Amid an increasingly digital battlefield where cyber threats constitute critical national security concerns, the proposal for the United States to establish an independent Cyber Force has gained considerable traction. An amendment advanced by a key House panel late Wednesday, embedded in the National Defense Authorization Act, has rekindled discussions previously highlighted in a series of comprehensive reports. The measure follows significant testimony from military personnel and outside analysts who deem the current military cyber formations inadequate and cumbersome.
The concept of a Cyber Force, operating independently alongside traditional military branches, stems from the escalating sophistication of adversaries in the cyberspace domain. As reported by Defense One, the proposed entity would be tied to the Army with a considerable allocation of resources—10,000 personnel and a $16.5 billion budget—aimed at addressing the Department of Defense’s existing cyber staff buildout shortfalls. These include the underutilization of cyber talent and tools, and a poor culture that undermines troop morale.
Cyber Command, which currently anchors the U.S. military’s cyberspace oversight, was established following a major malware infestation in 2008, attributed to Russian operatives. Its dual command over cyber operations and the NSA focuses on defending Pentagon networks and executing offensive military cyberspace operations.
Reports from War on the Rocks and the Foundation for Defense of Democracies highlight the systemic readiness challenges faced across all services, including recruitment and retention shortfalls, inconsistent skill development, and training, as well as promotion process pitfalls that degrade units’ full operational capability. Experts argue that force generation for cyberspace remains a secondary concern for traditional services, whose main focus is, understandably, force generation for their primary domains.
This push for an independent cyber branch follows the precedent set by the creation of the Space Force in 2019, indicating a recognition of the distinct requirements of emerging warfare domains that demand specialized force generation models. The whitepaper from FDD underscores the urgency of this action by pointing out the potential catastrophic conditions that adversaries’ cyber capabilities could precipitate—either by enabling actions that the U.S. cannot stop or by preventing the U.S. from acting where necessary.
Relevant articles:
– Should Cyber Force become the next service?, Defense One
– The Case for a Prospective U.S. Cyber Force, War on the Rocks
– US must establish independent military cyber service to fix ‘alarming’ problems — report, DefenseScoop
– The US must create an independent cyber armed service, report argues, Nextgov