Swedish government pushes for secret cloud solution for national security operations

The Swedish government is planning a classified cloud computing system for the country’s defence and security agencies, citing the “serious security situation,” public broadcaster SVT reports. The move aims to prevent foreign powers from accessing sensitive data currently handled by dominant US tech firms like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon.

Defence Minister Pål Jonson (Moderate Party) confirmed that authorities—including the Armed Forces, the Security Service (Säpo), the National Defence Radio Establishment (FRA), and the Defence Research Agency (FOI)—have been tasked with designing the system. A government-commissioned report states that transitioning to a cloud-based infrastructure is “necessary to credibly address the serious security situation.”

Sources told SVT the system would enable rapid AI-assisted analysis of data from space, drones, and other sources—capabilities deemed critical after observations from the war in Ukraine. “The Armed Forces must embrace the lessons from Ukraine, where vast amounts of battlefield data from radar, drones, and satellites require cloud solutions,” Jonson said.

However, intelligence agencies warn in a separate report that relying on foreign cloud providers risks exposing classified information. Mattias Åström, CEO of Swedish challenger Evroc (backed by the Wallenberg corporate group), argued that Sweden must develop its own capacity rather than depend on foreign firms subject to external oversight.

“We face a crucial choice: continue relying on foreign cloud services where other states can monitor activities, or build our own capability,” Åström told SVT. Concerns have also surfaced within US tech firms; Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates previously acknowledged potential risks, stating, “The US is militarily very strong, and one can imagine all sorts of crazy scenarios.”

The defence minister declined to comment on procurement details, stating that agencies are still assessing their digitalisation and cloud needs. A formal tender process is expected to follow.