Army Holds First Defense Critical Infrastructure Summit at Fort Bragg

U.S. Army held its first Defense Critical Infrastructure Summit at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where participants ran a tabletop exercise simulating coordinated attacks on the installation and surrounding region. The scenario included cyberattacks on Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition systems that caused an E.

coli outbreak, drone strikes on commercial electric stations, and damage to a fiberoptic line that degraded command and control.

Fourteen external partners from federal agencies, local leadership, and utility companies joined Army units from the XVIII Airborne Corps to identify response gaps. The exercise tested how such events could affect a unit's ability to deploy rapidly during a crisis.

Brandon Pugh, principal cyber advisor to the secretary of the Army, said the top priority is ensuring forces and equipment reach their destinations without disruption.

Critical infrastructure is often owned and operated by private companies rather than the government or military. XVIII Airborne Corps was selected because its units, including the 82nd Airborne Division, must respond to global events with little notice.

Pugh said the goal is to develop a repeatable playbook that garrison commanders can apply at their installations. He added that the effort should coordinate with interagency partners to identify available resources and capabilities.