Pentagon plans expanded cloud initiative with JWCC Next

DOD is preparing to launch JWCC Next, a successor to its $9 billion Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability (JWCC) contract, aiming to enhance and broaden its cloud computing infrastructure, as reported by Defense One. John Hale, Chief of Product Management and Development at DISA, indicated that JWCC Next will be a multiple award contract on a larger scale than its predecessor, with a draft RFP expected later this year and bidding anticipated to commence in 2026.

The original JWCC contract—awarded in 2022 to Amazon Web Services, Google, Microsoft, and Oracle—has to date allocated approximately $2.3 billion in task orders, addressing a wide array of mission-critical cloud requirements across the DOD, including classified operations.

JWCC Next will provide comprehensive cloud ecosystems and access to third-party marketplaces. Hale emphasized the importance of these ecosystems, stating that mission partners desire the complete suite of services surrounding major cloud providers.

Currently, about 180 cloud providers meet the baseline security requirements for DOD use; however, there is no streamlined method to integrate these providers into existing systems.