The overarching question imparting urgency to this exploration is: Can U.S.-Russian contention in cyberspace cause the two nuclear superpowers to stumble into war? In considering this question we were constantly reminded of recent comments by a prominent U.S. arms control expert: At least as dangerous as the risk of an actual cyberattack, he observed, is cyber operations’ “blurring of the line between peace and war.” Or, as Nye wrote, “in the cyber realm, the difference between a weapon and a non-weapon may come down to a single line of code, or simply the intent of a computer program’s user.”
A keen understanding of the United States' International Security role is often underpinned by a working knowledge of the U.S. warfighting Combatant Command (COCOM) structure, service roles, and responsibilities of key commanders. This seminar is informative in nature and outlines the nation's COCOMs, geographic areas of responsibilities, key unified command plan changes, and stategic/operational planning constructs. The session also provides a forum to challenge current paradigms when considering roles of other foreign policy actors, flexibility for coalitions in response to regional/ethnic issues, and emerging threats in domains that transcend geographic boundaries (e.g., space and cyberspace).
Please join us! Coffee and tea provided. Everyone is welcome, but admittance will be on a first come–first served basis.
Co-sponsored by the Armed Forces Committee's For the Common Defense Seminar Series