Data centers could determine who wins the next war, and a compute shortage would be ‘catastrophic’

In a Washington Post op-ed on Thursday, he argued that data infrastructure will be key to connect the Pentagon’s myriad weapons, such as long-range munitions, advanced combat aircraft, space systems, missile defenses, and drones. “Data is no longer merely a tool of commerce. It is a strategic asset,” Deptula wrote. “Nearly every function in the military depends on the ability to store, move, process, secure and exploit vast quantities of data at speed and scale.” Indeed, the war in Iran demonstrated AI’s ability to analyze data from across different sources and rapidly provide targeting information. Helped by AI-powered platforms from…