Information Warfare: The 10th Fleet Goes To Cyber War

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February 6, 2010:  Following the example of the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy has set up a major Cyber War command. In this case the navy has assigned the 10th Fleet the task of running operations for the new Fleet Cyber Command. The new organization will be responsible to directing the defense of computer and communications (especially space based) networks. The navy, more than the other services, is dependent on wireless communications, and complex networks.

Last year, the U.S. Air Force created its own Cyber Command, as the 24th Air Force. This operation recently officially opened for business. Over the past five years, the air force has been trying to establish a new Cyber War operation and use it to gain overall control for all Department of Defense Cyber War activities. The other services were not keen on this. That resistance, plus internal problems (losing track of nuclear weapons, cost overruns on new aircraft, inability to perform on the battlefield) led to the Cyber Command operation being scaled back to being the 24th Air Force. This organization will handle electronic and Internet based warfare, and eventually become the air force component of the U.S. Cyber Command (which is supposed to start operations this year, maybe). The 10th Fleet is the navy contribution to the new U.S. Cyber Command.