Air Force elevating role of communications networks

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — As part of sweeping changes to its overall cyber enterprise to better posture itself against a China threat, the Air Force is elevating the role of warfighter communications.

Officials have teased in the past the split of the intelligence and cyber directorate on the Air Staff at the Pentagon — known as the A2/6 with “2” being intelligence and “6” traditionally referring to cyber, IT and communications. In shedding new light on that effort, officers noted it’s about making sure advocates for essential warfighting communications have a voice in high-level deliberations.

“Having a miliary officer, a three-star … that’s what it’s really about, having that seat at the table to be able to advise all those other senior leaders in the room. It’s going to benefit us greatly in the future,” Lt. Gen. Leah Lauderback, deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and cyber effects operations, said at the annual AFA Air, Space and Cyber conference Wednesday. “I think when we say ‘cyber,’ we think of offensive or defensive capability. I really wanted to continue with the communicators out there … who are working tactical communications, expeditionary communications — and they have a vital role. That’s why you’re going to hear the name of the A6 will be warfighter communications and cyber systems.”

In 2019, the Air Force, like the Navy before it, decided to integrate its intelligence function and its communications and network function, led by a three-star general. It also added cyber to that portfolio, resulting in an official title of deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and cyber effects operations.

While cyber was born out of the intelligence world and there are significant efficiencies between the two function — namely signals intelligence — the service feels it needs a distinct separation between the two going forward.

“When we had an A2/6 or when we decided to combine the 2/6, it was really based out of a management. It wasn’t so much the integration of the ‘2’ and the ‘6’, though of course, there is integration between intelligence missions and cyber operations missions, communications missions, down at the unit levels and operation level,” Lauderback said. “However, at the [Air] staff, what we’re trying to do is provide expertise to all of those other three-stars on the [Air] Staff as to what should we buy, what are the policies that need to be written, what is the guidance that we need to provide out to the field.”

The split is part of the Air Force’s overall effort to “reoptimize for great power competition,” a sweeping set of changes overhauling how the service is organized and creating new commands as it transitions from 20-plus years of counterterrorism operations and focuses on countering advanced adversaries such as China.

According to a spokesperson, the creation of a standalone “6” is expected to help the Air Force operate in and through cyberspace and compete against the growing threats presented by Beijing and others. In these future fights, communications networks will be under attack and stress. The spokesperson noted that top Air Force leadership recognizes the service’s core missions are vitally dependent on secure and resilient communications, and require a deputy chief of staff singularly focused on that.

The change is expected to ensure resilient comms capabilities are woven into all aspects of Air Force strategy, capabilities development and concepts of operation aligned with mission partners.

It’s still unclear if at the major command level the service will split off their “6” or communications functions, officials said.

In terms of where other functions will be headed, Lauderback noted cyber effects operations as well as electronic warfare will be combined with information ops and all moved under the “3” on the Air Staff, placing them under operations. The expectation is that office will have an official nominated and leadership in place by spring 2025.

This shift is Department of the Air Force-wide, meaning it will also affect the Space Force.

The Space Force is elevating its “6” as well in a similar deputy chief of staff role that is currently being held by an interim leader with the hopes of hiring a senior executive service official at a later date, according to Brig. Gen. Zachary Shay Warakomski, senior cyber officer for the Space Force. The goal is to have that position and office reach initial operational capability in the fall.