Google Plans Secret AI Military Data Center on Australia's Christmas Island

Google plans secret AI military outpost on tiny island overrun by crabs

On Wednesday, Reuters reported that Google is planning to build a large AI data center on Christmas Island, a 52-square-mile Australian territory in the Indian Ocean, following a cloud computing deal with Australia's military. The previously undisclosed project will reportedly position advanced AI infrastructure a mere 220 miles south of Indonesia at a location military strategists consider critical for monitoring Chinese naval activity. Aside from its strategic military position, the island is famous for its massive annual crab migration, where over 100 million of red crabs make their way across the island to spawn in the ocean. That's notable because the tech giant has applied for environmental approvals to build a subsea cable connecting the 135-square-kilometer island to Darwin, where US Marines are stationed for six months each year. The project follows a three-year cloud agreement Google signed with Australia's military in July 2025, but many details about the new facility's size, cost, and specific capabilities remain "secret," according to Reuters. Both Google and Australia's Department of Defense declined to comment when contacted by the news agency. Bryan Clark, a former US Navy strategist who ran recent war games featuring Christmas Island, told Reuters that the planned facility would enable AI-powered military command and control. Recent military exercises involving Australian, US, and Japanese forces show Christmas Island's value as a forward defense position for launching uncrewed weapons systems. The island's location allows the monitoring of traffic through the Sunda, Lombok, and Malacca straits, which are key waterways for global shipping and submarine movements. Christmas Island has reportedly struggled with poor telecommunications and limited economic opportunities in the past, but some of the island's 1,600 human residents are cautiously optimistic about the project. Christmas Island Shire President Steve Pereira told Reuters that the council is examining community impacts before approving construction. "There is support for it, providing this data center actually does put back into the community with infrastructure, employment, and adding economic value to the island," Pereira said. That's great, but what about the crabs? Christmas Island's annual crab migration is a natural phenomenon that Sir David Attenborough reportedly once described as one of his greatest TV moments when he visited the site in 1990. Every year, millions of crabs emerge from the forest and swarm across roads, streams, rocks, and beaches to reach the ocean, where each female can produce up to 100,000 eggs. The tiny baby crabs that survive take about nine days to march back inland to the safety of the plateau. While Google is seeking environmental approvals for its subsea cables, the timing could prove delicate for Christmas Island's most famous residents. According to Parks Australia, the island's annual red crab migration has already begun for 2025, with a major spawning event expected in just a few weeks, around November 15-16. During peak migration times, sections of roads close at short notice as crabs move between forest and sea, and the island has built special crab bridges over roads to protect the migrating masses. Parks Australia notes that while the migration happens annually, few baby crabs survive the journey from sea to forest most years, as they're often eaten by fish, manta rays, and whale sharks. The successful migrations that occur only once or twice per decade (when large numbers of babies actually survive) are critical for maintaining the island's red crab population. How Google's facility might coexist with 100 million marching crustaceans remains to be seen. But judging by the size of the event, it seems clear that it's the crab's world, and we're just living in it.

Google to build new AI data centre on tiny Australian Indian Ocean outpost after signing defence deal

Military experts say facility on Christmas Island would be valuable asset to monitor Chinese submarine and naval activity Google plans to build a large AI data centre on Australia's remote Indian Ocean outpost of Christmas Island after signing a cloud deal with the Department of Defence earlier this year, according to documents reviewed by Reuters and interviews with officials. Plans for the data centre on the tiny island located 350km south of Indonesia have not previously been reported, and many details including its projected size, cost and potential uses, remain secret. However, military experts say such a facility would be a valuable asset on the island, which is increasingly seen by defence officials as a critical frontline in monitoring Chinese submarine and other naval activity in the Indian Ocean. Google is in advanced talks to lease land near the island's airport to construct the data hub, including a deal with a local mining company to secure its energy needs, Christmas Island Shire officials told Reuters and council meeting records show. Alphabet Inc-owned Google said the project was part of its work to deliver subsea cable infrastructure to boost digital resilience in Australia and the Indo-Pacific, and played down its size. "We are not constructing 'a large artificial intelligence data centre' on Christmas Island," a Google spokeswoman said in a statement to Reuters, adding more details would be shared soon. Planning documents show Google proposes an "additional future cable system" connecting Christmas Island to Asia. A Christmas Island source, who declined to be named, said Google had requested a long-term energy supply deal for a 7 megawatt data centre, using diesel and renewable power. Google did not comment about its power requirements. Australia's Department of Infrastructure confirmed Google's proposal was to establish a data centre on Christmas Island and included plans to connect the island to Darwin via a subsea cable. "The department is in discussions with Google to ensure energy requirements for the proposed project are met without impacting supply to local residents and businesses," it said in a statement to Reuters. Australia's Department of Defence had no comment. A recent tabletop war game involving the Australian, US and Japanese militaries highlighted Christmas Island's role as a forward line of defence for Australia in any regional conflict, particularly its advantages for launching uncrewed weapons systems, or drones. Bryan Clark, a former US Navy strategist who ran the war games, said having a forward "command and control" node on Christmas Island would be critical in a crisis with China or another adversary. "The data centre is partly to allow you to do the kinds of AI-enabled command and control that you need to do in the future, especially if you rely on uncrewed systems for surveillance missions and targeting missions and even engagements," Clark, now a Hudson Institute fellow, told Reuters. Subsea cables provide more bandwidth for communication than a satellite, and greater reliability, because China would be expected to jam satellite communications or Starlink in a crisis, he said. "If you've got a data centre on Christmas, you can do a lot of that through cloud infrastructure," he added. Australia's defence department entered into a three-year cloud agreement with Google in July. Britain's military recently announced a similar Google cloud deal, which it said will boost intelligence sharing with the US. Google applied last month for Australian environmental approvals to build the first subsea cable connecting Christmas Island to the northern Australian city of Darwin, where the US Marine Corps are based for six months of the year. The Christmas Island Shire president, Steve Pereira, said his administration is examining the community impact of the proposed data centre before giving final construction approval. The 135 sq km (52 sq mile) island, best known for its asylum seeker detention centre and annual migration of millions of red crabs, has until recently struggled with poor telecommunications and its 1,600 residents lack job opportunities. "There is support for it, providing this data centre actually does put back into the community with infrastructure, employment and adding economic value to the island," he said. Residents are concerned at the impact the centre may have on energy supplies on the island, which is 1,500 km from mainland Australia and relies on diesel to supplement limited renewables. The Department of Infrastructure said the Google project aligned with the Australian government's goal of diversifying the island's economy away from mining. "All environmental and other planning requirements will need to be met for the project to proceed," the spokesperson said, noting the island's unique environment. Two Christmas Island sources and a defence source said the data centre was of commercial benefit to Google because of the Indian Ocean location between Africa, Asia and Australia, as well as its potential defence uses. Another recent war game on Christmas Island involved the rapid deployment of an advanced US HIMARS truck-mounted rocket system from Darwin, which drew a mixed response from residents. Some anti-war protesters were fearful of the impact on tourism, while business people are hopeful increased defence activity will boost the economy, Pereira said. "We are a strategic asset for defence," he said. "There are many industries on the island we have to protect, all of this will be closely considered for any new projects - whether it be defence or Google," he added. Retired Navy Commodore Peter Leavy, who lived on the island as a student, told Reuters he has taken several Australian defence groups to Christmas Island since last year, seeking to build community support for defence activities. "Christmas Island is quite well positioned to at least monitor what is going through Sunda Strait, Lombok Strait, Malacca Straits. It is a really good location."

Google plans a powerful AI data centre on tiny Australian outpost

Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe. Google plans to build a large artificial intelligence data centre on Australia's remote Indian Ocean outpost of Christmas Island after signing a cloud deal with the Department of Defence this year, according to documents reviewed by Reuters and interviews with officials. Plans for the data centre on the tiny island located 350km south of Indonesia have not previously been reported, and many details including its projected size, cost and potential uses, remain secret.

Google planning powerful AI data centre on tiny Australian Indian Ocean outpost - The Economic Times

Google is planning a major AI data centre on Australia's remote Christmas Island after a Defence Department cloud deal, Reuters revealed. The secretive project could boost defence monitoring of Chinese naval activity. Experts say it would enhance AI-driven command systems, while locals weigh economic gains against militarisation concerns.Google plans to build a large artificial intelligence data centre on Australia's remote Indian Ocean outpost of Christmas Island after signing a cloud deal with the Department of Defence earlier this year, according to documents reviewed by Reuters and interviews with officials. Plans for the data centre on the tiny island located 350 km (220 miles) south of Indonesia have not previously been reported, and many details including its projected size, cost and potential uses, remain secret. However, military experts say such a facility would be a valuable asset on the island, which is increasingly seen by defence officials as a critical frontline in monitoring Chinese submarine and other naval activity in the Indian Ocean. Google is in advanced talks to lease land near the island's airport to construct the data hub, including a deal with a local mining company to secure its energy needs, Christmas Island Shire officials told Reuters and council meeting records show. Alphabet Inc-owned Google declined to comment for this story. Australia's Department of Defence had no comment. Frontline for defence A recent tabletop war game involving the Australian, US and Japanese militaries highlighted Christmas Island's role as a forward line of defence for Australia in any regional conflict, particularly its advantages for launching uncrewed weapons systems. Bryan Clark, a former US Navy strategist who ran the war games, said having a forward "command and control" node on Christmas Island would be critical in a crisis with China or another adversary. "The data centre is partly to allow you to do the kinds of AI-enabled command and control that you need to do in the future, especially if you rely on uncrewed systems for surveillance missions and targeting missions and even engagements," Clark, now a Hudson Institute fellow, told Reuters. Subsea cables provide more bandwidth for communication than a satellite, and greater reliability, because China would be expected to jam satellite communications or Starlink in a crisis, he said. "If you've got a data centre on Christmas, you can do a lot of that through cloud infrastructure," he added. Australia's defence department entered into a three-year cloud agreement with Google in July. Britain's military recently announced a similar Google cloud deal, which it said will boost intelligence sharing with the United States. Google applied last month for Australian environmental approvals to build the first subsea cable connecting Christmas Island to the northern Australian city of Darwin, where the US Marine Corps are based for six months of the year. The cable link to Darwin for Google will be installed by US company SubCom, documents show. Reuters has reported SubCom, the exclusive undersea cable contractor to the US military, previously connected the US/UK military base of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to a cable stretching from Australia to Oman. Building community support for military Christmas Island Shire President Steve Pereira said his administration is examining the community impact of the proposed data centre before giving final construction approval. The 135 square km (52 square mile) island, best known for its asylum seeker detention centre and annual migration of millions of red crabs, has until recently struggled with poor telecommunications and its 1,600 residents lack job opportunities. "There is support for it, providing this data centre actually does put back into the community with infrastructure, employment and adding economic value to the island," he said. Two Christmas Island sources and a defence source said the data centre was of commercial benefit to Google because of the Indian Ocean location between Africa, Asia and Australia, as well as its potential defence uses. Another recent war game on Christmas Island involved the rapid deployment of an advanced US HIMARS truck-mounted rocket system from Darwin, which drew a mixed response from residents. Some anti-war protesters were fearful of the impact on tourism, while business people are hopeful increased defence activity will boost the economy, Pereira said. "We are a strategic asset for defence," he said. "There are many industries on the island we have to protect, all of this will be closely considered for any new projects - whether it be defence or Google," he added. Retired Navy Commodore Peter Leavy, who lived on the island as a student, told Reuters he has taken several Australian defence groups to Christmas Island since last year, seeking to build community support for defence activities. "Christmas Island is quite well positioned to at least monitor what is going through Sunda Strait, Lombok Strait, Malacca Straits. It is a really good location."

Google planning powerful AI data center on tiny Australian outpost

Google plans to build a large artificial intelligence data center on Australia's remote Indian Ocean outpost of Christmas Island after signing a cloud deal with the Department of Defence earlier this year, according to documents and interviews with officials. Plans for the data center on the tiny island located 350 kilometers south of Indonesia have not previously been reported, and many details including its projected size, cost and potential uses, remain secret. However, military experts say such a facility would be a valuable asset on the island, which is increasingly seen by defense officials as a critical front line in monitoring Chinese submarine and other naval activity in the Indian Ocean.

Google Eyes Christmas Island For Massive AI Data Centre In Strategic Indian Ocean Move - Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG), Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN)

Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google plans to construct a large artificial intelligence data centre on Christmas Island, a remote Australian territory, in a move experts say could have both commercial and defence implications. Google Moves To Secure Land And Energy For AI Data Centre Documents reviewed by Reuters and interviews with officials reveal that Google, owned by Alphabet, is in advanced talks to lease land near the island's airport and secure energy through a local mining company. The company also applied for approval to build a subsea cable connecting the island to Darwin, Australia, where U.S. Marines are stationed part of the year. AI Data Hub Boosts Defence And Local Economy "The data centre is partly to allow you to do the kinds of AI-enabled command and control that you need to do in the future, especially if you rely on uncrewed systems for surveillance missions and targeting missions," said Bryan Clark, former U.S. Navy strategist and Hudson Institute fellow. Australia's Defence Department signed a three-year cloud agreement with Google in July, with similar arrangements recently announced by the UK military to boost intelligence sharing with the U.S.Local officials emphasized the potential community impact. Christmas Island Shire President Steve Pereira said, "There is support for it, providing this data centre actually does put back into the community with infrastructure, employment and adding economic value to the island." See Also: Google Tightens 'Work From Anywhere' Policy, With Even 1 Remote Day Counting As Full Week: Report Google's $15 Billion AI Data Centre in India Amid Rising Energy Concerns Last month, Google, led by Sundar Pichai, announced a $15 billion investment to build a massive AI data centre in Visakhapatnam, India, marking its largest facility outside the U.S. The project, developed in partnership with AdaniConneX and Bharti Airtel, was planned to have a 1-gigawatt power capacity, with Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian emphasizing responsible AI and societal impact. At the same time, venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya warned that the rapid AI boom, driven by Google, Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META), Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT), and Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) using Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) GPUs, could double electricity rates within five years. He noted that AI data centres were straining power grids and cautioned that big tech might face public backlash over rising energy costs if solutions were not implemented quickly. Read More: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Says Intel Spent 33 Years 'Trying To Kill Us' But Now Calls The Chip Rival A Partner: 'We're Lovers, Not Fighters' Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. Photo courtesy: Shutterstock AMZNAmazon.com Inc$249.90-0.12%OverviewGOOGAlphabet Inc$285.530.27%GOOGLAlphabet Inc$285.110.28%METAMeta Platforms Inc$639.170.51%MSFTMicrosoft Corp$506.06-0.22%NVDANVIDIA Corp$197.581.21%Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs

Google On Christmas Island: Data Centres And Imminent Militarisation

Google has become something of a fixture in digital infrastructure in the Pacific. In late 2023, Canberra announced a joint project with the US, Google and Vocus, an Australian digital infrastructure firm, to deliver the A$80 million South Pacific Connect initiative. The object: to link Fiji and French Polynesia to Australia and North America, with the hopeful placement of landing stations in other South Pacific countries. Interest in Google's relationship with the Australian government was also piqued this month by promised activity on Christmas Island, located 350 kilometres (220 miles) south of Indonesia. The Indian Ocean outpost of exquisite environmental beauty has often been sinister in its secrecy. Unwanted refugees and asylum seekers have periodically found themselves as detainees on the island, victims of Australia's sadistic approach to undocumented naval arrivals. In August 2016, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre claimed that the Christmas Island Detention Centre had all the brutal features of "a high security military camp where control is based on fear and punishment and the extensive internal use of extrajudicial punishment by force and isolation is evident." The goal of the Silicon Valley behemoth lies elsewhere. Occasioned by the signing of a cloud deal with Australia's Department of Defence earlier in July, the company promises to build what Reuters describes as "a large artificial intelligence data centre" on the island. Advanced talks are being held on leasing land near the island's airport that will be used for the site. This will include an arrangement with a local mining company to deal with any necessary energy needs for the 7-megawatt facility, which will be powered on diesel and renewable energy. The scale of the project, let alone its broader significance, is not something the company or government wonks wish others to know about. "We are not constructing 'a large artificial intelligence data centre' on Christmas Island," came the sharp response from a Google spokesperson to Data Center Dynamics. "This is a continuation of our Australia Connect work to deliver subsea cable infrastructure, and we look forward to sharing more soon." Planning documents further show the company's vision for an "additional future cable system" that will connect Christmas Island to Asia. The Australian Department of Infrastructure has confirmed the Google project, which includes plans to link the island to Darwin using the services of US-based contractor SubCom. The bureaucrats were also quick to gloss over what disruptions might arise to the 1,600 residents heavily reliant on diesel to patch up inadequate renewable sources. "The department is in discussions with Google to ensure energy requirements for the proposed project are met without impacting supply to local residents and businesses." A spokesperson also stated that, "All environmental and other planning requirements will need to be met for the project to succeed." The same cautionary note has not been struck by enthusiasts who see the military potential of the island outpost. Former US Navy strategist Bryan Clark, fresh from being involved in a tabletop war game involving personnel from the US, Japanese and Australian militaries, was keen to inflate the importance of the data centre. That importance, he stresses, lies in the field of conflict. "The data centre is partly to allow you to do the kinds of AI-enabled command and control that you need to do in the future, especially if you rely on uncrewed systems for surveillance missions and targeting missions and even engagements." He considers the use of subsea cables more reliable in frustrating any mischief that might arise from China (who else?), notably in attempts to jam Starlink or any satellite communications. Such cables also provided more bandwidth for communication. "If you've got a data centre on Christmas, you can do a lot of that through cloud infrastructure." Again, American power uses Australian territory as a conduit to maintain the imperium. Google's ties with the military tendrils of several nations continues the ongoing penetration of Big Tech companies into the industrial complex. The circle between military Research and Development pioneered by government agencies and their partnering with private contractors is complete. Indeed, digital-military-industrial complexes are now battling in steady rivalry (the two most prominent being China and the United States). "This is contributing to the blurring of state-corporation boundaries even more than what was observed during the second half of the twentieth century with the rise of transnational corporations," write Andrea Coveri, Claudia Cozza and Dario Guarsacio in Intereconomics. This blurring has served to diminish company accountability and government independence, however well-dressed the issue of planning approvals is. Christmas Island residents will be left to the mercies of unimaginative officials easily seduced by the promise of investment and returns. "There is support for it," says a convinced Steve Pereira, Christmas Island Shire President, "providing this data centre actually does put back into the community with infrastructure, employment and adding economic value to the island." As for the military dimension? "We are a strategic asset for defence." What a comfort for the local citizenry.

Google planning powerful AI data centre on tiny Australian Indian Ocean outpost

SYDNEY (Reuters) -Google plans to build a large artificial intelligence data centre on Australia's remote Indian Ocean outpost of Christmas Island after signing a cloud deal with the Department of Defence earlier this year, according to documents reviewed by Reuters and interviews with officials. Plans for the data centre on the tiny island located 350 km (220 miles) south of Indonesia have not previously been reported, and many details including its projected size, cost and potential uses, remain secret. However, military experts say such a facility would be a valuable asset on the island, which is increasingly seen by defence officials as a critical frontline in monitoring Chinese submarine and other naval activity in the Indian Ocean. Google is in advanced talks to lease land near the island's airport to construct the data hub, including a deal with a local mining company to secure its energy needs, Christmas Island Shire officials told Reuters and council meeting records show. Alphabet Inc-owned Google declined to comment for this story. Australia's Department of Defence had no comment. FRONTLINE FOR DEFENCE A recent tabletop war game involving the Australian, U.S. and Japanese militaries highlighted Christmas Island's role as a forward line of defence for Australia in any regional conflict, particularly its advantages for launching uncrewed weapons systems. Bryan Clark, a former U.S. Navy strategist who ran the war games, said having a forward "command and control" node on Christmas Island would be critical in a crisis with China or another adversary. "The data centre is partly to allow you to do the kinds of AI-enabled command and control that you need to do in the future, especially if you rely on uncrewed systems for surveillance missions and targeting missions and even engagements," Clark, now a Hudson Institute fellow, told Reuters. Subsea cables provide more bandwidth for communication than a satellite, and greater reliability, because China would be expected to jam satellite communications or Starlink in a crisis, he said. "If you've got a data centre on Christmas, you can do a lot of that through cloud infrastructure," he added. Australia's defence department entered into a three-year cloud agreement with Google in July. Britain's military recently announced a similar Google cloud deal, which it said will boost intelligence sharing with the United States. Google applied last month for Australian environmental approvals to build the first subsea cable connecting Christmas Island to the northern Australian city of Darwin, where the U.S. Marine Corps are based for six months of the year. The cable link to Darwin for Google will be installed by U.S. company SubCom, documents show. Reuters has reported SubCom, the exclusive undersea cable contractor to the U.S. military, previously connected the U.S./UK military base of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to a cable stretching from Australia to Oman. BUILDING COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR MILITARY Christmas Island Shire President Steve Pereira said his administration is examining the community impact of the proposed data centre before giving final construction approval. The 135 square km (52 square mile) island, best known for its asylum seeker detention centre and annual migration of millions of red crabs, has until recently struggled with poor telecommunications and its 1,600 residents lack job opportunities. "There is support for it, providing this data centre actually does put back into the community with infrastructure, employment and adding economic value to the island," he said. Two Christmas Island sources and a defence source said the data centre was of commercial benefit to Google because of the Indian Ocean location between Africa, Asia and Australia, as well as its potential defence uses. Another recent war game on Christmas Island involved the rapid deployment of an advanced U.S. HIMARS truck-mounted rocket system from Darwin, which drew a mixed response from residents. Some anti-war protesters were fearful of the impact on tourism, while business people are hopeful increased defence activity will boost the economy, Pereira said. "We are a strategic asset for defence," he said. "There are many industries on the island we have to protect, all of this will be closely considered for any new projects - whether it be defence or Google," he added. Retired Navy Commodore Peter Leavy, who lived on the island as a student, told Reuters he has taken several Australian defence groups to Christmas Island since last year, seeking to build community support for defence activities. "Christmas Island is quite well positioned to at least monitor what is going through Sunda Strait, Lombok Strait, Malacca Straits. It is a really good location." (Reporting by Kirsty Needham in Sydney; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)