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Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
March 22, 2007
The U.S. Air Force plans to give its fledgling Cyberspace Command "major command status," possibly as early as late summer 2007, the service's top officials told Congress March 21.
The command's elevation reflects the importance that Air Force leaders attach to cyberspace as a battlefield and terrorist sanctuary -- as well as a communications and intelligence-sharing venue.
"We are looking at sometime soon to move [cyber command] into a major command status the same as Air Mobility Command or Air Force Space Command, to be able to address these issues," Gen. T. Michael Moseley, Air Force Chief of Staff, told the Senate defense appropriations subcommittee.
Because 80 percent of U.S. commerce goes through the Internet, Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne said, "I think the time will come when we need to scale ourselves up to make sure we are adequate to protect them."
Wynne designated the 8th Air Force at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., as the home of Cyberspace Command in November 2006. And the commander, Lt. Gen. Robert Elder, said he expected the organization to reach operational capability by 2009 (DAILY, Jan. 25).
Moseley said he did not know where Cyberspace Command would be located.
"Eighth Air Force is at Barksdale in Shreveport, La. That's a likely place but I don't know yet," Moseley said. "As we work our way through this, as you build a staff and you build the infrastructure for a major command, you've got to go out and look and then there'll be the requirements for an environmental impact statement."
Additional hurdles include manpower and money, he said. "We're still a bit in the baby steps -- all of us, the Army, Navy, NSA [National Security Agency] -- on how to orchestrate this. It is a big issue for us," Moseley said.
Wynne noted in a March 19 speech that many Air Force personnel work at U.S. national security agencies (DAILY, March 21).
-- John M. Doyle
March 22, 2007
The U.S. Air Force plans to give its fledgling Cyberspace Command "major command status," possibly as early as late summer 2007, the service's top officials told Congress March 21.
The command's elevation reflects the importance that Air Force leaders attach to cyberspace as a battlefield and terrorist sanctuary -- as well as a communications and intelligence-sharing venue.
"We are looking at sometime soon to move [cyber command] into a major command status the same as Air Mobility Command or Air Force Space Command, to be able to address these issues," Gen. T. Michael Moseley, Air Force Chief of Staff, told the Senate defense appropriations subcommittee.
Because 80 percent of U.S. commerce goes through the Internet, Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne said, "I think the time will come when we need to scale ourselves up to make sure we are adequate to protect them."
Wynne designated the 8th Air Force at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., as the home of Cyberspace Command in November 2006. And the commander, Lt. Gen. Robert Elder, said he expected the organization to reach operational capability by 2009 (DAILY, Jan. 25).
Moseley said he did not know where Cyberspace Command would be located.
"Eighth Air Force is at Barksdale in Shreveport, La. That's a likely place but I don't know yet," Moseley said. "As we work our way through this, as you build a staff and you build the infrastructure for a major command, you've got to go out and look and then there'll be the requirements for an environmental impact statement."
Additional hurdles include manpower and money, he said. "We're still a bit in the baby steps -- all of us, the Army, Navy, NSA [National Security Agency] -- on how to orchestrate this. It is a big issue for us," Moseley said.
Wynne noted in a March 19 speech that many Air Force personnel work at U.S. national security agencies (DAILY, March 21).
-- John M. Doyle