The U.S. Department of the Air Force has invited private-sector companies to lease large parcels of land across five military bases. The goal is to develop advanced AI data centers that can support the growing computational needs of artificial intelligence.
According to the public notice, leasing opportunities are available at Arnold Air Force Base in Tennessee, Davis-Monthan in Arizona, Edwards in California, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey, and Robins in Georgia. Together, these bases represent strategic locations for high-capacity infrastructure development.
Expanding National AI Infrastructure
The Department plans to lease roughly 3,100 acres of underused property distributed across the five installations. Edwards Air Force Base, located in California’s Mojave Desert, will account for more than 2,100 of those acres. This site already serves as a vital testing hub for aircraft such as the B-21 Raider and T-7 Red Hawk.
The initiative is designed to stimulate private investment in AI-related facilities while supporting the federal strategy to reinforce the nation’s technological edge. Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations Robert Moriarty said the creation of new AI data centers is a critical step toward maintaining America’s innovation leadership.
This program follows two executive orders signed earlier in the year by President Donald Trump, which instructed federal agencies to accelerate AI adoption and identify appropriate military bases for energy-intensive data infrastructure. The Department of Defense must now conduct land leases through open, competitive processes.
Proposal Terms And Project Requirements
Interested developers must submit proposals by November 14, with final decisions anticipated in January 2026. Once chosen, projects will proceed with environmental reviews and detailed architectural planning.
Qualifying proposals must meet several benchmarks: each project must provide at least 100 megawatts of power capacity and exceed $500 million in total investment. In addition, developers must comply with the Air Force’s environmental and operational leasing guidelines.
Lease durations can extend up to 50 years, though extensions may be granted if they strengthen national defense goals or align with public interest. An Air Force representative clarified that these initiatives are aimed at private enterprises rather than internal military AI systems.
Technology firms and infrastructure developers will therefore be responsible for designing, financing, and managing the AI data centers, while coordinating closely with base authorities to maintain security and compliance.
Strengthening Defense-Tech Collaboration
Opening military property to commercial AI data centers creates a unique partnership model between the U.S. defense establishment and private innovators. This framework encourages infrastructure growth without relying on direct federal investment.
The approach also allows the government to utilize available, secure land with access to robust energy grids and high-speed connectivity. At the same time, it supports the nation’s expanding AI ecosystem and growing demand for large-scale data processing.
Such collaborations could help meet rising global needs for AI computation across sectors including defense, logistics, research, and advanced communication technologies—solidifying America’s leadership in next-generation digital infrastructure.
