Issue Brief
May 28, 2026 • 11:27 am ET
Martin Zuber, Caleb Eames, Dan Minnocci, and Amy Cowley
Executive summary
Countering adversary command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting (C5ISRT) has emerged as a critical operational priority, underscored by Admiral Samuel Paparo’s May 2025 congressional posture testimony and Admiral Daryl Caudle’s 2026 US Navy Fighting Instructions. As the US military faces increasingly sophisticated adversaries who are constantly conducting hybrid warfare operations across all domains, countering C5ISRT (C-C5ISRT) during the competition phase (i.e., prior to engaging in conflict) is essential to gaining an advantage and deterring war.
