Fighting in cyberspace means cyber domain dominance

Posted 2/28/2007
by Staff Sgt. C. Todd Lopez
Air Force Print News

2/28/2007 - WASHINGTON (AFNEWS) -- The Air Force officially announced

creation of the new Cyberspace Command late last year. Now, just four months
later, the command's leaders are talking about the way ahead.

The Air Force's operational Cyberspace Command, also known as 8th Air Force,
is commanded by Lt. Gen. Robert J. "Bob" Elder. He said as part of an effort to
develop better understanding of the cyberspace domain, elements of the
command recently engaged in mock battle with aggressors and tactical experts
from the Air Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.

"For us, one of the big things was understanding what the cyberspace domain
is and then what operations in cyberspace means," General Elder said. "We
actually played cyberspace in a futures scenario and looked at how cyberspace
could be used to enhance our contributions to a joint fight."

Though most of the details of the exercise were classified, the general did say
it was beneficial.

"We found a number of different areas where this idea of warfighting in the
cyberspace domain really takes hold," he said.

One of the primary goals of the new command will be to invoke a culture shift
on what technologies are included in cyberspace and their broad warfighting
and civil implications. Currently, many believe cyberspace is simply the
Internet.

The National Military Strategy for Cyberspace Operations defines cyberspace as

"domain characterized by the use of electronics and the electromagnetic
spectrum to store, modify, and exchange date via networked systems and
associated physical infrastructures."

The general said the Air Force has had to develop a more concrete idea of what
it means to fly and fight in cyberspace. He said the command has been
focusing on four key areas that help define its role as laid out in the Air Force's
mission statement.

"First, we must control the domain," he said. "This is about operational freedom
of action. We have to be able to protect the electromagnetic spectrum we use
to communicate with each other, for example. We have to protect the
electronics that we use to establish that domain and we have to protect those
networks. Conversely we want to have the capability to deny those things to
our adversaries."

Secondly, the Air Force will use cyberspace to integrate operations across the
other warfighting domains.

"Cross-domain operations allow us to tie sensors together so we can bring in

data from multiple sources, fuse it together and establish the situational
awareness," he said. "That awareness is used in decision support systems so
that a commander can make a decision -- a warfighting decision -- and exercise
command and control over operations being conducted."

Thirdly, the Air Force will conduct offensive operations in cyberspace in much
the same way as its adversaries.

"We might use cyberspace to go after an integrated air defense system or a

command and control system that belongs to an adversary, or even go after
some of their actual combat systems," he said. "We can disrupt a combat
system by disrupting a sensor or disrupting the links that work in the sensor."

Finally, he said, the cyberspace will be used as an enabling operation to

support its ability to do intelligence or influence operations."

The Cyberspace Command also is working with Air Education and Training
Command to develop Airmen into the "cyber warriors" that will man the new
command elements, General Elder said.

"We want to define what this career path looks like for a cyber warrior or cyber
operator, and secondly, to figure out how to build the training and development
program."

One of the challenges in developing and standing up the Cyberspace

Command, the general said, is defining cyberspace and warfare in cyberspace.

"This is a warfighting domain and it is on par with the other physical domains,"
he said. "We have been working with the Air Force Doctrine Center to develop
initial doctrine. We have developed an initial concept for warfighting in
cyberspace that is now out for coordination. And we have been looking at, both
in 2009 and 2010, the program changes that might allow us to really expand
our capabilities to fight in that domain."

The new Cyberspace Command also is spearheading efforts to better protect

the Air Force's networks, because, General Elder said, the networks are the
foundation for superiority not just in cyber but the other physical domains.

"We have actually been doing quite a bit of work now to try to secure our own
network," he said. "Just like in your ability to do any type of air or terrestrial
operation where you must have air superiority, for us, that means we really do
need to have the networks secured. Network security is the foundation for
cyberspace superiority. So we have been working a number of things that allow
us to better protect our networks."

General Elder will meet with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley in
March to further discuss implementation of the Cyberspace Command.