Digitized force to face cyberwar

[InfoSec News <isn () C4I ORG>]

http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2001/0312/web-army-03-16-01.asp

BY George I. Seffers
03/16/2001

The Army will allow an opposing force to conduct cyberwarfare against
the first digitized division when it demonstrates the combat
capabilities of the information technology-dependent force in April.

The Army came under fire from critics within its own ranks, in
Congress and elsewhere when it started experimenting with digitized
armored forces from the 4th Infantry Division during an Advanced
Warfighting Experiment at Fort Irwin, Calif., in 1997

Service leaders said at the time that much of the equipment was
prototypical, and the field exercise was an experiment that already
had too many variables. Allowing the opposing force to use network
attack tools likely would have been too much for the digitized corps
fledgling network. The message at the time was that the service would
put the digitized divisions network security to the test at a later
date.

Now, the service intends to fulfill that promise, according to Maj.
Gen. B.B. Bell, commander of the U.S. Army Armor Center, Fort Knox,
Ky.

Bell said that both sides the 4th Infantry Division, or "blue force,"
and Fort Irwins world-class opposition "red force"  will be allowed to
use network attack tools. In addition, evaluators under Bells control
will have their own information warfare "red team."

Unlike the 1997 experiment, the April exercise will be an official
demonstration of the digitized divisions combat capabilities. It will
be the first phase of a two-phase exercise.

The second phase will be conducted at Fort Hood, Texas, in October and
will concentrate on command and control capabilities and will not
include the thousands of soldiers to be involved in the April
demonstration.

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