Trump’s Allies Propose New “Cyber Force” Military Branch to Combat Digital Threats
As the Pentagon grapples with the consequences of funding shortfalls and high turnover in the field of cybersecurity, Donald Trump’s inner circle is floating a bold proposal: the creation of a new combat branch—Cyber Force. If realized, it would mark the emergence of an independent military entity, joining the ranks of the Army, Air Force, Navy, and the recently established Space Force.
The proposal originates from two influential think tanks: the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the Cyber Solarium Commission 2.0. This week, they announced the formation of a Commission on the Establishment of Cyber Forces, tasked with developing a comprehensive report outlining the structure, functions, and legal foundations of the proposed service. The commission’s work is set to begin in September, though no timeline for publication has been announced. The Pentagon, which has previously dismissed the idea of standalone cyber branches, may prove a formidable obstacle to the plan’s realization.
The central question remains: is the formation of a separate cyber branch justified when existing military units already possess their own digital capabilities? Today’s military cyber personnel are engaged in technical support, system monitoring, and offensive operations on behalf of other commands. What would truly distinguish this new force remains unclear.
Nonetheless, the Commission’s statement emphasizes that its goal is not to argue the necessity of Cyber Forces, but to engage in what is too often neglected—systematic planning. “When the implementation phase is either overlooked or rushed, the result is inevitable: friction, inefficiency, and degraded combat readiness, the consequences of which can be felt for years,” explained retired Lieutenant General Ed Cardon, former commander of the U.S. Army Cyber Command and now co-chair of the new Commission. According to Cardon, the mission is to lay the groundwork in advance—to avoid improvisation should the decision to launch a new branch be made.
The Commission includes both military and civilian participants. In addition to Cardon, it will be led by Josh Stiefel, a former staffer on the House Armed Services Committee. Among the members are former U.S. cyber officials, representatives from Dragos and Anduril, as well as academics. The Commission plans to collaborate closely with government entities and the private sector to address all dimensions—operational, administrative, and technological.
Parallel efforts are underway at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, which, under the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, is conducting an official government-funded study on the feasibility of a new military cyber branch—though it does not explicitly advocate for its creation. In this context, the CSIS initiative can be seen as an unofficial counterpart—lacking legal authority but potentially influential should policy decisions be made.
“We’re not debating whether to establish Cyber Forces—we’re doing the work that typically gets postponed: planning,” Cardon reiterated. He believes that a well-articulated framework of structure and function significantly increases the likelihood of successful implementation, should the time come.
The White House has yet to comment on the initiative. It remains unclear whether the Trump administration would consider a report produced independently of any formal mandate. Moreover, Trump’s previous actions on cybersecurity hardly inspire confidence: in just seven months, he dismissed the directors of the NSA and Cyber Command, proposed slashing the CISA budget for 2026, and disbanded the Department of Homeland Security’s cyber advisory boards. Cybersecurity has consistently appeared at the bottom of his policy agenda—a telling indicator of the administration’s priorities.
Yet one question remains unanswered: if Cyber Forces are eventually created, what will their personnel be called? Cyber-warriors? Byte-lieutenants? Phishing sergeants? So far, no official—nor tongue-in-cheek—titles have been suggested. And given the current staffing shortages across military cyber divisions, recruitment may prove as thorny a challenge as naming the force itself.
