Air Force cyber command enters next phase

There is a clock on the Air Force's cyber command's Web site ticking down to its official launch on Oct. 1—130 days and counting.

Now the clock has begun for the Air Force to choose the location of the new base as well. The Air Force sent letters earlier this week to 18 governors asking why their state would be suited to host the cyber command.

"We believe the unique nature of this new domain dictates a complete understanding of the supporting capabilities of our bases and their surrounding communities," says William Anderson, the service's assistant secretary for installations, environment and logistics in a letter to the governors of the states competing for the base.

The states-- Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and Virginia—must provide data to the service by July 1.

The base would mean about 800 new jobs and would be in place at its new location by September 2009.

The Air Force hoped to make a decision about where to locate the base by Oct. 1, but officials in February said they needed more time.

After the states submit their information, Air Force officials will visit each potential location to discuss and verify the data, Anderson says.

Then they will make a final short list of a preferred location and several alterative locations.

Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne will make a final decision in November.

"The fourth and final step will be to conduct the requisite environmental analysis of these short-list locations with a goal of finalizing the permanent locations for HQ Air Force Cyber Command and its supporting organizations by September 2009," Anderson says.

The Air Force asked governors to provide information on:

• Any similar cyber activities such as intelligence and space/satellite operations already exist at the installation.
• Their high speed network capabilities and whether there is capacity for growth and if other Defense Department networks are available.
• The bases proximity to existing high technology processes or centers
• The level of security available for the mission, including a local threat assessment.
• Whether secure and unsecure office space is available.
• How well the transportation infrastructure can handle the new base and whether airports or train stations are close by.

Service officials say the command could be split between to locations or housed at a single one.

Once the command is in place, it will serve as the lead on network defense, warfare support and exploitation, computer security issues, network attack, electronic warfare and directed energy, information operations, global command and control integration, data integration, common communication and information functions, and electronic maintenance and evaluations of satellite communications, weather radar, network infrastructure and other areas.

"Right now, [we're] strictly focused on defense of the Air Force domain, strictly focused on defense of the Air Force only. I think that as the command goes to full operational capabilities, they'll begin to roll in the Air Force offensive capabilities again as we present to a combatant commander depending on what they need and what they want," says Maj. Gen. William Lord, commander of the Air Force Cyberspace Command in an interview with Council on Foreign Relations in April. "So we have to develop not only the defenses but develop techniques, tactics, procedures, tools to do the offensive piece. But right now [we're] focused on defense."

Lord also said the command will cost about $1 billion a year to operate. He says the money comes from existing programs brought together under the cyber command.

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On the Web:

Air Force - Cyber Command criteria for governors

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