NATO is building a brand-new cloud system designed to store and manage highly sensitive battlefield information coming from Ukraine. This cloud is meant to help Ukraine share huge amounts of war data quickly and safely with its closest partners.
A New Way to Handle Battlefield Data
During the ongoing war, Ukraine has gathered mountains of battlefield information — from drone footage to missile alerts to troop-movement data. But sharing this data with allies has been slow and difficult. Different countries use different systems, and many of them cannot easily “talk” to each other.
To fix this, NATO plans to launch a secure cloud system by January 2026. The system will be based in Poland as part of a joint training center. Once fully operational, Ukraine will be able to send classified data straight into this cloud, where NATO experts and partner nations can analyze it almost instantly.
NATO officials say they have already put the technology in place. They have prepared the servers, storage tools and security equipment. The big challenge now is not technical — they must create the rules for approving the system and using it safely. NATO also wants to confirm that the cloud meets strict security standards before anyone uploads classified information.
Why NATO Needed a Brand-New System
NATO leaders decided not to build this system on top of their older networks. Instead, they chose to start from zero. Many existing networks are what experts call “federated systems,” meaning they are built from many smaller systems that were never designed to work perfectly together. Some parts are even proprietary, meaning they belong to specific companies and cannot easily connect with other tools.
This creates big problems when data needs to move fast. During a war, delays of even a few seconds can be dangerous. That is why NATO wants a fresh, open-architecture cloud — a system that can connect with many types of sensors and devices, no matter who made them.
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The cloud will also be government-controlled, even though it uses commercial technology. Officials explained that governments must remain the owners and “gatekeepers” of the system to protect classified data. They also need full authority to decide how security certifications work, how access is granted and how the system is monitored.
NATO is taking inspiration from major U.S. technology companies known as “hyperscalers.” These companies already run secure and classified cloud systems for national security agencies. By learning from them, NATO hopes to design a cloud that can handle extremely sensitive data without the fear of leaks or hacking attempts.
How the System Will Change Military Data Sharing
Modern battlefields generate enormous amounts of data every second. Fighter jets, radar stations, ships, satellites and drones all create continuous streams of information. Medical units, search teams and rescue helicopters also produce data that must be stored and shared quickly.
Ukraine’s war has shown how important it is for allies to share this information in real time. When data gets stuck, delayed or lost, it becomes harder to plan missions or understand enemy movements.
NATO’s new cloud aims to solve this by acting as a central hub. Here is how the system will work:
- Partner nations collect the data. Each country uses its own sensors, drones and equipment on the battlefield.
- Ukraine uploads data to the NATO cloud. Once the cloud is certified, Ukraine can transfer large amounts of information directly to it.
- NATO processes and integrates the data. Analysts organize the information and make it usable for military planning.
- Allies access the information when needed. Any approved nation can pull data from the cloud instantly, no matter where they are located.
NATO leaders say this system will become a “common data layer” that countries can rely on. Instead of fighting through dozens of different networks, they will use a single, unified platform. The cloud will be fast, secure and built for the heavy demands of modern warfare.
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The idea is simple: nations buy sensors and equipment, but NATO provides the data backbone that connects everything together. By doing this, partners can understand the battlefield more clearly, react more quickly and work together more smoothly.
The war has made one thing extremely clear — data is now as important as fuel, ammunition or manpower. With this new cloud system, NATO hopes to ensure that crucial information moves as fast as the conflict demands.