Field Manual FM 3-12 (FM 3-38) Cyberspace and Electronic Warfare Operations April 2017

Book excerpt: Field Manual FM 3-12 (FM 3-38) Cyberspace and Electronic Warfare Operations April 2017 Over the past decade of conflict, the U.S. Army has deployed the most capable communications systems in its history. U.S. forces dominated cyberspace and the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) in Afghanistan and Iraq against enemies and adversaries lacking the technical capabilities to challenge our superiority in cyberspace. However, regional peers have since demonstrated impressive capabilities in a hybrid operational environment that threaten the Army's dominance in cyberspace and the EMS. The Department of Defense information network-Army (DODIN-A) is an essential warfighting platform foundational to the success of all unified land operations. Effectively operating, securing, and defending this network and associated data is essential to the success of commanders at all echelons. We must anticipate that future enemies and adversaries will persistently attempt to infiltrate, exploit, and degrade access to our networks and data. A commander who loses the ability to access mission command systems, or whose operational data is compromised, risks the loss of lives and critical resources, or mission failure. In the future, as adversary and enemy capabilities grow, our ability to dominate cyberspace and the EMS will become more complex and critical to mission success. Incorporating cyberspace electromagnetic activities (CEMA) throughout all phases of an operation is key to obtaining and maintaining freedom of maneuver in cyberspace and the EMS while denying the same to enemies and adversaries. CEMA synchronizes capabilities across domains and warfighting functions and maximizes complementary effects in and through cyberspace and the EMS. Intelligence, signal, information operations (IO), cyberspace, space, and fires operations are critical to planning, synchronizing, and executing cyberspace and electronic warfare (EW) operations. CEMA optimizes cyberspace and EW effects when integrated throughout Army operations. FM 3-12 defines and describes the tactics to address future challenges while providing an overview of cyberspace and EW operations, planning, integration, and synchronization through CEMA. It describes how CEMA supports operations and the accomplishment of commander's objectives, and identifies the units that conduct these operations. Due to the rapidly revolving cyberspace domain, the Cyber COE will review and update FM 3-12 and supporting publications on a frequent basis in order to keep pace with a continuously evolving cyberspace domain.