The US military is moving ahead with plans to create its first “cyber command” designed to bolster the US’ potential to wage digital warfare as well as defend against mounting cyber threats, officials said on Friday.
After US President Barack Obama announced on Friday his plans to overhaul cyber security policy, US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates was expected to soon formally propose the new cyber command that will be overseen by a four-star officer, Pentagon officials said.
The move reflected a shift in military strategy with “cyber dominance” becoming part of US war doctrine and growing alarm over the perceived threat posed by digital espionage coming from China, Russia and elsewhere.
US officials said China has built up a sophisticated cyber warfare program and that a spate of intrusions in the US and elsewhere can be traced back to Chinese sources.
Defense officials said the cyber command would focus on security efforts for US networks along with offensive capabilities to ensure “freedom of action in cyberspace” to protect US interests.
The precise details of US cyber military power remain secret, but it includes technology capable of penetrating and jamming networks, including the classified Suter airborne system, analysts say.
The technology has been reportedly added to unmanned aircraft and allows for users to take over enemy sensors to “see what enemy sensors see, and even take over as systems administrator so sensors can be manipulated into positions so that approaching aircraft can’t be seen,” Aviation Week said.
Speculation has persisted that Israel may have used the technology in a 2007 air raid against a Syrian construction site.
The new US military cyber center would be placed initially under US Strategic Command, which is already leading the military’s cyber security efforts and be located at Fort Meade, Maryland.
The officer widely expected to lead the command is Lieutenant General Keith Alexander, the director of the National Security Agency.
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