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LONDON - Defence Holdings PLC (LSE:ALRT) has selected Google Cloud as the hyperscale provider for its inaugural sovereign artificial intelligence product, Project Ixian, according to a press release statement issued Friday.
The UK software-led defence company will build Project Ixian on Google Distributed Cloud air-gapped, a platform designed for stringent data residency and security controls that operates fully disconnected from the internet.
Project Ixian focuses on enhancing information integrity and resilience against information warfare, addressing key areas outlined in the UK’s Strategic Defence Review 2025, including disinformation, digital vulnerabilities, and narrative manipulation.
"Information has become critical infrastructure, and its protection is paramount," said Andy McCartney, Chief Technology Officer of Defence Holdings. "By selecting Google Cloud, we are establishing sovereign AI capability on the same technology, aligned with UK Government investments."
The project involves co-development with Whitespace engineers to incorporate sovereign standards, resilience, scalability, and compliance requirements from inception.
John Abel, UK Managing Director, Office of the CTO at Google Cloud, noted that the initiative combines Google’s sovereign infrastructure with Defence Holdings’ focus to deliver technologies that are both operationally relevant and sovereign by design.
Defence Holdings announced its five-year strategic plan in June 2025, positioning itself to become a leading force in software-first defence solutions. The company indicated that Project Ixian is the first in a planned multi-product pipeline it intends to develop over the next 18 months.
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