The U.S. Navy has announced plans to experiment with an information warfare cell at a maritime operations center later this year. The Navy created information warfare commanders at every one of their strike groups as the focal point for a strike group commander to consolidate and integrate different aspects of information warfare from electromagnetic spectrum to cyberspace to intelligence to oceanographic operations.

The information warfare cell idea arose from the addition of information warfare composite commanders at the carrier strike group level, according to  Vice Adm. Jeffrey Trussler, deputy chief of naval operations for information warfare. C4ISRNET reported the story on Thursday. 

Trussler added that the new concept has been well received by Navy personnel, stating, “I talk to every strike group commander that comes to the Pentagon; I ask him specifically, ‘How is that IWC (information warfare commander) concept working?’ Every one of them loves their IWC and loves that concept. It’s worked out very well.”

Information warfare is quickly becoming important for warfighting capabilities. The Navy wants to have information warfare abilities at both the tactical level and operational level. These experiments scheduled for later this year will evaluate how information warfare can be utilized and optimized at the operational level. 

Similar to Trussler, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday also wants to create dedicated information warfare cells within fleet maritime operations centers, a project that was supposed to be informed by the results from an exercise that was postponed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Navy’s upcoming experiment with the information warfare cell at its Large Scale Exercise scheduled will utilize feedback to evaluate the concept further.

“We think it’s a powerful concept. We think it’s just a continued maturation of the information age, and we need to manage that information differently, not only with the tools we’re going to develop but with how we process that in the decision-making of a commander and his staff,” concluded Trussler. 

Army Research Laboratory (ARL) has launched an effort to study how autonomous exoskeleton technology can adapt to soldier users. The study aimed to identify brain and muscle signals, walking performance metrics and movement profiles that can be used to track an individual's state when using an exoskeleton, the Army said Tuesday.

Researchers assessed these indicators through an exoskeleton boot worn by a soldier. The boot is designed to move in synchronization with its wearer.

“These signals could give the exoskeleton a better understanding of the human at any moment so that it can make better decisions on how to assist the human," said Cortney Bradford, a research scientist at Army Research Laboratory.

Bradford said the technology and its human user must mutually adapt through the dynamic flow of operations. The research team will assess the gathered data over months, then present the results in summer.

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill to establish an office dedicated to cyberspace diplomacy, CyberScoop reported Wednesday.

The Cyber Diplomacy Act would create the Bureau of International Cyberspace Policy at the State Department, and appoint a cyber diplomacy ambassador to lead the office. The government would use the potential office to better augment the norms of global cyberspace.

Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., who co-introduced the bill with Rep. Jim Langevin, D-R.I., said the U.S. needs specific structures to promote cyberspace interests in the increasingly connected world.

“Moving forward, a Bureau of International Cyberspace Policy at the State Department will empower our diplomatic corps to ensure like-minded nations speak with one voice in the face of norms-busting behavior," Langevin said.

Mark Montgomery, executive director of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission (CSC), said he believes the Department of Defense (DOD) is likely to act on the commission’s recommendations to make cyber threat hunting and intelligence sharing capabilities compulsory for the defense industrial base in compliance with a provision in the fiscal 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, C4ISRNET reported Wednesday.

“There’s [recommended] language in the legislation that allows the [defense] secretary once he’s had a successful report to start taking action on both the threat hunting and information sharing, so I’m excited to see that happen,” Montgomery said Wednesday at the C4ISRNET Conference.

Under the 2021 NDAA, Congress required reports to look into the feasibility of implementing those cyber-hardening requirements for defense contractors.

His remarks came as the White House responds to a SolarWinds cyber breach allegedly linked to Russia and compromised a number of federal agencies and companies.

To register for this virtual forum, visit the GovConWire Events page.

Chief data officers of the U.S. Army and Air Force said both military branches should break down silos to simplify the process of managing and sharing data that could support future joint force missions, C4ISRNET reported Wednesday.

Army CDO David Markowitz said that the service will assign data officers for its warfighting, business, intelligence and enterprise information technology mission areas. He added that his office works to ensure accessibility and understandability of authoritative content.

USAF is also pursuing an approach to help service personnel access useful information and has a laboratory that explores use cases of enterprise data, according to Air Force CDO Eileen Vidrine. Both executives shared their insight at a C4ISRNET-hosted virtual conference Wednesday.

If you're interested in government data management, check out GovCon Wire's Data Innovation Forum coming up on June 15. Click here to learn more.

Gen. David Thompson, vice chief of space operations at the U.S. Space Force, said the service is looking to broaden the procurement of commercial space services with the acquisition of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance satellite data and analytical services, Breaking Defense reported Wednesday.

“Comms, data relay, remote sensing, and even ISR and some other things — [these] capabilities are increasingly available in the commercial market,” Thompson said during the 2021 C4ISR Conference Wednesday.

The Commercial Satellite Communications Office (CSCO) procures satellite bandwidth access from various commercial providers to meet the needs of operational commands and Thompson said providing the CSCO the authority to purchase ISR satellite analytical and data services seek to tap the capabilities offered by companies that are racing to launch satellite constellations.

Thompson added that the Space Force can apply to its own systems the technology and innovation offered and used by commercial providers.