OpenAI Reaches Deal With U.S. Defense Department to Deploy AI Models on Classified Networks

The U.S. Department of Defense is accelerating the adoption of generative AI for national security and military decision-making. OpenAI established OpenAI for Government on June 16, 2025, and secured a Defense Department contract worth up to $200 million for administrative and cybersecurity prototypes. The deployment of its models in classified operational environments underscores the growing importance of AI companies in the national-security supply chain.

On February 27, 2026, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced an agreement with the Pentagon to deploy its models on classified networks, with financial terms undisclosed. On March 2, the company added provisions prohibiting domestic mass surveillance and use by the NSA, while stipulating that humans would retain ultimate responsibility for the use of force. On May 1, the Defense Department announced a further partnership with eight companies, including OpenAI, to deploy technology on IL6 and IL7 networks; Anthropic remained excluded.