Tackling Cyberspace Force Development Issues

摘要

The Air Force (AF), Force Development (FD) construct is currently too limited in scope and implementation to effectively tackle cyberspace FD issues. The perceived gap between establishing a solid cyber culture and its professionals negatively affects the overall ability to integrate effects at the strategic and operational levels. A broader FD approach must exist to synchronize its institutional culture in concert with development of its professionals. The greater result will yield an environment that is cohesive and complementary to utilize and prioritize limited cyberspace resources and capabilities. The disparity of a unified culture and development of its professionals is manifested by fundamental cyberspace identity issues, namely: understanding the general nature of cyberspace (basic purpose, concepts and mission elements); understanding the notional force development strategy to professionalize a cyber field and most importantly understanding how to integrate cyberspace in joint operational planning. Ongoing discussions regarding task-organization, force structure and roles of the 24th Cyberspace Numbered Air Force (NAF) could make some information in this paper quickly obsolete as its future is still being written. A significant amount of source references derive from draft AF cyberspace doctrine, AF Cyber roadmap and various SAF/XC functional way ahead briefings. This paper adopts a problem- solution methodology to address cyberspace identity issues stated above while proposing broad FD recommendations to better link development of its force and culture to meet long term cyberspace demands.