August 21, 2020 | International, C4ISR, Security
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon's virtual cyber-training platform has been successfully integrated with operational tools that will be used during missions, according to Col. Tanya Trout, the outgoing director of the Joint Cyber Training Enterprise.
The Persistent Cyber Training Environment, or PCTE, is an online client that allows U.S. Cyber Command's warriors to log on from anywhere in the world to conduct individual or collective cyber training as well as mission rehearsal on par with the National Training Center, which did not previously exist for cyber warriors. The Army runs the program on behalf of the joint cyber force and Cyber Command.
Given the inherent need for such a platform, U.S. Cyber Command and the subordinate service cyber components have actively sought the technology. The program office in charge of the effort delivered the first version in February. Prior to that, the office was creating prototypes to incrementally test the system.
After the platform was first used in a large-scale, tier-one exercise in June, it joined an integration pilot program in July with the program offices of the Unified Platform system and the Joint Cyber Command and Control system, according to Trout, who spoke during a virtual industry day for PCTE on Aug. 19.
Trout's Joint Cyber Training Enterprise is the nonmaterial component to PCTE at Cyber Command. It coordinates training of personnel through the platform.
The Unified Platform system will consolidate and standardize the variety of big-data tools used by Cyber Command and its subordinate commands to allow forces to more easily share information, build common tools, and conduct mission planning and analysis. Joint Cyber Command and Control, or JCC2, currently in its nascent and amorphous stages, will help command cyber forces and plan their missions. Both programs are managed by the Air Force on behalf of Cyber Command and the joint cyber force.
Unified Platform and JCC2, as well as PCTE, are components of the Joint Cyber Warfighting Architecture. JCWA includes five capability categories and guides their development priorities.
“This integration allowed for execution of small team tactics while performing active hunt of advanced persistent threat within a post-compromised range environment,” she said.
Trout added that the pilot demonstrated PCTE's ability to integrate existing operational tools into training scenarios. “PCTE will integrate and be interoperable with these other five elements [of the JCWA] to enable teams to train and rehearse using available JCWA operational tools and capabilities, [which] gives us really the ability to train as we fight,” she said.
Due to the ongoing pandemic and the need to practice social distancing while maintaining readiness, Trout said, there has been increased demand for PCTE. From March to May, the number of new accounts for PCTE doubled.
Trout also explained that PCTE — which, since its delivery to Cyber Command, is used daily by the cyber mission force — participated in another pilot focused on mission rehearsal. Members of the Cyber National Mission Force, one of Cyber Command's elite units aligned against specific threat actors and charged with defending the nation in cyberspace, were able to expand their mission rehearsal scope, scale and fidelity in a virtualized adversarial network, which will help determine future requirements, she said.
Lt. Gen. Stephen Fogarty, commander of Army Cyber Command, told the industry day audience that the advantage the virtual cyber-training environment has over the National Training Center is its ability to replicate an actual opponent.
The mission rehearsal capability allows users to input prior operations, such as those used against the Islamic State group, or to train against or upload malware discovered in operations.
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Houston – April 27, 2020 – KBR (NYSE: KBR) has received a $63.9 million task order from the Department of Defense (DoD) Test Resource Management Center (TRMC) to develop interoperability solutions to expand the U.S. military's testing and training capabilities. KBR will utilize its vast test and evaluation (T&E) expertise to assess and address the unique requirements necessary to incorporate additional test range sites into the DoD's T&E infrastructure. This will streamline and enhance the integration of test and training capabilities for DoD weapons systems. KBR's work will result in developed hardware and software solutions that address the military's T&E needs. KBR will help DoD improve range interoperability and effective reuse of resources resulting in increased capability while reducing development, operation and maintenance costs for test ranges. The company's efforts will also further the important partnership between the Test and Training Enabling Architecture Software Development Activity (TENA-SDA) and Joint Mission Environment Test Capability (JMETC) to expand connectivity and develop enhanced capabilities for test and training facilities. “KBR is proud of our nearly two decades of TENA support, promoting range interoperability and flexibility for the U.S. military,” said Byron Bright, KBR President, Government Solutions U.S. “KBR will continue to use its expertise to develop innovative solutions to fortify and grow the DoD's T&E capabilities.” KBR was awarded this task order under the cost-plus-fixed/firm-fixed fee One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services (OASIS) contract which KBR won a seat on in 2014. This is a one-year task order with four option periods. KBR ensures mission success for customers on land, at sea, in the air, and in space and cyberspace. It has operational and developmental T&E processes designed for corporate, government and military organizations. KBR holds extensive experience evaluating complex systems and technologies ranging from combat vehicles and high-performance aircraft to weapons systems and orbital launch platforms. KBR is engineering solutions for the needs of today and tomorrow, safely and efficiently. About KBR, Inc. KBR is a global provider of differentiated professional services and technologies across the asset and program lifecycle within the Government Solutions and Energy sectors. KBR employs approximately 37,000 people worldwide (including our joint ventures), with customers in more than 80 countries, and operations in 40 countries, across three synergistic global businesses: Government Solutions, serving government customers globally, including capabilities that cover the full lifecycle of defense, space, aviation and other government programs and missions from research and development, through systems engineering, test and evaluation, program management, to operations, maintenance, and field logistics Technology Solutions, featuring proprietary technology, equipment, catalysts, digital solutions and related technical services for the monetization of hydrocarbons, including refining, petrochemicals, ammonia and specialty chemicals, as well as inorganics Energy Solutions, including onshore oil and gas; LNG (liquefaction and regasification)/GTL; oil refining; petrochemicals; chemicals; fertilizers; differentiated EPC; maintenance services (Brown & Root Industrial Services); offshore oil and gas (shallow-water, deep-water, subsea); floating solutions (FPU, FPSO, FLNG & FSRU); program management and consulting services KBR is proud to work with its customers across the globe to provide technology, value-added services, integrated EPC delivery and long-term operations and maintenance services to ensure consistent delivery with predictable results. At KBR, We Deliver. Visit www.kbr.com Forward Looking Statement The statements in this press release that are not historical statements, including statements regarding future financial performance, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's control that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the statements. 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KBR's most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K, any subsequent Form 10-Qs and 8-Ks, and other U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings discuss some of the important risk factors that KBR has identified that may affect the business, results of operations and financial condition. Except as required by law, KBR undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason. For further information, please contact: Investors Alison Vasquez Vice President, Investor Relations 713-753-5082 Investors@kbr.com Media Philip Ivy Vice President, Global Communications and Marketing 713-753-3800 MediaRelations@kbr.com View source version on KBR, Inc.: https://www.kbr.com/en/insights-events/press-release/kbr-wins-64m-recompete-expand-dod-testing-and-training-capabilities