Washington, Mar 27:
The Pentagon declared cybersecurity and digital networks as central to modern warfare, telling lawmakers that its “digital backbone” is now a “weapon system” critical to how US forces fight, decide, and win future conflicts.
At a Senate Armed Services cyber subcommittee hearing, Department of Defence Chief Information Officer Kirsten Davies said the US military is undertaking a sweeping overhaul of its enterprise IT and cybersecurity systems to gain an operational edge.
“Our focus is to enable data supremacy and decision dominance on the contested battlefields of today and tomorrow at the speed and scale our warfighters deserve,” Davies said.
Chairman Mike Rounds underscored the urgency, warning that outdated systems and slow processes were now a strategic risk. He said the ability to “orient, decide and act more quickly than the enemy will likely decide the outcome of the next major war”.
Davies outlined a four-pillar transformation strategy aimed at modernising networks, accelerating software delivery, strengthening cybersecurity, and building a skilled workforce.