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Network Warfare integrated at RED FLAG

  • Published
  • By 67 OSS Staff
  • 67th Network Warfare Wing
Today, the Air Force is bringing another weapon system to bear in the 21st century battlespace of cyber warfare. This new warfighting capability is the Air Force's own cyber warriors armed with the latest technology designed to operate, protect, exploit, and attack computer network systems. The 67th Network Warfare Wing is on the cutting edge of this new capability and has been charged to organize, train, and equip these cyber warriors for network warfare.

The Wing's personnel have proven their ability to marry technology with warfighter operations to achieve victory through the continuous implementation of new technologies assigned and executed. From being the only tactical reconnaissance wing in the Korean War to the employment of advanced technologies necessary in the Global War on Terror, the 67th has always been at the forefront of operations.

The Wing now executes its new mission that includes the integrated planning and employment of military capabilities to achieve the desired effects across the interconnected analog and digital portion of the battlespace. These cyber warriors conduct network operations through the dynamic combination of hardware, software, data, and human interaction.

The 67 NWW is making great strides in getting their capabilities advertised to the warfighters with its participation in exercise RED FLAG. On Feb 13-15, 2007, members of the 315th Information Operations Squadron (315 IOS), located at Ft George Meade, MD, participated in RED FLAG 07-2 and in doing so, provided the first full integration of a network attack event into a RED FLAG exercise. RED FLAG is the Air Force's premier tactical, live-fly, large force air combat exercise designed to train aircrews and now cyber-crews on weapons employment and tactics.

From an Air Tasking Order (ATO), the 315 IOS executed a network attack in support of the commander's objectives. The Squadron's mission planner worked elbow-to-elbow with the RED FLAG mission commander and a host of other planners to develop the ATO. This combined the non-kinetic network attack capability of the 315th with kinetic ability provided by F-16CJs, suppression of enemy air defense (SEAD), and F-22, air superiority aircraft. Additional coordination with EC-135RJ crewmembers and intelligence analysis helped develop the attack package.

Range instrumentation confirmed the success of the mission as planned and the non-kinetic effects were briefed to all RED FLAG participants each night. The success of this RED FLAG exercise proved the value of the 315 IOS cyber warrior's capability through their ability to seamlessly integrate with the warfighter in daily operations. Bringing Computer Network Exploitation and Computer Network Attack to exercises such as RED FLAG, enables the 67 NWW to integrate many different non-kinetic cyber options for commanders with our more traditional one-fight, one-team members.