect highly sensitive data.
The product selected by the NATO Communication and Information Agency (NCIA) is Google Distributed Cloud air-gapped. It is also frequently referred to by its abbreviated name, Google Distributed Cloud (GDC).
This specific product is a key component of Google’s Sovereign Cloud solutions and is designed as a platform for workloads that require strict data residency and security controls. Its name reflects its primary feature: providing a hardened, air-gapped environment, which means it is completely disconnected from the internet and public cloud.
The centre that will leverage the Google Distributed Cloud (GDC) infrastructure is the Joint Analysis, Training and Education Centre (JATEC).
Key information regarding this centre’s utilization of the GDC infrastructure:
The NATO Communication and Information Agency (NCIA) selected GDC specifically to support JATEC.
JATEC will use this infrastructure to modernize its operational capabilities and to handle classified workloads.
The collaboration aims to deliver a secure, resilient, and scalable cloud environment for JATEC that adheres to the highest standards required to protect highly sensitive data.
The acronym JATEC stands for the Joint Analysis, Training and Education Centre.
Key details about JATEC:
The NATO Communication and Information Agency (NCIA) selected Google Distributed Cloud (GDC) specifically to support the Joint Analysis, Training and Education Centre (JATEC).
JATEC will leverage this GDC infrastructure to modernize its operational capabilities and handle classified workloads.
The goal of the partnership is to deliver a secure, resilient, and scalable cloud environment for JATEC that meets the highest standards required to protect highly sensitive data.