A new report estimates the budget for the proposed U.S. Cyber Force at $10-11 billion, aiming for operational readiness within 18 months.
A report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) has outlined the proposed creation of a new Cyber Force within the U.S. military.
Experts project the initial budget for this agency will be between $10 billion and $11 billion. The authors, including former military officials, anticipate that the new force could achieve operational readiness within 12 to 18 months.
This initiative gained momentum following an amendment by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand to the defense budget for fiscal year 2027. The report indicates that establishing the Cyber Force will not necessitate a substantial increase in funding; approximately $7.7 billion is already earmarked for cyber operations in the Pentagon's budget, along with an additional $2.8 billion for specialized personnel.
The Cyber Force aims to centralize resources currently distributed across Cyber Command (CYBERCOM) and other military branches. The proposed force is expected to comprise 33,000 personnel, including 20,000 active-duty members and up to 6,000 civilian specialists, focusing exclusively on officers and warrant officers to maintain a high-tech operational standard.
Two scenarios for integrating the Cyber Force have been suggested: either within the Department of the Army, akin to the Space Force, or as an independent entity. Proponents argue that the current fragmentation in training and management hampers effective cyber operations, as Cyber Command must juggle combat and administrative roles. The new force would be dedicated to training and equipping troops, while existing units would continue to oversee local information network protection.
Mark Montgomery, a senior fellow at FDD, underscored the urgency of creating the Cyber Force, advocating for the service model to be finalized before a significant crisis emerges. Notably, in May, the Pentagon entered into partnerships with companies like Nvidia and Microsoft to leverage advanced AI technologies in military operations.
