Pentagon unveils new biodefense-focused supercomputer 

The Defense Department and National Nuclear Security Administration have a new supercomputing system focused on biological defense at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Inaugurated on August 1, the system will “provide unique capabilities for large-scale simulation and AI-based modeling for a variety of defensive activities, including bio surveillance, threat characterization, advanced materials development and accelerated medical countermeasures,” per a readout from DOD spokesperson Robert L. Ditchey II. 

DOD says it’s working with NNSA to up the computing capability for national biodefense systems — and that “the collaboration has enabled expanding systems of the same system architecture as LLNL's upcoming exascale supercomputer, El Capitan, which is projected to be the world's most powerful supercomputer when it becomes operational later this year,” the readout states.

The rest of the U.S. government, its allies and partners, as well as academia and industry will all be able to tap into the system. DOD funded the new system out of its Chemical and Biological Defense Program.

This isn’t the only capacity in which DOD is working on supercomputers.

Earlier this summer, the Defense Innovation Unit also announced its intention to connect supercomputers with cloud services. 

And at a different laboratory for NNSA, which is a semi-autonomous agency in the Energy Department, researchers are working with a supercomputer focused on using artificial intelligence in scientific research processes.

Of the latest focus on biodefense, Ian Watson, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for chemical and biological defense who led the DOD delegation at LLNL, said in a statement that the system shows “DOD's commitment to building enduring advantages and delivering cutting-edge defensive capabilities that will ensure the Total Force can deter or prevail against advanced chemical and biological threats."

"Bringing that exquisite computation and precision instrumentation to the biodefense fight is really what our story is today,” said Pat Falcone, LLNL deputy director.