Key takeaways
- With AWS Secret Cloud for Industry, U.S. defense contractors can run contractor-owned classified workloads directly on AWS.
- Northrop Grumman is first to run classified workloads on the platform.
- An up to $20 million accelerator will help defense companies get started.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) today announced the general availability of AWS Secret Cloud for Industry (ASCI), a managed service that lets cleared U.S. defense contractors, research institutions, and other organizations in the National Industrial Security Program (NISP) run contractor-owned classified workloads directly on AWS. AWS also announced an up to $20 million accelerator initiative to help qualified defense companies get started.
Historically, defense contractors working on classified programs generally had to build and maintain their own on-premises infrastructure—an approach that requires significant capital, can't scale dynamically, and makes it difficult to adopt modern capabilities like generative AI. AWS Secret Cloud for Industry removes those barriers.
“America's defense industrial base builds the capabilities that keep this nation safe, and it's time they have the tools to match the urgency of the mission,” said Dave Levy, vice president of AWS Worldwide Public Sector. “AWS Secret Cloud for Industry puts the full power of cloud computing and AI directly into the hands of the engineers and scientists working on our most sensitive programs. Now, the Defense Industrial Base can innovate at the speed the moment demands, using the same classified infrastructure trusted by the Department of War.”
What is AWS Secret Cloud for Industry?
AWS Secret Cloud for Industry holds a Provisional Authorization at Impact Level 6 from the Defense Information Systems Agency, meeting the authorization standard for Secret-classified information. The service uses the same Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) compliance framework that cleared defense contractors already use for on-premises classified systems. AWS guides each organization through the authorization and connection process, from DCSA approval to establishing private, dedicated network connections from their existing secure facilities.
Northrop Grumman: First to operate on AWS Secret Cloud for Industry
Northrop Grumman was the first defense contractor to deploy classified workloads on AWS Secret Cloud for Industry. Without the service, Northrop Grumman’s initial workload in the AWS Secret-East Region would have required months of hardware procurement to stand up on-premises.
“Northrop Grumman delivers game-changing defense technologies to our trusted partners,” said Drew Barnes, vice president of IT infrastructure and operations at Northrop Grumman. “Migrating our critical classified programs to the AWS Secret Cloud for Industry solution fundamentally changes how we develop and scale sensitive programs at speed to deliver when it matters most.”
What AWS Secret Cloud means for defense
AWS Secret Cloud for Industry delivers immediate, measurable advantages for cleared defense contractors. The service replaces capital-intensive infrastructure buildouts with a pay-as-you-go model, so contractors pay only for what they use. New classified environments can be provisioned in days rather than the months typically required for hardware procurement and facility buildouts. AWS manages the underlying infrastructure so organizations can focus engineering resources on their mission.
AWS brings nearly a decade of experience supporting some of the U.S. government's most sensitive workloads and breaking barriers for our customers. AWS was the first cloud provider to build infrastructure specifically for government (2011), support classified workloads (2014), and achieve accreditation across all U.S. government data classifications (2017).
What the $20 million ASCI Accelerator Initiative offers contractors
AWS is also launching the ASCI Accelerator Initiative, providing up to $20 million in credits to help defense industrial base companies, federally funded research centers, independent software vendors, and system integrators migrate classified workloads to the cloud.
Strengthening America's Defense Industrial Base
AWS Secret Cloud for Industry supports Secretary Hegseth's Arsenal of Freedom vision, the 2026 National Defense Strategy, the AI Acceleration Strategy, and the Executive Order on modernizing defense acquisitions by encouraging speed, flexibility, and innovation across the defense industrial base.
As America marks its 250th anniversary this year, the nation's competitive edge depends on the same spirit of ingenuity that built it. With AWS Secret Cloud for Industry, the organizations that design and deliver America's most advanced defense capabilities now have access to modern cloud computing, generative AI, machine learning, and high-performance computing in a classified environment. This is how America maintains its technological superiority for the next 250 years: by ensuring the builders working on our most sensitive programs have access to the world's most advanced tools—not in years, but today.
AWS Secret Cloud for Industry availability
AWS Secret Cloud for Industry is available now in the AWS Secret-East Region. The AWS Secret Cloud for Industry and the ASCI Accelerator Initiative are open to eligible organizations, including defense contractors, FFRDCs, and University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs) operating under DCSA oversight.
Learn more about how AWS is investing billions to put AI into production for the public sector—announcements from AWS Summit Washington, D.C. 2026.
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