DISA Unveils New Cloud Environment to Speed Delivery of Services to Forces
•February 10, 2026
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Why It Matters
Faster, adaptable cloud delivery directly enhances warfighter readiness and operational tempo, positioning DISA as a critical enabler of modern defense capabilities.
Key Takeaways
- •DISA launches unified cloud environment for warfighter services
- •Three on‑ramps: classic, private, and commercial hosting
- •Private cloud upgrades aim to surpass Stratus capabilities
- •Joint Warfighting Cloud contract deemed “tremendous success”
- •Flexible model avoids one‑size‑fits‑all approach
Pulse Analysis
The DISA Cloud Environment represents a strategic shift in how the Pentagon’s primary IT agency supports combat operations. Historically, DISA relied on static infrastructure hosting and generic service models that struggled to keep pace with the rapid tempo of modern conflict. By introducing a modular architecture with classic, private, and commercial on‑ramps, the agency can dynamically allocate resources, reducing latency and improving the speed at which new capabilities reach the battlefield. This agility is especially critical as adversaries adopt cloud‑native tactics and the demand for real‑time data processing grows.
A key component of the new strategy is the elevation of private‑cloud offerings. While DISA’s Stratus platform laid the groundwork, the agency now aims to deliver higher‑performance, secure environments that meet stringent defense requirements. Enhanced private cloud services will provide greater control over data sovereignty, compliance, and mission‑critical workloads, addressing concerns that have limited broader adoption in the past. Coupled with the proven Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability contract, DISA can blend commercial innovation with government‑grade security, creating a hybrid ecosystem that maximizes cost efficiency while preserving operational integrity.
The broader implications extend beyond immediate warfighter benefits. By adopting a flexible, “smart cloud journey,” DISA sets a precedent for other federal agencies grappling with legacy IT constraints. The model encourages a shift toward demand‑driven provisioning, where services are delivered precisely where and when needed, minimizing waste and accelerating innovation cycles. As the defense sector continues to modernize, DISA’s cloud transformation could become a benchmark for public‑private collaboration, driving faster adoption of emerging technologies such as AI, edge computing, and zero‑trust architectures across the Department of Defense.
DISA unveils new cloud environment to speed delivery of services to forces
WEST 2026 — The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) is changing how it delivers cloud services to provided faster capabilities to warfighters due to the pace of conflict, an official announced today.
“In order to address that change our leadership … has developed what we are calling the DISA Cloud Environment,” Nolan Brown, technical director for DISA’s Hybrid Cloud Solutions, said at the annual WEST conference.
“The DISA cloud environment is our attempt to modernize what we deliver to the warfighter through a host of tools and products … to accelerate the speed of deployment for new capabilities where it’s needed, when it’s needed, and what exactly is needed,” he said.
Brown explained that historically support was provided through infrastructure hosting, hosting as a service and other services. But that model does not fit what the warfighter needs today as conflict continues to move faster, and the agency must adapt to that.
This “smart cloud journey” will provide the right solutions to the right locations at the right time, but won’t be a one size fits all. Brown acknowledged there is no right solution for every application and mission or right location for every service and application.
The DISA cloud environment — which is not a single product, but a set of umbrella services — will consist of three main on ramps: classic, private and commercial hosting. Classic hosting has been a core competency for DISA through its Hosting and Compute Center.
On the private side, while DISA has been seeking to grow its private offerings through services like Stratus, Brown said they need to take their offerings up a notch significantly.
Brown also highlighted how DISA has embraced the need for commercial cloud through the Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability contract, which he said has been a “tremendous success” and part of their roadmap.
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