SINGAPORE, March 18 (Reuters) - Oracle said on

Wednesday it would provide Singapore's defense technology arm

with "isolated" cloud computing and AI services, in the

company's first such deal in Southeast Asia.

Southeast Asian governments are frequent targets of cyber

espionage campaigns and are facing escalating supply chain

attacks, according to security researchers.

Under the deal, the U.S firm will provide Singapore's armed

forces and defense ministry with an "air-gapped" isolated cloud

computing infrastructure - meaning that it will be cut off from

the internet and connected instead to classified networks via

encrypted devices.

"We're bringing our generative AI tools across the air gaps

and into those isolated environments ," said Oracle Global

Defense Chief Technology Officer Rand Waldron.

He highlighted the technology includes AI data and imagery

capabilities, including the ability for the AI to analyze video

streams for faces, licenses, or details of cars.

Oracle declined to comment on the size of the deal.

Oracle has ramped up activities in Southeast Asia. It

announced it planned to invest more than $6.5 billion to set up

a cloud region in Malaysia in October.

(Editing by Kim Coghill)