How governments adopt the cloud for national security and defense in Asia-Pacific

This article discusses how Asia-Pacific governments are adopting cloud technology for national security and defense operations, based on an IISS research paper supported by AWS.

• Cloud enables processing vast data volumes and integrating multi-domain operations at scale
• AI/ML capabilities support advanced threat detection and anomaly identification
• Distributed architecture reduces vulnerability to physical and cyber attacks
• Dynamic scalability eliminates upfront capital expenditure on infrastructure
• Japan modernizing with hybrid cloud for cross-domain integration
• Philippines enhancing interservice coordination through early cloud adoption
• Singapore linking military readiness with national resilience via secure hybrid cloud
• Thailand building governance capacity for sensitive data protection
• Redefine sovereignty through transparent control rather than technological isolation
• Build domestic expertise and institutional maturity for effective oversight
• Design cloud solutions for allied data sharing and interoperability
• Implement resilience architecture with encryption, MFA, and zero trust principles

Successful cloud adoption requires balancing global innovation access with domestic control, institutional capacity, and strategic autonomy for national security missions.