Essential To Protect Weapon Systems From Cyber Threats

During a ribbon cutting ceremony at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, July 9, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Fighters and Bombers Directorate officially opened a new $1.5 million facility essential to protecting weapon systems from cyber threats and mitigating cyber vulnerabilities across the Air Force fighters and bombers fleet.

One of the Air Force’s ongoing challenges is to create processes, infrastructure and capabilities to counter threats to its weapon systems. To address this, organizations are looking at creative ways to forge partnerships and alliances to advance the cyber resiliency of weapon systems by protecting information and eliminating communications barriers.

The facility is the result of a partnership with the Cyber Resiliency Office for Weapons Systems or CROWS, which provided funding and expertise for the project.

The new work area will provide a collaborative space for acquisition professionals to learn about current and emerging threats and better protect against them.

“Construction of this facility is a key component of the CROWS mission to increase the cyber resiliency of Air Force weapon systems and maintain mission effective capability,” said Joseph Bradley, CROWS director. “It will improve communication, collaboration and allow us to better resolve problems.”

“We are in an age where we have a very sophisticated threat and an adversary that is really trying to get into all of our systems,” said Brig. Gen. Heath Collins, Fighters and Bombers, program executive officer. “This facility is absolutely going to be at the core of how we protect our systems moving forward.”

Over the next five years, CROWS anticipates establishing similar facilities across development, acquisition and sustainment centers, which will serve to underscore the organization’s commitment to its overarching mission of increasing the cyber resiliency of weapon systems.

(Image provided with USAF news release)

FMI: www.af.mil