A Classified Cloud Is Headed to the Indo-Pacific

BALTIMORE—A small cloud is brewing in Hawaii, a harbinger of much larger things to come.

Called Stratus and dubbed a “beta” effort, the private classified cloud will serve a yet-to-be-determined list of organizations under U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. The pilot program is part of the Defense Information Systems Agency’s effort to learn how it might better serve the Pentagon’s far-flung operations by bringing data and applications closer to users.

“Stratus aims to place [continental U.S.]-equivalent compute capability physically in theater,” a DISA spokesperson told Defense One via email.

The project is part of DISA’s plan to deploy cloud infrastructure outside the continental United States this year. Other parts include deploying a commercial tactical cloud with the Pentagon’s chief information office and U.S. Special Operations Command; and exploring how the Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability contract might foster tactical clouds.

Stratus is “a first step working with INDOPACOM,” said Sharon Woods, who leads DISA’s Hosting and Compute Center. Once it’s up and running, usage patterns will shape the agency’s plans to expand service “deeper into the INDOPACOM region,” Woods told reporters during the AFCEA TechNet Cyber conference.

But it’s not the only pilot cloud that DISA intends to test in the Pacific.

“There isn't a one-size-fits-all solution,” Woods said, so the agency, and the Pentagon, have multiple efforts to see what is needed and works best.

DISA intends to stand up “specialized commercial cloud servers” powered by Amazon Web Services. This will “act as an extension and conduit of commercial cloud offerings providing access to a wide range of cloud capabilities,” the DISA spokesperson said.

The agency aims to have Stratus and the Amazon-powered clouds running by September.