Courtesy Photo | U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Emmanuel Rivera (left), 16th Air Force; U.S. Air Force Maj....... read more read more
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO – LACKLAND, Texas – Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber) participated in NATO’s annual Cyber Coalition exercise, Nov. 30 – Dec. 6, as the U.S. representative and cyber Air Component Command; along with more than 1,000 participants from 27 NATO allies, six partner countries - Georgia, Ireland, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland and Ukraine -, the European Union, and members from industry and academia, reinforcing its dedication to collective cyber defense and interoperability.
With cyber threats continuing to grow NATO’s largest cyber defense exercise Cyber Coalition brings together NATO allies and partners to strengthen the alliance’s ability to maintain resiliency, deter, defend against and counter threats in and through cyberspace.
NATO allies and partners see malicious cyber events every day with cyber driving strategic competition as an integral part of modern warfare, according to Mikk Raud, Republic of Estonia Military Defense Department of Innovation, deputy director.
“For example, in Estonia, as of October this year, we have already seen more cyberattacks against our critical infrastructure than in all of 2023,” said Raud.
The exercise challenges participants to integrate cyberspace operations into real-world scenarios, leveraging the event to strengthen partnerships, refine tactics, techniques, and procedures, and validate emerging concepts.
“Cyberspace is a contested domain and cyberspace operations demand constant innovation and coordination,” said U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Kayle Stevens, 16th Air Force, Joint Force Headquarters - Cyber (Air Force) deputy commander, the 16th Air Force senior representative at the exercise in Tallinn, Estonia. “Our partnerships amplify our ability to defend critical systems, deter aggression, and maintain an operational edge in a complex and contested environment.”
Functioning as the central command and control center the exercise was conducted from Tallinn, and remotely from dispersed locations worldwide.
Sixteenth Air Force cyber defenders operated in real-time scenarios across various time zones, assessed capabilities, and strengthened partnerships with NATO allies and partners. In the exercise scenarios, multiple threat actors attempt to compromise a NATO mission by conducting advanced and sophisticated cyber operations. These attempts trigger the coordination and collaboration of participating NATO ally and partner cyber defenders.
-In Tallinn, a 16th Air Force team operated as the air component command, while at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, another team of 16th Air Force cyber warriors worked on mission scenarios. A third team from the unit deployed with NATO’s Rapid Response Team in an advise-and-assist capacity, joining French cyber specialists in Sweden to collaborate and synchronize efforts with allied forces.
“Exercising how we integrate with our partners for a mission is both rewarding and vital to our efforts in NATO,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. William Johnson, 834th Cyberspace Operations Squadron, who deployed with NATO’s RRT to Sweden.
The mission was both rewarding and instrumental in strengthening the capabilities of U.S. and allied cyber defenders, according to Senior Airman Joseph Bilgic, 834th Cyberspace Operations Squadron, who deployed alongside Staff Sgt. Johnson.
“Sharing processes and tactics with our NATO partners was a great learning experience,” said Bilgic. “Learning how our allies operate and sharing thoughts and ideas help build strong relationships that make a stronger force."
NATO’s RRTs, operational since 2012, are on 24/7 standby, capable of responding to cyber incidents within 24 hours.
“These deployments demonstrate NATO allies and partners collective readiness to respond to cyber aggression and safeguard networks,” said Candace Sanchez, 16th Air Force chief of exercises. “Deploying within allied teams ensures the seamless exchange of expertise and bolsters our collective resilience.”
| Date Taken: | 12.09.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.10.2024 10:43 |
| Story ID: | 487058 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO – LACKLAND, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 167 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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