RAND Arroyo Center was asked by U.S. Army Cyber Command's G35 office to develop and document an Army strategy for providing cyber support to corps and below. This report proposes a strategy for tactical Army cyber operations, enumerating overarching goals, objectives, and associated activities. Instructive case studies are provided that support implementation of the strategy.

Tactical Cyber

Building a Strategy for Cyber Support to Corps and Below

Isaac R. Porche III, Christopher Paul, Chad C. Serena, Colin P. Clarke, Erin-Elizabeth Johnson, Drew Herrick

ResearchPublished Mar 28, 2017

RAND Arroyo Center was asked by U.S. Army Cyber Command's G35 office to develop and document an Army strategy for providing cyber support to corps and below, which is synonymous with tactical cyber operations. This report describes how the Army should use available resources to achieve the mission objectives inherent to tactical cyber operations. Cyber operations are increasingly important to the Army and other services' ability to seamlessly incorporate actions in cyberspace with activities in traditional warfighting domains (land, air, maritime, and space). This report proposes a strategy for tactical Army cyber operations, enumerating overarching goals, objectives, and associated activities. As part of this strategy, the authors describe what the Army, as an institution, needs to do to realize a vision for tactical cyber operations. In addition, this report discusses the incorporation and use of offensive cyber operations, specifically at the tactical level.

Key Findings

  • For cyber operations, the Army will need to build trust and operate with JIIM partners. The Army must be able to employ cyber capabilities at all echelons, including tactical echelons.
  • The Army must be able to operate with existing authorities and prepared to operate with increased authorities it might gain in the future.

Recommendations

  • The Army should plan to coordinate with these higher echelons and partner agencies/nations to plan and conduct tactical cyber operations.
  • Relationship building takes time; the Army should not ask for more than a cyber partner can reasonably be asked to give, especially in the case of new relationships.
  • Operations (i.e., "doing cyber") give relationships a chance to grow and mature and provide opportunities to demonstrate the utility of relationships and willingness to serve partner. With military partners, the Army might find that exercises at command posts and at combat training centers afford opportunities for "doing."
  • The Army should make a cyber partnership a "good deal" for a partner up front, which might mean initially subordinating the Army's goals and interests to those of the partner.
  • As the Army considers how best to embed a cyber capability at tactical echelons, it should identify how to establish and maintain a relationship between the personnel who will serve at those tactical echelons and the partner agencies and organizations with which they will frequently interact.

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Document Details

  • Copyright: RAND Corporation
  • Availability: Available
  • Year: 2017
  • Print Format: Paperback
  • Paperback Pages: 110
  • Paperback Price: $20.00
  • Paperback ISBN/EAN: 978-0-8330-9608-1
  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.7249/RR1600
  • Document Number: RR-1600-A

Citation

RAND Style Manual

Porche, Isaac R. III, Christopher Paul, Chad C. Serena, Colin P. Clarke, Erin-Elizabeth Johnson, and Drew Herrick, Tactical Cyber: Building a Strategy for Cyber Support to Corps and Below, RAND Corporation, RR-1600-A, 2017. As of April 9, 2025: https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR1600.html

Chicago Manual of Style

Porche, Isaac R. III, Christopher Paul, Chad C. Serena, Colin P. Clarke, Erin-Elizabeth Johnson, and Drew Herrick, Tactical Cyber: Building a Strategy for Cyber Support to Corps and Below. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2017. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR1600.html. Also available in print form.
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This research was sponsored by U.S. Army Cyber Command and conducted by the Forces and Logistics Program within the RAND Arroyo Center.

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