Amazon.com Inc founder Jeff Bezos said it would support the U.S. Department of Defense as technology companies vie for more defense contracts and the Pentagon seeks to modernize itself.

Axar.az reports citing Reuters.

“We are going to support the Department of Defense, this country is important,” Bezos said at an annual defense forum at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California.

Tech companies have faced challenges when trying to work with the Pentagon. Last year a defense program, named Project Maven, set off a revolt here inside Google, as some employees opposed Google technology being used in warfare. Those employees said it clashed with Google's stated goal of doing no harm and cited risks around using a nascent artificial intelligence technology in lethal situations.

While Bezos said he supported employees having passionately held views, he said it was up to the senior leaders of companies to provide guidance on what projects they would and would not do.

“My view is that if big tech is turning their back on the Department of Defense, this company is in big trouble,” Bezos said.

Amazon had competed to provide cloud computing capabilities to the Pentagon.