Senate confirms new Navy Fleet Cyber commander

The Senate on June 29 confirmed Rear Adm. Michael Gilday as the next commander of the Navy’s 10th Fleet/Fleet Cyber Command and promotion to vice admiral, according to congressional records.

Gilday was nominated June 6 to replace the outgoing Vice Adm. Jan Tighe, who on May 6 was confirmed as the Navy’s top intelligence officer and chief of information warfare.
Previously Gilday served as director of operations/J-3 at U.S. Cyber Command. While Tighe heads from Fort Meade, Maryland, to the Pentagon, Gilday will stay put at the base, which is also home to the National Security Agency and the Defense Information Systems Agency in addition to CYBERCOM and the 10th Fleet.

A change of command is expected in the coming weeks, but work across the military to ramp up cyber forces isn’t missing a beat. In fact, the service-level cyber mission forces that back CYBERCOM already are actively joining the fight, including against the Islamic State group.
“The nation and every combatant commander can now call on cyber mission force teams to bring cyberspace effects in support of their operations,” Lt. Gen. Kevin McLaughlin, CYBERCOM deputy commander, told the House Armed Services Committee during a June 22 hearing.

McLaughlin’s remarks reflect a concerted and coordinated effort across the services to build up cyber tools and operations. Earlier this year, Tighe highlighted some of those efforts and the changing cyber landscape in a speech at the AFCEA West conference in San Diego, California.

"I believe cyber warfare has had a hand in changing our view and language. I don't think it was a conscious campaign -- it certainly didn't change overnight," Tighe said. "I think the language caught up to reflecting what we all knew: The margins of victory are razor thin. But make no mistake; we can accept nothing short of victory each and every day."