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April 28, 2008
How I See It
Regional effort needed to attract Cyberspace Command
Massachusetts has a long history of developing the latest war-fighting technologies to support our armed forces. But to compete in the current global marketplace, we must think beyond state borders and develop regional partnerships that will create multistate economic opportunities and increase the political clout of the region's defense cluster.
To that end, the Defense Technology Initiative (DTI) has joined forces with partners from the other New England states to develop a unified regional defense technology agenda. DTI's partners are New England's leading technology organizations, including the New Hampshire High Technology Council, the Rhode Island Economic Development Corp., TechMaine and the Connecticut Technology Council.
Increased collaboration should lead to more competitive bids for investment in New England by the U.S. Department of Defense and individual military branches. One of DTI's top priorities is to develop a regional strategy to bring the Air Force Cyberspace Command (AFCYBER) to Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford. The Cyberspace Command -- the first new command the Air Force has stood up in nearly 20 years -- will organize, train and equip forces to preserve freedom of access to cyberspace. Under strategic command, the Cyberspace Command would work with the other services to protect the country's military computer networks from terrorists and other hackers.
The selection process for the Cyberspace Command's headquarters is under way, with Massachusetts one of 18 states vying for 540 direct jobs and related economic activity. By year's end, the Air Force will reduce the number to four or five bases. The final selection will be announced in September 2009.
Landing the command's headquarters would be a boon to the region, but it would also be a great opportunity for the Air Force to tap into New England's significant IT and communications expertise. Two key Air Force research partners, MITRE Corp. and MIT Lincoln Laboratory, are just a stone's throw from Hanscom. And other New England partners, including Dartmouth College in New Hampshire and Norwich University in Vermont, also have strong cybersecurity capacities.
The cyber command would also have access to the nation's most skilled technology workforce along the Providence to Portland corridor. Both Hanscom and the Natick Soldier Systems Center now draw employees from New Hampshire and Rhode Island, a skilled workforce that gives New England a distinct advantage over competitor regions.
DTI has been working closely with the Patrick administration and the Massachusetts congressional delegation, led by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. The organization's broader geographic focus would enable DTI to engage the region's congressional members and would give the region 12 senators and 22 House members -- a powerful voting bloc to compete with larger states in the South and West. The region also boasts three Democratic and three GOP governors -- a balance that should ensure a line to the White House no matter which party wins in November.
Since DTI was originally created by the Massachusetts High Technology Council in 2003 to protect Hanscom and Natick during the Pentagon's 2005 Base Closure and Realignment (BRAC) process, it is a natural follow-on for the group to support efforts to prevent future closures across all of New England. Preparing a regional strategy now will be the key to success in any future downsizing. New England has the critical mass of resources to remain one of the world's top defense tech clusters, but without regional collaboration we will lose our leadership position. We must remember that a unified New England defense community is stronger than the sum of its parts.
Retired U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Donald Quenneville is executive director of the Defense Technology Initiative. He can be reached at q(at)defensetech.net.
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