{"id":32156,"date":"2019-01-30T21:10:31","date_gmt":"2019-01-30T21:10:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/uncategorized\/2019\/01\/30\/what-do-cyber-commands-acquisition-requests-reveal\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T18:26:05","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T18:26:05","slug":"what-do-cyber-commands-acquisition-requests-reveal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/home\/2019\/01\/30\/what-do-cyber-commands-acquisition-requests-reveal\/","title":{"rendered":"What do Cyber Command\u2019s acquisition requests reveal?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

U.S. Cyber Command is looking to beef up its main acquisition and capabilities development arm with contractor support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a Jan. 25 request for information released on the FedBizOpps<\/a> website, Cyber Command\u2019s J9, or advanced concepts and technology directorate, is seeking feedback on a statement of work to provide front office support. The feedback will help craft the eventual requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Previously, the J9 was known as the Capabilities Development Group. The CDG had a three-pronged mission: planning and synchronizing capability development for the joint cyber force; developing capabilities in order to reduce risk or meet urgent operational needs; and maintaining the command\u2019s technical baseline. It was established in 2016 to coordinate, integrate and prioritize cyber tool development and delivery efforts across the services given the joint nature of cyberspace and the need to enable greater synergy across the joint cyber mission force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CDG was recently redesignated as the J9. This was done to clarify its goals and mission and to better align with Joint Staff and other unified combatant commands \u2014 all of which have J9s \u2014 a Cyber Command spokesman told Fifth Domain. Cyber Command, stood up in 2009, itself was elevated to a full unified combatant command in May 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the command is looking to scale up its operations and its capabilities, it is going to need a more robust staff. Experts have noted that the CDG, now J9, has been very stressed over the past few years with a limited staff and burdened by developing tools for current operational needs \u2014 namely the fight against ISIS, called Joint Task Force-Ares<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cyber Command\u2019s top acquisition official, Stephen Schanberger, said as recently as September 2018 that the command is in its infancy from an acquisition perspective, adding that the command at the time had one contracting officer, one specialist and a couple of contractors aside from himself in the contracting shop. He did say he expected those numbers to double in the next three months at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\t