Cyber Applied Research
Abstract
Cyberspace, as an operational domain, creates both significant security and resilience challenges for the joint force, as well as potential leap-ahead capabilities for military operations. Cyber is often used both to designate that domain and as shorthand for the set of technologies that enable operations in and through cyberspace, such as command-and-control, situational awareness, software analysis and hardening, and autonomy/Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications. The U.S. must maintain technological advantage in cyberspace despite a rapidly evolving globally driven commercial landscape and supply chain, and a set of determined and highly capable adversaries, to maintain mission readiness and deter conflict. The 2022 National Defense Strategy recognizes the “growing kinetic and non-kinetic threat to the United States’ homeland from our strategic competitors, “requiring the Department to “withstand, fight through, and recover quickly from disruption” embracing technology, resiliency, and innovation to act at scale and speed” as key components for all cyber efforts. The DoD will accelerate the development of those cyber capabilities that benefit our warfighters and those cyber capabilities intended to counter malicious cyber actors. It will also seize opportunities to fully integrate spectrum and sensing technologies into future cyber capabilities, to maximize situation awareness, and enable persistent operations and agile power projection options. The DoD will focus on fielding capabilities that are scalable, adaptable, and diverse to provide maximum flexibility to joint force commanders, so the joint force retains the freedom and capability to employ cyberspace operations throughout the spectrum of conflict to advance U.S. interests. This program focuses on higher risk research ideas with major potential impact for addressing National Defense Strategy and modernization mission focus areas of cybersecurity. The program works to advance the state of cybersecurity by reducing risk, broadening applicability, and accelerating research in the areas of Augmented Cognition, Dominant Cyber Operations, Dependable Systems and Networks, and Cyber Foundations. Advances in these cyber science and technology thrusts will promote strong foundations, while disruptive innovations will create surprise, shape the fight, and ensure a decisive advantage. The thrusts provide an opportunity to identify and advance foundational technologies to support all services and agencies.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Project
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2025
- Source ID
- 003_0602668D8Z_2_0400_PB_2025
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