Australia, US armies collaborate on cyberwar training

The Australian and US armies have signed a joint agreement to develop a virtual cyber training range for real-world defensive missions.

The two nations have signed a Cyber Training Capabilities Project Arrangement, a bilateral, international agreement that will enable US Cyber Command to incorporate Australian Defence Force feedback into USCYBERCOM’s simulated training domain PCTE (the Persistent Cyber Training Environment).

The PCTE, which delivered its first production version this year, is designed as a distributed, secure, reconfigurable environment for conducting independent cyber operations training activities.

The long-term goal is to provide the US Department of Defense cyberspace workforce the capability to build and conduct full-spectrum, combined and joint cyberspace training, exercises, certification and mission rehearsal in a training environment.

Australian Army Maj. Gen. Marcus Thompson, Head of Information Warfare at the ADF, said the agreement marks the first cyber-only arrangement established between the US Army and an allied nation.

“Australia and the US have a strong history of working together to develop our cyber capabilities and train our people to fight and win in cyberspace,” he said.

“This arrangement will be an important part of the ADF’s training program, and we look forward to the mutual benefits it will bring.”

Image: (Left to right) U.S. Navy Programs Manager, Lt. Cmdr. Mike Tomsik and Australian Army Colonel Hamish Ashman watch as Head Information Warfare Australian Army Major General Marcus Thompson signs a cyber training agreement between Australia and the United States at Russell Offices on 3 November 2020. Courtesy US Cyber Command.