From: William Knowles (wkC4I.ORG)
Date: Mon Apr 09 2001 - 22:32:11 CDT

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http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2001/0409/news-cyber-04-09-01.asp

BY George I. Seffers
04/09/2001

Information technology was holding its ground as the Army began its
massive Division Capstone Exercise last week.

During the opening days of the two-week exercise at the Armys National
Training Center in Southern California, Fort Irwins world-class
opposing force had failed to launch a successful cyberattack on the
first digitized division, service officials said.

The "enemy" is using information warfare techniques that the Army
believes represent likely threats from potential adversaries. An Army
spokes-man said April 5 that the opposing force had not yet penetrated
the firewalls of the 4th Infantry Division the Fort Hood, Texas, unit
known as the first digitized division.

Cyberwarriors from the Land Information Warfare Agency also are
attacking the digitized divisions networks, but their actions are
classified.

Twenty-four hours into the exercise, the score was Good Guys 60, Bad
Guys 40. But several observers indicated that the 4th Infantry
Division suffered major losses in ensuing battles, in part because
troops suffered from "information overload," hindering their ability
to make sound and timely decisions.

With the first digitized division destroying 60 percent of the
opposition force while having 40 percent of its own forces destroyed
during the first battle, IT was seen as being effective in peering
through the inherent battlefield confusion and Mojave Desert
sandstorms according to service officials.

A sandstorm hit the post April 4, partially blinding both sides and
grounding much of the digitized divisions information-gathering
aircraft.

"The weather was so bad that nothing flew no [unmanned aerial
vehicles], no helicopters," said Col. John Antal, deputy chief of
staff for the 4th Infantry Division commander. "So, there we are: The
division was ready to use all these great robotic vehicles, and
nothing can fly."

The digitized division had to rely on more traditional scouts on the
ground to spot enemy troops, Antal said. By using the Tactical
Internet, the scouts were able to update battlefield computers for the
rest of the division, using icons to locate opposing force vehicles.

*==============================================================*
"Communications without intelligence is noise; Intelligence
without communications is irrelevant." Gen Alfred. M. Gray, USMC
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