The semi-autonomous agency of the Department of Energy that is responsible for managing the United States of America’s nuclear security, weapons stockpile, and nonproliferation efforts is collaborating with Amazon Web Services (AWS) on a new enterprise-authorization cloud environment. The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announced this week that it had established a Secret/Restricted Data (S/RD) Enterprise Cloud environment, marking a transformative step in its mission to “modernize its digital infrastructure while connecting its geographically dispersed sites into a unified, secure digital ecosystem.”
The S/RD Enterprise Cloud was developed to connect the NNSA’s dispersed laboratories, plants and production sites into a single secure environment.
“A modern, flexible nuclear enterprise needs seamless integration to build and deliver at the pace the global environment demands,” said NNSA Administrator Brandon Williams. “Our collaboration with AWS in the establishment of an S/RD enterprise environment will connect our labs, plants, and sites, support real-time collaboration with common tools, and provide access to advanced digital collaboration and computing capabilities. This example of public-private partnership in service to national security is what makes America exceptional.”
The effort is meant to promote the Trump Administration’s commitment to “peace through strength” by ensuring that the national security infrastructure is modern, resilient, and effective.
“AWS has powered NNSA’s cloud transformation from day one, advancing America’s technological superiority when it matters most,” added David Appel, vice president of AWS Global Government, National Security, and Defense. “Our purpose-built government cloud infrastructure ensures that the scientists and engineers safeguarding our national security have the most advanced, secure computing foundation in the world today.”
NNSA Going to the Cloud
The S/RD Enterprise Cloud, the first such environment developed to provide enterprise authorization capabilities, can support multiple workstreams, including product development and digital engineering, advanced computing and simulation, and secure data analytics.
According to the NNSA, the newly established S/RD Enterprise Cloud environment can also enable design and production agencies access to shared tools in a secure environment while maintaining boundaries that underpin the execution of NNSA’s mission.
“The environment will also support NNSA’s efforts under the Genesis Mission, a dedicated national effort launched by Presidential Executive Order on November 24, 2025, to accelerate the application of AI for transformative scientific discovery focused on pressing national challenges,” the NNSA explained.
The National Nuclear Security Administration was established by Congress in October 1999, through the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2000 (FY20). The semi-autonomous agency within the U.S. Department of Energy responsible for enhancing national security through the military application of nuclear science officially began operations as a semi-autonomous agency within the U.S. Department of Energy on March 1, 2000.
The NNSA directly employs approximately 2,000 federal staff, but oversees a massive workforce of more than 60,000 management and operating contractor employees who work at national laboratories, production plants, and test sites. Its annual budget is approximately $22.2 billion.
As with other federal agencies, the NNSAS has faced challenges recruiting and retaining federal staff. The S/RD Enterprise Cloud could help aid employee retention by equipping the scientists and engineers with more modern, collaborative tools. It could also streamline classified workflows by eliminating the frustration that often comes with moving data between isolated sites and by providing remote access to shared toolkits. It will aid in replacing the need for physical data transfers, saving employee time, which could reduce operational burnout.
The cloud initiative may also enable NNSA’s geographically dispersed workforce to collaborate in real time. As it replaces outdated and legacy computing constraints, NNSA will instead offer an engaging digital ecosystem that appeals to top-tier scientific and technical talent.
AWS Cloud Services Collaboration
Numerous U.S. government agencies, defense organizations, and intelligence services are also utilizing restricted AWS cloud environments, including AWS GovCloud and AWS Secret/Top Secret regions, to secure classified and unclassified data.
According to recent reports, AWS could invest up to $50 billion to expand its AI and supercomputing infrastructure across the government cloud, Secret and Top Secret sectors. The tech giant has set a goal of providing upwards of 1.3 gigawatts of AI computing capacity.
