Army Cyber Quest 2019 priorities announced

The Army's annual cyber prototyping experiment next spring will focus on how cyberspace electromagnetic activities can support and defend forces, as well as give commanders non-lethal options.

Called Cyber Quest, the exercise is scheduled for June 2019, the service announced Aug. 7. The event, held since 2016, allows the Army to test new technologies, form strategies and assess what is available to improve the service's cyber capabilities.

On the defensive and support end, the Army wants to consolidate network operations into fewer components and make them easier to manage, as well as partially automated defense systems that can automatically detect threats or defend networks.

The Army also wants selective encryption capabilities to protect communications in a contested area, making it safe to send secret-level clearance messages and easier to operate with allied nations.

For the offensive capabilities, the service seeks technologies that can identify various kinds of signals and geolocate their source. The service also wants jammers and other forms of electronic warfare attack devices to combat enemy signals and their associated networks.

An industry day to inform the event is scheduled for Aug. 24.

Submissions will be accepted until Aug. 31 and will be reviewed by a panel Sept. 4-7. A few vendors will demonstrate their technologies in front of a committee in Ft. Gordon, GA, the week of Sept. 17. Those selected for the 2019 experiment will be notified on Oct. 1.