A new report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) proposes the establishment of a dedicated U.S. Cyber Force, estimating an initial cost of up to $11 billion and a workforce of approximately 30,000 personnel. This recommendation comes as Admiral James Stavridis, a retired U.S. Navy admiral and former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, highlighted the urgent need for such a force in a recent Bloomberg Opinion piece.
Admiral Stavridis emphasized the critical gap in national security, stating that the U.S. military currently lacks a unified command to oversee all operations defending the nation, troops abroad, and major corporations from cyberattacks. "The Pentagon needs a new force of tech experts to oversee all aspects of cyberwarfare," Stavridis wrote, referencing the CSIS report as a timely and insightful case for this new Cyber Force.
The Commission on U.S. Cyber Force Generation, which authored the report released on June 3, 2026, detailed a blueprint for an independent uniformed service focused solely on cyberspace. The commission suggests that reaching initial operating capacity could take 18 months, with full personnel scaling achievable within three to four years. The proposed force would consist of commissioned officers, warrant officers, civilians, and contractors, notably excluding enlisted troops.
This exclusion of enlisted personnel has sparked debate, with the report's authors citing existing pay scales that inadequately compensate enlisted cyber operators and the need for specialized managerial and technical tracks. Joshua Stiefel, a co-chair of the study, noted that the model could incorporate existing enlisted-to-warrant officer tracks to provide career progression. Critics, however, argue that an all-officer and civilian force might miss out on the critical value and culture provided by enlisted service members.
The report estimates personnel requirements, including salary, bonuses, and healthcare, at approximately $2.7 billion. While acknowledging the challenge of competing with the private sector for top talent, the commission believes a dedicated Cyber Force, with its own budget and priorities, could better institutionalize incentive pays and assignment cycles. The proposed structure aims to provide a single organization accountable for generating, organizing, training, and equipping military cyber forces, addressing long-standing challenges in talent management and operational readiness.
