Pentagon begins work on its 'cyber aircraft carrier'

Pentagon is developing a 'cyber carrier' to launch online attacks against Islamic State and protect the US from hostile government hackers

The Pentagon is developing a cyber weapon system to launch online attacks
The integrated platform run by the Department of Defence's Cyber Command
It will help US cyber troops easily access offensive and defensive tools
Its importance has been compared to that of an aircraft carrier to sailors

Published: 05:31 EDT, 3 July 2018 | Updated: 06:58 EDT, 3 July 2018

e-mail

The Pentagon is developing an advanced cyber weapon system to launch online attacks against Islamic State and protect the US from hostile government hackers.

The system, run by the Department of Defence's Cyber Command, will provide a platform from which US cyber troops access offensive and defensive tools.

Known as United Platform, it will become an integral part of all US online operations and provide a service as vital as jets are to pilots, or aircraft carriers are to sailors.

Industry officials have referred to the programme as a 'cyber carrier' used to launch cyber operations and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.

Scroll down for video

The Pentagon is developing an advanced cyber weapon system to launch online attacks. The system, run by the Department of Defence's Cyber Command (pictured), will provide a unified platform from which US cyber troops access offensive and defensive tools

The Air Force this month issued the proposal for United Platform, Fifth Domain reports.

Air Force officials sent the request on behalf of Cyber Command, a DoD command focused on cyber warfare launched by President Donald Trump last August.

Details on what the service would provide are still scarce, though United Platform has previously been described as a new consolidated system for the command's top secret online activities.

These include 'implants' placed in Islamic State networks that allow experts to monitor the extremist group's behaviour.

According to the New York Times, these implants have been used to imitate or alter commander's messages so they unwittingly direct fighters to areas likely to be hit by drone attacks or airstrikes.

Another technique likely employed by Cyber Command is a common type of cyber-attack known as a denial of service.

Known as United Platform, it will become an integral part of all US online operations and provide a service as vital as a jet is to pilots, or an aircraft carrier to sailors. It will help Cyber Command protect the US cyberspace from hackers (stock image)

This involves blocking a user from accessing an online service by flooding the servers with enough traffic to crash the system.

United Platform will likely involve the unification of many of Cyber Command's cyber systems into a single, consolidated programme, according to Fifth Domain.

Today, each of the command's services use a different system, many of which are not linked together.

Sources told Fifth Domain the United Platform proposal went through the General Services Administration's premier enterprise Alliant Governmentwide Acquisition Contract vehicle (AGAC).

This 'provides flexible access to customized IT solutions from a large, diverse pool of industry partners … [and] allows for long-term planning of large-scale program requirements.'

WHAT IS THE US CYBER WARFARE COMMAND?

President Donald Trump ordered the US military in August 2017 to elevate its cyber warfare operations to a separate command.

The command centre, called the US Cyber Command or Cybercom, focuses on cyber warfare - such as government hacking campaigns.

It protects the United States from hostile online forces and helps the US pursue its own cyberwarfare objectives.

According to the New York Times, Cybercom has previously placed 'implants' in Islamic State group networks that let experts monitor the group's behaviour and ultimately imitate or alter commanders' messages so they unwittingly direct fighters to areas likely to be hit by drone or plane strikes.

US President Donald Trump ordered the US military to elevate its cyber warfare operations to a separate command, signaling a new emphasis on electronic offensive and defensive operations

Another technique likely being employed is a common type of cyber attack known as a denial of service.

The move was a response to a number of recent major cyber security incidents - such as Russian hacks during the 2016 election.

Cyber Command is now in the process of recruiting hundreds of skilled cyber operators to help with defensive and offensive operations.

It is headquartered in Fort Meade, Maryland and will eventually comprise almost 6,200 personnel organized into 133 teams.

These 'Cyber Mission Force' teams are already actively conducting operations and will achieve full operational capability by the end of fiscal year 2018.

Cyber warfare operations had previously been run under the umbrella of the National Security Agency, the country's main electronic spying agency.

The proposal was released to companies on contract around two weeks ago and is due in mid-July.

Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and Booz Allen Hamilton are said to be competing for the contract.

'In concert with US Cyber Command and all Services, the Air Force as Executive Agent is directing development and deployment to ensure timely and relevant full-spectrum capabilities for our cyber warriors,' an Air Force spokeswoman said.

The news comes as the Pentagon has purportedly doubled-down on improving its algorithms amid growing concern powerful Chinese and Russian AI could pose a threat to countries worldwide.

Cyber Command had previously been a subordinate part of the US Strategic Command, but President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to elevate it to its own command, in a sign of its growing importance in August 2017.

According to a report from Govini, the US armed services invested $7.4 billion (£5.5bn) in AI, big data and cloud computing last year, which is set to revolutionise modern warfare.

Military chiefs warned the US 'can either lead the coming revolution, or fall victim to it' in a report last year.