October 10, 2022 | International, Land
General Dynamics to begin building US Army's new light tank next month
GDLS will initially deliver 26 vehicles, but the contract allows the Army to buy 70 more.
January 8, 2020 | International, C4ISR, Security
Congressional commission wants more cyberwarriors for the military
Mark Pomerleau
The U.S. Cyberspace Solarium Commission, a bipartisan organization created in 2019 to develop a multipronged U.S. cyber strategy, will recommend the Department of Defense add more cyberwarriors to its forces, the group's co-chair said Jan. 7.
The cyber mission force was established in 2013 and includes 133 teams and roughly 6,200 individuals from across the services that feed up to U.S. Cyber Command. These forces reached a staffing milestone known as full operational capability in May 2018, however, some on the commission believe the cyber landscape has changed so that the force needs to adapt as well.
In a final report that's expected in the coming months, the solarium will recommend adding more cyberwarriors.
“It's fair to say that force posture today in cyber is probably not adequate," said Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wisc., co-chair of the U.S. Cyberspace Solarium Commission. Gallagher spoke at an event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington Jan. 7.
Within the last two years, Cyber Command has described a philosophy called persistent engagement, which is a means of constantly contesting adversary behavior in cyberspace before it can be disruptive. Persistent engagement is viewed as a means of meeting the 2018 DoD cyberspace strategy's direction to “defend forward.” That action seeks to position U.S. cyber forces outside of U.S. networks to either take action against observed adversary behavior or warn partners domestically or internationally of impending cyber activity observed in foreign networks.
It is under this new approach that Gallagher and other commission members said the Pentagon must ensure its forces are capable of meeting the burgeoning challenges from bad actors.
“We need to figure out what's the right size” of the force, Mark Montgomery, executive director of the commission, said at an event in November. “In my mind, the CMF probably needs to be reassessed. It might be that the assessment [says] that the size is the right size. I find that hard to believe with the growth in adversary.”
The cyber mission force is made up of about 5,000 service members out of a full staff of about 6,200, Dave Luber, Cyber Command's executive director said in November. According to a defense official, it's normal that staffing will fall below 100 percent but leaders are confident in DoD's cyber forces' readiness and ability to defend the nation.
During a February 2019 hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Cyber Command's leader, Gen. Paul Nakasone, said the force is the right size for the threats they currently face, but as it continues to operate and adversaries improve, it will need to grow beyond the 133 teams.
However, Nakasone told a defense conference in California in December that the force has been built to execute the persistent engagement strategy.
“Within U.S. Cyber Command, the National Security Agency, it's about persistent engagement; this idea that we will enable our partners with information and intelligence and we will act when authorized,” he said. “This is the way forward for us ... This is the way that we've structured our force. This is the way that we developed our doctrine. This is the way that we engage our adversaries ... this is our method upon which we look at the future and say this is how we have an impact on our adversaries.”
Aside from the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, Congress now requires the Department of Defense to provide quarterly readiness briefings on the cyber mission force.
In the annual defense policy bill, signed into law in December, Pentagon officials must brief members of Congress on the abilities of the force to conduct cyber operations based on capability, capacity of personnel, equipment, training and equipment condition. The secretary of defense must also establish metrics for assessing the readiness of the cyber mission force, under the provision.
On the same subject
-
-
November 24, 2020 | International, Aerospace
Cinq Etats européens vont collaborer pour développer un hélicoptère moyen de nouvelle génération
L'OTAN annonce que la France, l'Allemagne, la Grèce, l'Italie et le Royaume-Uni ont signé le 19 novembre dernier un accord visant à lancer les travaux de développement d'un hélicoptère moyen de nouvelle génération, dans un cadre multinational. Le programme, nommé NGRC, pour Next Generation Rotorcraft Capabilities, sera mené dans le cadre des projets à haute visibilité (HVP) de l'Alliance Atlantique. «Un nombre important d'hélicoptères polyvalents moyens actuellement exploités par les Alliés arriveront à la fin de leur cycle de vie à l'horizon 2035-2040 et au-delà, et devront donc être remplacés», précise l'OTAN. Le programme NGRC doit permettre de remplacer ces flottes tout en intégrant les menaces futures, «en tirant parti d'un large éventail de progrès récents en matière de technologie, de méthodes de production et de concepts opérationnels». Air & Cosmos du 24 novembre
-
July 6, 2020 | International, Naval
Elbit Systems Awarded $53 Million Contract to Supply and Integrate Intelligence Suites to a Navy in Southeast Asia
Haifa, Israel, July 1, 2020 – Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ: ESLT, TASE: ESLT) (“Elbit Systems” or “the Company”) announced today that it was awarded a contract valued at approximately $53 million to provide and integrate intelligence suites onboard vessels of the Navy of a country in Southeast Asia. The contract will be performed over a two-year period. Under the contract Elbit Systems will equip several vessels with suites that provide the capability to perform complex reconnaissance missions, generating an operational picture of the air, surface and underwater domains. Elbit Systems will supply and integrate comprehensive suites comprised of an array of systems from across the Company's maritime portfolio, including: AES-212 electronic intelligence systems, NATACS naval tactical communication intelligence systems and jamming capabilities, SPECTRO XRTM electro-optical payloads, M670 hull mounted sonars, TRAPS towed reel-able active/passive sonars, underwater communication systems and combat management systems. The program also includes maritime radars and satellite communication capabilities. In addition, the Company will provide training services. Elad Aharonson, General Manager of Elbit Systems ISTAR Division, said: “There is growing demand for our maritime solutions. I believe that the unique combination of a diverse portfolio of operational systems and groundbreaking technological innovation enables us to effectively address the evolving needs of maritime forces.” About Elbit Systems Elbit Systems Ltd. is an international high technology company engaged in a wide range of defense, homeland security and commercial programs throughout the world. The Company, which includes Elbit Systems and its subsidiaries, operates in the areas of aerospace, land and naval systems, command, control, communications, computers, intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (“C4ISR”), unmanned aircraft systems, advanced electro-optics, electro-optic space systems, EW suites, signal intelligence systems, data links and communications systems, radios, cyber-based systems and munitions. The Company also focuses on the upgrading of existing platforms, developing new technologies for defense, homeland security and commercial applications and providing a range of support services, including training and simulation systems. For additional information, visit: https://elbitsystems.com/ , follow us on Twitter or visit our official Facebook, Youtube and LinkedIn Channels. Contacts: Company Contact: Joseph Gaspar, Executive VP & CFO Tel: +972-4-8316663 j.gaspar@elbitsystems.com Rami Myerson, Director, Investor Relations Tel: +972-77-2946403 rami.myerson@elbitsystems.com David Vaaknin, VP, Brand & Communications Tel: +972-77-2946691 david.vaaknin@elbitsystems.com IR Contact: Ehud Helft Gavriel Frohwein GK Investor Relations Tel: 1-646-688-3559 elbitsystems@gkir.com View source version on Elbit Systems Ltd: https://elbitsystems.com/pr-new/elbit-systems-awarded-53-million-contract-to-supply-and-integrate-intelligence-suites-to-a-navy-in-southeast-asia/