Cyber Resiliency of Weapon Systems-ACS

The Acquisition/System Security Engineering (SSE) activity encompasses several continuous efforts to support the Department of the Air Force (DAF) and Department of War acquisition community. First, it produces and distributes standard system security engineering and acquisition security processes, policies, and contracting language to ensure cyber requirements are properly addressed in fielded and emerging weapon systems. Second, it bolsters intelligence collection and intelligence community engagement to provide consistent and current knowledge of cyber threats to enable the acquisition community to calculate weapon system risks. Third, it develops and hones personnel cyber resiliency training, manning strategies, and integrates Cyber Focus Teams into Program Acquisition Executive (PAE) Offices to bridge the lack of cyber acquisition expertise. Fourth, it explores and evaluates the DAF's dynamic cyber landscape to uncover vulnerabilities and prioritize cyber techniques, products, and technologies for further development and prototyping to counter evolving threats. Fifth, it resources a DAF-unique cyber engineering benchtop facility exploring, assessing, and mitigating navigation, communication, and electronic warfare vulnerabilities. Sixth, it develops software to enable digital engineering transformation of risk identification and tracking for weapon systems. Seventh, it enables the Cyber Resiliency Office for Weapon Systems (CROWS) to research, publish, and deliver government-owned guidance, roadmaps, and references to enable program offices and industry partners to effectively implement and adapt DAF strategic cyber requirements (example: Zero Trust and Defensive Cyber Operations) to weapon systems. The centralized and consolidated nature of the CROWS saves the acquisition community millions annually by eliminating the need for each weapon system program and industry partner to fund individual cyber technical exploration efforts. Eighth, the Mitigations activity enables the Cyber Resiliency Office for Weapon Systems (CROWS) to be the DAF's focal point for enterprise cyber mitigations to critical cyber vulnerabilities for fielded weapon systems, subsystems, and support systems.

The Mitigations activity encompasses continuous efforts to support the Department of the Air Force (DAF) and Department of War acquisition community. It enables the Cyber Resiliency Office for Weapon Systems (CROWS) to be the DAF's focal point for enterprise cyber mitigations to critical cyber vulnerabilities for fielded weapon systems, subsystems, and support systems. In FY 2027, the entirety of project 642834, Mitigations, was transferred to project 642812, Acquisitions/System Security Engineering. This is an administrative realignment to better highlight the synergy between the two activities and does not represent an increase or decrease in priority relative to the overall program. This program element included all necessary expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver weapon system capability. The use of such program funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program elements 0605829F, 0605831F, 0605833F, and 0605898F.

The Mission Risk Analysis project encompasses one continuous effort to support the Department of the Air Force (DAF) and Department of War acquisition community. It enables the Cyber Resiliency Office for Weapon Systems (CROWS) to be the sole-organization to collect and analyze weapon system data from multiple sources (ex. Program Executive Office portfolios and test and evaluation efforts) to understand the DAF's cyber vulnerability landscape and mitigation initiatives to inform senior leader resource investment strategies. Additionally, this effort informs efforts in the other CROWS projects to prioritize research and investments to solve enterprise cyber vulnerability and mitigation needs. This program element included all necessary expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver weapon system capability. The use of such program funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program elements 0605829F, 0605831F, 0605833F, and 0605898F.