FORT GORDON, Ga. -- Cyber Quest 2016, a cyber/electronic warfare experimentation and collaboration event, is currently underway at the Cyber Center of Excellence and Fort Gordon. The event will run through July 29.
Cyber Quest 2016 brings together Soldiers and leaders from across the Army and the research and development community to assess the latest cyber and electronic warfare technologies and concepts against documented cyber and electronic warfare requirements. Among the many technologies they're looking at are tactical radio offerings that, among other things, are capable of near-silent operation, have direction-finding capabilities, and can prevent enemy electronic warfare capabilities from detecting or disrupting friendly force communications.
The experimentation force includes an infantry brigade combat team command post from the 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, a dismounted infantry platoon from the 1-29 Infantry Battalion at Fort Benning, command post personnel from the 305th Military Intelligence Battalion at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., and the Fires Battle Lab at Fort Sill, Okla.
The cyberspace and electronic warfare research and development community is represented by a host of Army R&D organizations and over 10 commercial vendors.
Results and insights from the event will influence future technology and requirements decisions as well as other Army and Department of Defense exercises and experiments.
Soldiers like Sgt. First Class Raymond Bailey, an Electronic Warfare Technical Integrator in the CCoE, say events such as Cyber Quest are important because companies are "… bringing all these great technologies, but they don't always have that same mindset, the same experience we do".
"It (what they design and build) needs to fit for the Soldier," he explained.
Maj. Steve Roberts, who is one of the key organizers of Cyber Quest 2016, agreed.
Vendors who participate in Army-led prototyping events like Cyber Quest receive early feedback and are better "… able to provide future capabilities based on this integration effort."
Additionally, Soldiers and leaders who participate in such events said the on-the-ground experience helps them, and the Army, move forward with the concepts and capabilities needed to be successful in the cyber domain.
Plans are already underway for Cyber Quest 17, according CCoE officials. That event will address things such as forensics and malware detection, insider threat detection, defensive cyber operations mission planning, and various tactical electronic warfare sensors.
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