Does US need a Cyber Force to tackle China, Russia?

The US is moving to establish a new Cyber Force to close emerging cyberspace defense gaps with near-peer rivals Russia and China, both of which are blending cyber and information operations to strategic effect.

Late last month, multiple media outlets reported that the US Congress is considering establishing an independent Cyber Force as part of the 2025 defense authorization bill, a response to long-held concerns about the current cyber defense structure.

An amendment, led by Representative Morgan Luttrell and included in the House Armed Services Committee’s markup, mandates a National Academy of Sciences study on creating the proposed new military branch.

The proposal, which has passed the committee and awaits a full House vote, seeks to address the inadequacies and complexities of the existing US military cyber formations, as highlighted by various studies and analysts.

The proposed Cyber Force aims to enhance cyber operations, recruitment and retention, which are currently hampered by being dispersed across multiple service branches.

If approved, the new branch could be established by 2027, following further legislative and administrative procedures. The development underscores the perceived urgent need for a dedicated cyber defense mechanism in the face of escalating global cyber threats.

The proposed Cyber Force aims to streamline the organizational framework for US cyber capabilities, emphasizing a unified recruitment, training and retention framework to harness and elevate cyber expertise in a digital battlespace.

In March 2024, Asia Times discussed the pros and cons of establishing a separate Cyber Force. Proponents argue that current military structures are inadequate for recruiting, training and retaining cyber