As the US conversations establishing an independent Cyber Force, China has made its practical equivalent, the People’s Liberation Army- Strategic Support Force ( PLA- SSF), a basis of its military development plan.
The US think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies ( FDD ) released a report this month calling for the creation of a US Cyber Force to enhance national cyberwar capabilities.
The study emphasizes the need to address the current martial structure’s personnel shortages and inconsequences, which prevent powerful hiring, training, promotion, and retention of digital talent.
The US Cyber Force, US Space Force, and US Air Force are all compared to the FDD report’s conclusions. It explains that all three initiatives were forced to adapt to the growing war domains, including air, area, and cyberspace.
Due to the disjointed operational strategy of the US Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, US Cyber Command ( US CYBERCOM) is experiencing a skilled staff shortage. A 75 interview research that is based on the findings of the report highlights the perilous position of cyber force readiness as a result of poorly designed recruitment and promotion systems for cyberspace operations.
The US Cyber Force should be established as an independent company, similar to the US Space Force design, according to the FDD statement. It asserts that a dedicated cyber-service is the only way to address the structural problems that plague the US’s computer protection capabilities. Without creating a separate new force, the other proposals concentrate on addressing the military’s cyberpersonnel shortages.
David Barno and Nora Bensahel argue in a May 2021 War on the Rocks content that despite having an important part in the US military and society, the nation’s computer security, punishment, and unpleasant capabilities have coordination and necessitate the creation of a unified Cyber Force.
According to a report released in September 2023 by the US Cyberspace Solarium Commission ( CSC), China and Russia have engaged in espionage activities that involve putting malware in critical infrastructure, which could lead to additional malicious activity. Furthermore, it makes note of the fact that criminal organizations are now actively engaged in cyber theft and ransomware, which pose significant risks to the public and private sectors.
According to the CSC document, just about 70 % of the tips from a previous 2020 report have been implemented or nearing being implemented. Those recommendations aim to revolution the US government’s cyberspace structure, develop norms and semi- military tools, increase cybersecurity, work with the private sector and protect cyberspace as a defense asset.
A US Cyber Force, in contrast to the FDD report, would encourage creativity and flexibility in developing cyberwar strategy, methods, and doctrines, according to Barno and Bensahel. They compare it to the US Air Force’s formation, which was required to fully utilize air power’s potential in military operations.
Additionally, they mention that the US Cyber Force could benefit the military by successfully bringing together and training cyber experts from a more diverse talent pool. Additionally, according to Barno and Bensahel, this may lead to the creation of specialized career paths and training programs that are more appropriate for cyber operations ‘ unique requirements.
Others contend that the US Cyber Force’s creation could lead to inefficiencies and that the current US CYBERCOM structure could be sufficiently overhauled. Jason Blessing makes the claim in a War on the Rocks article from August 2021 that extensive military restructuring can result in inefficiency and demoralization.
Blessing challenges the idea that space is separate from the sea, air, land, and space domains, highlighting its complex intersections and interdependencies with other operating systems.
He claims that the US Cyber Command is currently able to integrate digital and kinetic capabilities, that the US should concentrate on improving the effectiveness of the current force, and that creating a new service would waste time, money, and money.
A separate cyber service may have difficulties understanding the needs of military services that carry out various missions that are made possible by technologies specific to those mission sets, as Jaspreet Gill notes in a September 2023 Breaking Defense article.
Gill points out that the US Department of Defense ( DOD ) is looking into the difficulties of managing a career that involves a range of different services to determine whether to replace an existing system with a new one.
Blessing and Gill concur that having a separate US Cyber Force might be difficult to integrate with traditional military functions because cyber operations frequently complement and enhance existing capabilities, leading to coordination and operational efficiency issues as a result of a separate US Cyber Force.
Moreover, Blessing points out the potential redundancy of having US CYBERCOM alongside a US Cyber Force, particularly regarding command structure, operational focus and resource allocation.
China envisions more prominent roles for its PLA- SSF while the US debates whether to establish an independent cyber force.
Amber Wang explains in an article for the South China Morning Post (SCMP ) that the Chinese PLA- SSF has a wider range of responsibilities, including providing intelligence support to all military branches and assisting in joint operations.
Wang says that the PLA- SSF is heavily integrated with civilian technological innovation, particularly in AI development, to enhance China’s military capabilities. She explains that this integration is essential to the PLA’s “intelligent warfare” and “intelligent warfare” strategies for ensuring the force’s future.
Wang claims that China’s development of the PLA-SSF is a reflection of its strategy for overcoming nuanced geopolitical issues and its desire to win over potential adversaries.
She points out that the PLA- SSF’s activities in support of military exercises in Taiwan and developments in space and cyber capabilities may have significant impact on regional dynamics in Indo-Pacific.
However, she points out that the PLA- SSF’s Achilles heel may be its reliance on high- tech equipment, particularly high- end AI chips subject to US export controls.