ADF aims at info warfare
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The Australian Defence Force (ADF) says it is sharpening its focus on cyber and cognitive warfare.
The ADF has announced the establishment of a new ‘Cyber Command’ within its Joint Capabilities Group (JCG). It says this new unit formally elevates cyberspace as the fifth domain of warfare, joining land, air, maritime, and space.
Cyber Command is reportedly part of a broader push to create a more cohesive, integrated military force capable of synchronising operations across digital and electromagnetic spheres.
The ADF sees this development as critical in a world where conflicts increasingly unfold in the digital domain.
Lieutenant General Susan Coyle, Chief of Joint Capabilities, has described Cyber Command’s creation as part of Defence’s transformation, especially given the growing overlap between space and cyber operations.
“All five domains are critical to the application of military power,” she said, noting the importance of generating information advantage and cyber capabilities.
The move to consolidate cyber resources under one command will bring together personnel from previous single-service cyber units.
Command Warrant Officer Dean Trost says it is an opportunity to “cohere and integrate our highly trained and skilled sailors, soldiers, and aviators, along with our Australian public servants and Defence industry partners”.
Several existing units, including the Joint Cyber Unit, Fleet Cyber Unit, 138 Signal Squadron, and 462 Squadron, have been transferred to Cyber Command’s newly formed Cyber Forces Group, replacing the previous Cyber Force Generation branch. Plans are also underway for a new Joint Data Network Unit.
Cyber Command’s creation is more than just a technical upgrade - it is about engaging in ‘cognitive warfare’, an extension of the ‘information warfare’ concept from the 1990s.
While traditional information warfare sought to control information flows, cognitive warfare targets the mental processes of adversaries, aiming to influence perceptions, decisions, and behaviours.
Neuroscientist James Giordano has described cognitive warfare as treating “the human brain as the battlefield of the 21st Century”.
Cognitive warfare integrates cyber tactics, psychological operations, and social engineering.
Analysts note that countries like Russia and China are deploying such strategies, using disinformation campaigns, propaganda, and social manipulation to advance their aims.
ADF’s Director of Cognitive and Information Warfare, Colonel Jason Logue, said the military is working to build a new career field for cognitive specialists.
“We are ensuring people with experience in psychological operations, public affairs, and information operations can become cognitive information warfare officers,” Logue said.
These specialists will lead campaigns to shape the information environment.
However, ethical concerns persist about the impact of cognitive warfare on open societies, with critics warning of potential risks to public trust and social cohesion.