LandWarNet 2011: US Army detail Cyber Vision 2020
Senior officers have provided more details regarding the US Army's Cyber Vision 2020 plan at the LandWarNet conference on 27 August.
In a roundtable discussion with the media, the generals said US forces including signals regiments and the army Cyber Command would be required to become more expeditionary and efficient in line with budget constraints.
Lt Gen Susan Lawrence, US Army Chief Information Officer, explained how the army was looking to become smaller but much more capable and described how US forces were now becoming more CONUS-based than ever before. 'As the army becomes more expeditionary, it must be connected to mission command networks,' she explained.
She also outlined four imperatives in the strategy including a single secure standard based network; enabling of global collaboration; access at the point of the need; and capable, reliable and trusted systems.
Meanwhile, Gen Hernandez, commander of the army's Cyber Command said '[Cyber] threats are real, growing and sophisticated' and described the new command's scope to perform specialist cyberspace operations in defence of all 'army operations to ensure US and allied freedom of action in cyberspace'.
'Our mission is clear and so too is the Vision 2020 - to generate a professional team of elite cyber warriors,' he added.
Finally, Maj Gen Alan Lynn, Chief of Signal for the US Army and Commanding General of the army's Signal Center of Excellence, said the service had undergone a 'fundamental' change over the last year.
'We were running on Desert Storm-era doctrine, supporting down to battalion level. This just isn't low enough in the formation now so we took a look at requirements and a mission essential capability list to provide communications down to company level and below...but without growth in personnel,' he said.
'We took a hard look at structure, doctrine, equipment and employment of signals forces. I foresee more capable and smaller teams like special operations forces and smaller and more capable systems,' Lynn continued.
Finally, Lynn said he was also positively following up calls for a Cyber Warfare Ranger School, saying: 'This is becoming more and more important. In the science and technology world, those who really want to do that are declining. Finding those people is coming hard to come by.'
More from Digital Battlespace
-
![Wave Relay devices cleared for security use on commercial systems in industry trend]()
Wave Relay devices cleared for security use on commercial systems in industry trend
Persistent Systems has been cleared by National Security Agency (NSA) to transmit sensitive data on commercial networks. The devices are added to the NSA’s Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) component list which also includes other companies’ products providing the same security.
-
![UK teases cyber spending boost in Strategic Defence Review ahead of “imminent” release]()
UK teases cyber spending boost in Strategic Defence Review ahead of “imminent” release
The release of the UK’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR) has been long promised as mid-year. It is possible it could be as early as 2 June although the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) continues to play its cards close to its chest.
-
![Intelsat emphasises SATCOM resilience for SOF in contested domains (video)]()
Intelsat emphasises SATCOM resilience for SOF in contested domains (video)
Intelsat outlines how its multi-orbit SATCOM architecture is enhancing connectivity and resilience for special operations forces operating in degraded and contested environments.
-
![US Space Force’s next-generation missile warning system moves forward with $500 million in new contracts]()
US Space Force’s next-generation missile warning system moves forward with $500 million in new contracts
Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (Next-Gen OPIR) satellites are intended to provide early warning of missile launches from any location worldwide and new ground stations will result in expanded coverage of critical missile warning.
-
![Airbus launches final CSO observation satellite for French Armed Forces]()
Airbus launches final CSO observation satellite for French Armed Forces
Airbus was awarded the Composante Spatiale Optique (CSO) contract at the end of 2010. This included an option for a third satellite, which was activated after Germany joined the programme in 2015.
-
![Intelligence advantage: How real-time GEOINT is reshaping military decision-making (Studio)]()
Intelligence advantage: How real-time GEOINT is reshaping military decision-making (Studio)
In today’s contested operational environment, adaptability is key. The new Geospatial-Intelligence as a Service (GEO IaaS) solution from Fujitsu and MAIAR empowers militaries by enabling intelligence advantage, combining advanced technology with human expertise to deliver actionable insights.
