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Cyber Operations in Warfare

Discussion of CYBERCOM involvement, cyber attacks preceding kinetic military actions, potential for disrupting power grids, and the integration of cyber capabilities with traditional military operations.

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Modern cyber operations, particularly those led by CYBERCOM, are increasingly viewed as essential precursors to kinetic strikes that can neutralize air defenses and mask special operations through digital sabotage. Commenters express deep unease over the "horrific" potential of disabling civilian power grids indefinitely, a tactic that creates profound disorientation and challenges traditional concepts of military escalation. While historical precedents like Stuxnet prove the efficacy of these tools, participants argue that even nuclear-armed nations remain uniquely vulnerable to victimization and the exploitation of ubiquitous consumer technology. This integration represents a terrifying evolution in global strategy where digital dominance has become the mandatory prerequisite for physical victory.

13 comments tagged with this topic

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If you were not already entirely reliant on American tech before, this ought to convince you to put jump in with both feet. What could possibly go wrong?
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There are other attack vectors beyond infrastructure though when the population all have Android Smart Phones running Play Services and communicate using WhatsApp.
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From bgp hijacking? Almost certainly not. It would probably rule out the type of decapitation strike the US did, but bgp hijacking is way way below on the escalation ladder.
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If having nuclear weapons did anything at all to prevent cyber attacks, the US would not be getting constantly victimized by cyber attacks.
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Typical cyber warfare techniques.
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Cyber-warfare capabilities on this level seem pretty horrific. What if you could simply turn off the power grid of Kyiv or Moscow in anticipation of a strike? That seems extremely disorientating. What if you could simply turn off the power grid indefinitely?
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General Caine specifically said they utilized CYBERCOM (which is the US inter-branch hacking command) to pave the way for the special ops helicopters. I personally have no doubt that any (whether or not they all were) lights being out was due to a US hack. Some of the stuff that got blown up may well have been to prevent forensic recover of US tools and techniques.
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I have no doubt they used cyberattacks and electronic warfare. Trump just seems the worst person in the world to play a game of telephone with on such a subject. For example: https://www.defensenews.com/air/2025/05/16/pentagon-silent-a... > “The F-35, we’re doing an upgrade, a simple upgrade,” Trump said. “But we’re also doing an F-55, I’m going to call it an F-55. And that’s going to be a substantial upgrade. But it’s going to be also with two engines.” > Frank Kendall, the secretary of the Air Force during former President Joe Biden’s administration, said in an interview with Defense News that it is unclear what Trump was referring to when he discussed an “F-22 Super,” but it may have been a reference to the F-47 sixth-generation fighter jet… Kendall said it is also unclear what Trump was referring to when he discussed the alleged F-55.
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Something like this more or less happened during the initial Israeli strike on Iran ? From what I remember reading, they were able to gain air dominance not because Iranian air-defense was bad, but because it was put almost completely out of service for a brief period of time by people on the ground - be it through sabotage, cyber-warfare, drone attacks from inside, allowing the Israeli jets to annihilate them.
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Read about Stuxnet
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It's been well known to be a major part of world power war plans for like 20 years now. Yes, it's a terrifying concept.
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Russia tried. They haven’t managed to do anything very serious.
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We would then hack you.