So the New Cyber Command to wage war on the Internet seems natural for them. But even the Air Force is unclear on what they are doing:
When describing the new command's mission, its chief, Air Force Maj. Gen. William Lord, said it is defending "the whole electromagnetic spectrum."
By that he seems to mean protecting U.S. use of cyberspace for domestic uses as well as using it for military purposes, such as piloting UAVs over Afghanistan from bases in Nevada or using computers to manipulate data to the disadvantage of enemies.
But during a 90-minute discussion of the "cyberspace domain" at the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank April 8, it was clear that a good understanding of the domain remains elusive - including whether it is, indeed, a domain.
The Air Force needs a new focus. The Army and Marines are fielding their own UAV air forces for much of the reconaissance and precision strike capabilities that the Air Force used to provide as a near monopoly. And cyberspace seems like a fine mission for them if we are talking strategic offense and defense of the homeland and defense networks. But this isn't enough and the Air Force confusion on the topic seems to prove this.
I still say the Air Force needs to aim high. Drop the "cyber" and the Air Force has a real mission suited to its assets and outlook. If the Air Force dithers too long, the Navy will take the mission, I dare say.
