The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has selected Google Cloud to provide it with sovereign cloud capabilities in a deal worth £400m.
The agreement will see Google Cloud tasked with providing the MoD with a secure cloud platform that will allow the ministry to take advantage of the flexibility afforded to it by using the search giant’s cloud services, but in a way that will be subject to strict data controls.
This is in alignment with the contents of the MoD’s Strategic defence review, published in June 2025, which was commissioned by prime minister Keir Starmer to ensure the defence sector has the skills, tech and resources it needs to safeguard the nation’s security.
The document talks about how the speed at which the armed forces can “innovate and operationalise technology” is now used as another measure of “military effectiveness”, while also making references elsewhere about the ministry’s plans to ramp up its use of cloud for secure information processing.
James Hockenhull, head of cyber and specialist operations command at the MoD, said forging the partnership marks an important next step in the ministry’s wider digital transformation plans.
“The Ministry of Defence is committed to utilising next-generation technology and AI [artificial intelligence] to enhance our operational capabilities and ensure the security of the United Kingdom,” said Hockenhull.
“This partnership is a critical component of our digital transformation strategy, and we are pleased to partner with Google Cloud to deliver a secure and resilient cloud environment for our highly sensitive data.”
John Healey, secretary of state for defence, said the Google deal will also bring broader benefits, beyond those associated with digital transformation, including job creation and skills development opportunities, and has the potential to fuel the growth of startups and small and medium-sized enterprises in the UK defence industrial base.
“Today’s investment shows how defence is an engine for growth, supporting highly skilled UK jobs and a vibrant British tech startup ecosystem,” he said.
“Secure, seamless communication with our allies is crucial for national security and Google Cloud’s investment will build up our world-leading secret tech for the future,” said Healey. “The deal also delivers on the Strategic defence review, helping us develop the latest digital technology to counter our adversaries.”
Strategic agreement
The contract is understood to be the first government deal Google Cloud has publicly announced since revealing in July 2025 that it had signed a strategic agreement with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to reduce Whitehall’s reliance on legacy technology providers.
According to figures shared with Computer Weekly by public sector-focused analyst house Tussell, Google Cloud has secured two contracts directly with government departments in the past 12 months, prior to the one it has just signed with the MoD.
Both are markedly smaller in value than the £400m MoD contract, with one awarded in October 2024 by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, valued at £869,000, and another awarded in December 2024 by the Office for National Statistics, valued at between £393,253 and £2.5m.
Tara Brady, president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Google Cloud, said the deal is a show of the company’s commitment in supporting the UK government’s mission to develop a “robust and resilient infrastructure” as a springboard for other forms of innovation.
“This partnership will enable the MoD to accelerate its digital modernisation efforts while maintaining the highest levels of security and data sovereignty,” he said.
