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US military considers expanded use of cyber, space weapons against ISIL

US military chiefs are prepared to give incoming President Donald Trump the option to intensify the fight against the Daesh (ISIL) terrorist group, including the possibility of using secret cyber-warfare and space weapons, according to the US Air Force chief of staff.

“We’ve heard him [Trump] loud and clear that he’s going to be looking for options,” General David Goldfein told USA TODAY on Tuesday.

Goldfein said the recommendations may focus on allowing commanders more flexibility to deploy an array of weapons against the terrorists, who are waging a terror campaign beyond their bases in Syria and Iraq.

“If we want to be more agile then the reality is we are going to have to push decision authority down to some lower levels in certain areas,” Goldfein said during a trip to the Grand Forks Air Force Base in December. “The big question that we’ve got to wrestle with … is the authorities to operate in cyber and space.”

Cyber and space capabilities are among the Pentagon’s most closely held secrets, and their use now generally requires approval at the highest levels of the US Defense Department.

In February, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said the military was using cyber tools to disrupt Daesh’s ability to operate and communicate over the virtual battlefield.

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