The US Department of Defense has awarded Hewlett Packard Enterprise a ten-year, US$931 million contract to build a hybrid cloud system that will support the Pentagon's expanding artificial intelligence and data processing needs. The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) will deploy HPE's GreenLake Private Cloud platform across multiple high-security military data centers to strengthen the department's classified computing capabilities.
Pentagon seeks modern, secure cloud
The contract is part of a broader federal push to overhaul aging data centers as AI becomes more deeply integrated into intelligence, battlefield planning, logistics, and cyber operations. According to Reuters and The Register, the Pentagon intends to adopt cloud-like flexibility similar to Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, while keeping all workloads inside secure on-premises facilities.
The Defense Department aims to gain the speed and scalability of commercial cloud systems without exposing sensitive or classified information to external networks.
Greenlake to handle classified compute loads
HPE said its GreenLake platform will improve data analysis, communication efficiency, and mission deployment speeds by using advanced management software and automation tools. The system is built to run highly classified workloads that cannot move to the Pentagon's existing Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability, which operates through public cloud providers.
Those workloads include AI model training, intelligence processing, automated mission planning, and real-time analytics for deployed forces.
Pilot expands to multi-site deployment
DISA began piloting GreenLake Private Cloud in Pennsylvania and Utah early this year. The new contract converts that trial into a full operational rollout across additional secure locations.
HPE has long supplied advanced computing systems to US national security agencies. In 2021, the National Security Agency tapped the company to build a high-performance computing system, and HPE's Cray unit has delivered supercomputers to the Department of Energy.
Industry analysts say the agreement strengthens HPE's position in defense-grade cloud and high-performance computing as military AI models, sensor networks, cyber missions, and automated logistics continue to drive demand for secure infrastructure.
HPE joins a growing list of technology companies expanding cooperation with the US government. AWS recently announced a US$50 billion plan to build AI and high-performance computing systems for federal agencies. Microsoft continues to play a central role in classified cloud, cybersecurity, and defense AI programs.
The stepped-up commitments reflect rising urgency inside the Pentagon to build AI-ready infrastructure as it accelerates digital transformation and prepares for increasingly data-intensive military operations.
Article edited by Jack Wu
