NATIONAL HARBOR, MD. — Demand for information warfare capabilities is growing and will stake a larger presence among the undersea community in the near future, according to Vice Adm. Kelly Aeschbach, leader of Naval Information Forces. The service in 2022 embedded information warfare specialists aboard subs to examine how their expertise aids underwater operations. A follow-up effort is now on the books, with information professional officers and cryptologic technicians joining two East Coast-based subs: the Delaware and the California.
The trials have so far proven fruitful, according to Aeschbach, who is colloquially known as “IBoss.” That said, staffing and other resources need considering before any sweeping moves are made. The Navy is also introducing information warfare systems into its live, virtual and constructive environments. Tenets of information warfare — situational awareness, assured command-and-control, and the melding of intel and firepower — have enabled U.S. forces to swat down overhead threats in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Aeschbach cited as an example the USS Carney’s performance, intercepting attack drones and missiles launched by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
