Cyberwar ops may unify

[William Knowles <wk () C4I ORG>]

http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2000/1030/news-cybrwr-10-30-00.asp

BY George I. Seffers
10/30/2000

Minutes after U.S. Space Command officials announced they were
considering a unified subcommand to take charge of computer network
operations, some critics questioned the strategy.

Computer network operations include offensive and defensive
cyberwarfare missions, both of which now fall under Spacecom.

Gen. Dale Meyerrose, director of command and control systems for
Spacecom, told attendees at the Military Communications conference in
Los Angeles last week that Spacecom is considering forming a unified
subcommand to oversee computer network attack and defense missions.
Meyerrose and others cautioned that the subcommand option is one of
several being considered during a study set for completion Oct. 1,
2001.

But some information warfare experts are already questioning whether a
subcommand is the right option. "No matter how you go about it,
building a unified subcommand virtually from scratch is not going to
be cheap," one Air Force information warfare expert said.

Martin Libicki, a defense analyst at Rand Corp., questioned whether
the two missions need be centralized. "Do you really want everyone
doing things the same way?" he asked.

But putting the two missions under the umbrella of computer network
operations is one reason military officials find the subcommand option
attractive.

"The right way to look at this is computer network operations not just
attack and defense as separate entities. I think you have to put them
together," said Air Force Gen. Ed Eberhart, Spacecom commander. "If
you put them together, it could be a joint task force, but a unified
subcommand would make sense if we decide to invest those types of
assets and resources."


*==============================================================*
"Communications without intelligence is noise;  Intelligence
without communications is irrelevant." Gen Alfred. M. Gray, USMC
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