Software:Cyber quest

The Cyber Center of Excellence (CCOE) conducts annual prototyping experiments within an operational context called Cyber Quest. This prototyping experiment assesses emerging technologies against documented Cyberspace, Electronic Warfare (EW) and Signal operational capability requirements. It informs current capability development and doctrine writing efforts, and understands the impact of DOTMLPF. The Cyber Battle Laboratory (CBL) is the lead element for the Cyber CCOE in delivering Cyber Quest.

Vision

The Cyber Center of Excellence conducts Cyberspace, Electronic Warfare, and EMSO experimentation activities that serve as an agile learning platform for the Cyber Community of Interest (COI). The end result aims to be an, Army led, Joint Cyber / EW experimentation and collaboration event at the Cyber Center of Excellence.

The CCOE, supported by government, military, academic and industry partners, conducts Cyberspace, EW, and EMSO experimentation activities at Fort Gordon to achieve solutions for operationally relevant and critical CEMA requirements.

Experimentation Focus

1. Repeatable/Annual Event

2. Led by the Cyber Center of Excellence (CCoE), but with support from the larger Community of Interest (CoI)

a. Operational force, Institutional, Industry, and Academia

3. Prototyping Experiment with Operational Construct/Wrapper

a. Assess emerging technologies against documented (CARR approved) Cyber/EW capability requirements

b. Inform current capability development & doctrine, as well as understand DOTMLPF impacts.

c. Enables early risk mitigation for Army acquisition and capability development of candidate solutions prior to participating in larger Army/Joint exercises and experiments (i.e. AWA, AEWE, JUICE, and NIE)

d. Focused at BDE TOC (IBCT)

e. Use of Live, Constructed, and Virtual Environments to simulate and stimulate

f. Use of national and local Cyber Ranges

4. Use of an Experimentation Force (EXFOR) for operational context

5. No Fear of Failure (Sandbox) to encourage innovation and cross vendor-collaboration

Cyber Quest Benefits

1. True Operational requirements

a. Requirements articulated by TRADOC Capability Manager (TCM) and then (GOSC) CARR OPT approved

b. These are the top critical challenges facing the force - Not a science experiment

2. No fear of failure – encourage innovation

a. Not expected to be ready for prime time

b. Determine art-of-the-possible

c. Time and ability to mature solutions

3. Flexibility to achieve collaboration

a. Acquisition/requirements/PM community collaboration with vendors

4. Operationally Focused Event

a. Operational needs experimented within an operational environment - not a simple demo in a hotel conference room

b. Visibility to Command and Control (C2) systems and capabilities necessary to implement/integrate solutions

c. Ability to refine TTPs/CONOPS against an operational “like” environment with near-peer threat

d. Acquisition/requirement community efficiency and cost savings

2016 Focus Areas

1. Integration of Cyber and Electronic Warfare Situational Awareness (SA) capabilities

a. Identify mature vendor solutions that demonstrate a capability to converge Cyber and EW User Defined Operational Pictures (UDOPs) to provide commanders a holistic view of the CEM environment

b. Explore concept of using tactical radios as sensors to provide input to the CEM SA tools

c. Understand DOTMLPF implications of using a CEM SA tools

d. Inform Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures of the CEMA cell

2. Demonstrate tactical radios as Electronic Warfare solutions;

a. Tactical hand held radios that can operate from 200 – 2500 MHz

b. Tactical radios that have anti-jamming capabilities;

c. Tactical radios that automatically discover and operate in unused portions of the electromagnetic spectrum

d. Tactical radios capable of directing antenna energy to avoid jamming

e. Tactical radios capable of (near) silent operation

The Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) can be found here: 2016 BAA

External links

• The Cyber Battle Lab on Intellipedia
• Cyber Battle Lab on the Cyber Center of Excellence Site
• Cyber Battle Lab on milSuite
• Cyber Quest on milSuite
• The Cyber Battle Lab on Intellipedia
• Cyber Quest on APAN site (non-FOUO)
• Cyber Quest on milSuite
• Cyber Quest on Intellipedia
• Army cyber events tag-team to attract new technologies