Pentagon asks lawmakers to kill third-party look at an independent cyber force

Carley Welch and Valerie Insinna

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The Pentagon has formally requested that lawmakers shut down a legislative proposal that would mandate an independent assessment of the establishment of a separate cyber service, three sources familiar with the matter told Breaking Defense.

The Record first reported that the DoD’s request was submitted to both the House and Senate Armed Services committees as part of a series of appeals to drafts related to cybersecurity in the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The appeal by the DoD contended that Congress had already called for an assessment of the current cyber landscape within the Pentagon, which included the potential for creating a cyber service in the 2023 NDAA, according to The Record. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to Breaking Defense’s request for comment.

“DoD did express opposition to the provisions. However, it’s not unusual for DoD to express their opinion on provisions in the NDAA. They do so frequently on hundreds of provisions throughout the bill,” one senior committee aid told Breaking Defense.