26 September 2024

Air Force’s information warfare hub seeks high-tech sensors, AI tools

Courtney Albon

The Air Force needs higher-tech tools and sensors that can monitor networks for signs of malware and sort through the millions of alerts it receives each day indicating potential compromises, according to the leader of the service’s cyber enterprise.

The Air Force’s information warfare organization, 16th Air Force, has been working over the last year to better partner with industry, academia and other government agencies to meet those high-tech requirements through an effort called the Phoenix Initiative.

The team — which is charged with integrating cyber, electronic warfare, information operations and ISR — convened a summit in August 2023 to talk through its highest priority gaps and technology needs. It then led a months-long deep dive to identify its most important mission sets and consider the most significant vulnerabilities and dependencies within those missions.

Lt. Gen. Thomas Hensley, who took the helm as commander of 16th Air Force in August, told Defense News the organization identified targeting, cybersecurity and its Distributed Common Ground System enterprise — which provides key ISR analysis and exploitation — as its highest priority missions.

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