18 October 2024
Multinational information warfare specialists recently tested real-world threat scenarios during Exercise Blue Spectrum in Ichigaya, Japan.
Blue Spectrum was the second activity conducted within the Trilateral Maritime Information Warfare Working Group initiative, and sought to improve Australian, Japanese and United States navies’ defensive cyber cooperation.
Participants responded to cyber activity and incidents against a simulated joint force, shipboard telecommunications and joint operational networks.
Commander Information Warfare Force Captain Catherine Gordon applauded the outcomes of the event.
“Exercise Blue Spectrum builds on the foundations laid during our first trilateral exercise held with the US and Japan in Sydney earlier this year,” Captain Gordon said.
“We continue to deepen relationships as well as forging and strengthening our collective technical expertise in new and emerging areas of common interest.
“It is encouraging to see the enthusiasm that our individual teams bring to this trilateral partnership and how their combined skills to work together have matured since the inaugural event.
“I look forward to future events, as interactions like the Blue Spectrum exercise series becomes the way we always do things.”
Lieutenant Commander Justin Downey-Price, of the RAN’s Fleet Information Warfare Centre, coordinated the exercise.
“Exercise Blue Spectrum was just another step forward in what is a strong partnership in the information warfare environment,” Lieutenant Commander Downey-Price said.
“We will continue to see more and more of these types of interactions to the point that they are the routine way that we conduct information warfare activities between allies and partners.
“The information warfare environment is a complex yet endlessly fascinating environment and each Blue Spectrum exercise will explore different aspects of that environment.”
