No Peace

There's no peace in cyberspace. That's according to the Army's forthcoming Cyberspace Operations Concept Capability Plan 2016-2028, developed by the service's Training and Doctrine Command. In a fictitious operation, the document attempts to apply the yardstick of the Army's full-spectrum operations model to cyberspace operations. Phase Zero of that model normally includes peacetime, or "shaping," operations. But not in cyberspace, the draft document argues.

"There is no traditional phase 0 or peacetime in cyberspace, as adversaries continuously seek to conduct cyberspace operations, particularly exploitation, against the United States and its allies in order to pursue their strategic objective," the document states. There is, however, a cyber equivalent to the "dominate" phase. And that means unleashing what the Army's new nomenclature terms "CyberWar" activities.

"CyberWar and enabling capabilities will exploit and attack computer and telecommunication networks and embedded processors and controllers in equipment, systems and infrastructure, in accordance with appropriate authorities in support of the commander's objectives," the draft Army plan reads. "This is the first time (in the progression of the Army's six-phase full-spectrum operations model) that CyberWar attacks on tactical target embedded processors and controllers in equipment, systems and infrastructure are conducted to disadvantage the adversary," it adds.