Gen. Paul Nakasone, commander of U.S. Cyber Command and a 2023 Wash100 awardee, on Tuesday appeared before Senate Armed Services Committee members to discuss the priorities and plans of USCYBERCOM in 2023 and beyond, including the implementation of service-like authorities to accelerate the delivery of priority capabilities.
Nakasone, who also serves as director of the National Security Agency, told lawmakers that the command will oversee the resources for the Cyber Mission Force operations and capabilities in fiscal year 2024 and that enhanced budgetary control would provide the command the ability to allocate resources.
“EBC will lead to better alignment between USCYBERCOM responsibilities and authorities for cyberspace operations,” he added.
The general discussed the expanding role of USCYBERCOM in acquisition, particularly in the Joint Cyber Warfighting Architecture.
According to Nakasone, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment is providing the command greater technical authority and responsibility with regard to the development, integration and deployment of capabilities related to JCWA.
“Included in the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act is a provision directing the establishment of a Program Executive Office (PEO) within USCYBERCOM. This PEO would assume Service-like acquisition decision authority for JCWA program components by Fiscal Year 2027,” he told lawmakers.
In his posture statement, Nakasone also cited the Cyber National Mission Force’s efforts in the defense of the 2022 midterm election, cyberthreats posed by China, Iran and North Korea and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
