South Korea's Ministry of National Defense is accelerating efforts to expand the AI computing infrastructure needed to support its defense AI transformation (AX) initiative. The project will add high-performance computing resources, including graphics processing units (GPUs), and build an AI training and operations platform capable of handling classified military data.
According to industry sources on July 9, the Ministry of National Defense and the National Information Society Agency (NIA) recently released preliminary specifications for the Defense Intelligent Platform Upgrade Project. The project has a budget of approximately KRW 21.4 billion (US$15.5 million) and is scheduled to run for about 15 months from the contract signing date.
The initiative marks an expansion of the military's AI capabilities beyond administrative and resource management functions--such as logistics, personnel, and finance--to battlefield and weapons-system data. It aims to integrate defense data scattered across the Army, Navy, and Air Force while establishing a common AI development and deployment environment for the entire defense sector.
A key objective is to address the limitations of the existing Defense Intelligent Platform launched in 2023. While the current system supports AI development using non-classified administrative data, its use has been limited because much of the operational data generated by command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence (C4I) systems and weapons platforms is classified.
The upgraded platform will provide an end-to-end environment for defense AI, covering computing infrastructure, data collection and processing, AI model development and deployment, and an integrated user portal. It will consist of four main components: an intelligent cloud infrastructure, a defense data platform, an AI development and operations platform, and a unified portal.
The project also includes additional GPU-based computing resources, virtualization infrastructure, and container management systems to support cloud-based AI workloads. A new defense data platform will collect, store, refine, and catalog military data, making it easier to search and utilize for AI applications.
The AI development platform will manage the full AI lifecycle--from model development and training to evaluation, deployment, and operation. Meanwhile, the integrated portal will connect the data platform, AI platform, and cloud infrastructure through a single interface.
Security is a major focus of the upgrade. The platform will incorporate multi-factor authentication (MFA) for access to classified information, encryption for data storage and transmission, and a data history management system to ensure secure handling of sensitive military information.
The project is part of the ministry's broader defense AI transformation strategy, which also includes plans to establish a dedicated defense AI data center and introduce generative AI technologies. Together, these initiatives are expected to accelerate the adoption of AI across South Korea's defense sector.
“NIA will ensure the stable deployment of an intelligent cloud environment and GPU-based high-performance computing infrastructure that complies with military security standards, enabling the Defense Intelligent Platform to become the central hub for AI services dedicated to national defense,” an NIA official said.
