COIN in Cyberspace: Focusing Air Force Doctrine Development

Abstract : The United States military is heavily reliant on technology to fight and win. Much of this technology relies on cyberspace. The National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace and the National Military Strategy for Cyberspace Operations were written to address this growing reliance on cyberspace and to guide the armed services in developing their own doctrine. In response, the Air Force changed its mission statement to include flying and fighting in cyberspace and began codifying its cyber warfare doctrine. This effort is hampered, however, by a limited understanding of cyberspace by rank and file Air Force members. Many believe cyberspace and cyber warfare are the responsibility of the communications community. If this new doctrine is to be relevant, it must form a clear and direct link between cyberspace and the Air Force's key operational functions. By using existing joint and service doctrine to build upon, the Air Force can create unity of effort among Airmen at all levels, ensure unity of purpose in the prosecution of cyber warfare, and clearly delineate where military responsibility for cyberspace ends and nonmilitary responsibility begins.