The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has launched a restricted data environment with Amazon Web Services (AWS) in what the agency says is the first “cloud” platform authorized across the enterprise to process classified nuclear weapons information.
The cloud environment – a virtual space where resources are hosted by a third party and access over the internet – is intended to modernize NNSA’s digital infrastructure by connecting the agency’s geographically dispersed laboratories, plants and production sites through a common, secure computing platform, according to a Tuesday press release.
NNSA Administrator Brandon Williams said the platform will enable real-time collaboration across the nuclear security enterprise while providing access to advanced digital collaboration and computing capabilities.
The environment also will host the first workloads associated with NNSA’s Genesis Mission, an initiative launched under a November 2025 presidential executive order to accelerate the use of artificial intelligence for scientific discovery and other national security challenges.
According to NNSA, the environment supports product development and digital engineering, advanced computing and simulation, and secure data analytics. It is designed to allow design and production agencies to share common tools while maintaining the security boundaries required for classified weapons work.
The agency said the platform is the first cloud environment to receive enterprise authorization to process secret or restricted data, a classification category covering certain nuclear weapons information.
AWS Vice President David Appel said the company’s government cloud infrastructure has supported NNSA’s broader cloud modernization efforts and will provide a secure computing foundation for the agency’s scientists and engineers.