The US is considering building a highly secure AI base in Israel’s Negev desert to protect advanced AI technology from Chinese espionage risks and maintain its edge in the global AI race.
The project, named Project Spire, was discussed between US and Israeli officials, aiming to combine the security standards of a US military base with Israel’s high-tech ecosystem.
The plan focuses on three locations in the western Negev, where Israel will lease land long-term to the US to develop research centers, large-scale server systems, independent energy infrastructure, chip design, and AI model training.
The project could also include advanced semiconductor manufacturing, helping to reduce dependence on the vulnerable supply chain in Taiwan under geopolitical pressure from China.
The Hudson Institute suggests that the new phase of US-China competition requires “secure AI zones” for allies to develop technology without fear of intellectual property theft or military application leaks.
Project Spire is described as the first node in a global network of secure AI bases under US standards, allowing allied companies and researchers to collaborate in a strictly controlled environment.
The project links to the Trump administration’s Pax Silica initiative, focusing on strengthening trusted tech supply chains and limiting dependence on China.
A declaration on January 16, 2026, in Jerusalem between US Deputy Secretary of State Jacob Helberg and the head of Israel’s National AI Directorate, Erez Askal, is seen as the political foundation for the project.
Israel is considered a prominent candidate thanks to its strong capabilities in cybersecurity, intelligence, military technology, chip design, and applied AI, alongside the presence of Nvidia, Intel, Google, and Microsoft.
The Negev already has a long-standing foundation of US-Israel tech cooperation, particularly with Intel’s chip manufacturing operations in Kiryat Gat, creating an advantage for expansion into strategic AI.
According to the proposal, the technology developed at the base would remain US property but could be manufactured and scaled in the US, creating high-value jobs for both countries.
If approved, Project Spire could become a model for similar secure AI bases in the UK, Japan, South Korea, or India in the future.
📌 Conclusion: Project Spire shows that the US is shifting from an open tech cooperation model to “defensive AI zones” with close allies to protect chips, data, and strategic AI capabilities against competition from China. Israel emerges due to its special military-tech capabilities, existing chip infrastructure, and deep links with US Big Tech. If deployed, this could become a turning point shaping a global high-security AI network, similar to the role of military bases in the last century.
