Navy commanders, executives, and other leaders cut the ribbon on the Department of Defense’s newest National Cyber Range dedicated to bolstering the cyber security of defense aviation’s aircraft and subsystems during a ceremony at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland on Oct. 16, 2023. Operated by the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, the new cyber range is one of four defense test facilities advancing the digital resiliency of American military systems. Maryland Congressman Rep. Steny Hoyer (fourth from the right) joined the inaugural ceremony. (U.S. Navy photo by Todd Frantom)
The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) cut the ribbon on the Department of Defense’s newest National Cyber Range at Naval Air Station Patuxent River on Oct. 16, 2023.
The range will serve as a pivotal test asset for the entirety of the DOD, defense partners, and other agencies supporting cybersecurity training and test efforts.
“NAWCAD’s National Cyber Range is an American asset that makes flight lines and air wings of the future safer and stronger,” said NAWCAD Executive Director, Steve Cricchi. “This wide-reaching investment protects warfighters from increasingly advanced cyber enemies—something we can all feel proud of.”
Cyber ranges are virtual environments that help technology developers test their systems for digital vulnerabilities to improve protection from cyber-attacks, using malware and other realistic offenses in a secure environment. The primary focus for the new NAWCAD facility is cyber test and training initiatives for aircraft, their subsystems, and supportive technologies.
“On top of being the most capable, defense technology is also required to be cyber resilient,” said NAWCAD’s National Cyber Range Deputy Director, John Ross. “We harden warfighter systems by performing vulnerability assessments and recommending mitigations—ultimately preventing adversaries from stealing our data or defeating our technology.”
NAWCAD’s National Cyber Range significantly expands the DOD’s capacity for cyber testing and training, and will reduce the time required for testing. The aircraft- and subsystem-focused facility joins the ranks of three other ranges in the National Cyber Range Complex, each with primary focus areas: Eglin, which serves the Air Force; Charleston, dedicated to sea-based technologies on submarines and ships; and Orlando, which supports DOD’s operational mission force training. The integrated network of cyber ranges, designed to the same rigorous standards, uses a common core architecture and toolset, enables system tests across all classification levels, facilitates distributed test events on land or at sea, and supports exercises of varying scales.
The range at Naval Air Station Patuxent River will bring more than $20 million of revenue to St. Mary’s County and create multiple jobs spanning computer engineers, scientists, cyber security personnel, cyber test and evaluation experts, and other business professionals. The new cyber range amplifies NAWCAD’s role as the largest employer in southern Maryland, and the region’s leading source of STEM jobs.
NAWCAD’s National Cyber Range is the latest of multiple developmental test facilities built through a long-standing partnership between the warfare center and the Office of the Secretary of Defense’s Test Resource Management Center.
To learn how your test team can leverage the National Cyber Range, contact John R. Ross (301) 342-6035
Navy commanders, executives, and other leaders cut the ribbon on the Department of Defense’s newest National Cyber Range dedicated to bolstering the cyber security of defense aviation’s aircraft and subsystems during a ceremony at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland on Oct. 16, 2023. Operated by the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, the new cyber range is one of four defense test facilities advancing the digital resiliency of American military systems. Maryland Congressman Rep. Steny Hoyer (fourth from the right) joined the inaugural ceremony. (U.S. Navy photo by Todd Frantom)
