Cyber Training Environment (CTE)

The Cyber Training Environment program, under Program Element PE 0208086JCY, is managed by United States Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) and is designed to provide advanced, persistent cyber training capabilities for the Department of Defense (DoD) Cyber Mission Force (CMF). The primary goal of this program is to enable individual, team, and force-level training in realistic, emulated network environments, ensuring that the CMF can maintain a high level of readiness and proficiency in cyber operations. The program supports standardized training content across the military services and is aligned with Joint Cyber Warfighting Architecture (JCWA) priorities.

CY86T1 focuses on the continued development and enhancement of the Persistent Cyber Training Environment (PCTE) platform for FY 2025 and FY 2026. The objectives for this line include expanding the platform's scalability and functionality, integrating additional cloud capabilities, and automating exercise orchestration. The program aims to deliver accelerated schoolhouse training, integrate commercial courseware, and align training content with CMF Job Qualification Requirements (JQRs). Infrastructure is being expanded across SECRET/RELEASABLE and TOP SECRET enclaves, with agreements in place to leverage commercial data centers for reduced latency and improved accessibility for geographically dispersed forces.

Event Management for Persistent Cyber Training Environment (PCTE) is a critical subcomponent that focuses on designing, building, and iterating PCTE capabilities to support operational force training requirements. Planned enhancements for FY 2026 include the incorporation of automation and artificial intelligence for helpdesk support, rapid range generation, advanced user/traffic emulation, and opposing force automation. The program will also add a unified management interface and expand the use of third-party vendors to enhance individual training competencies. These efforts are intended to improve user experience and mission readiness for the CMF.

Environment Operations and Management for PCTE supports the development of mission-relevant terrain and realistic training scenarios, including certification and real-world mission rehearsals. The program is closely integrated with the JCWA, focusing on content sharing, data exchange, and computational integration with platforms such as Joint Cyber Command and Control (JCC2), Joint Common Access Platform (JCAP), Unified Platform (UP), and Joint Development Environment (JDE). This integration is designed to streamline operations, reduce duplicative costs, and enable more efficient resource allocation across the cyber training enterprise.

Physical and Virtual Connectivity for PCTE ensures that the training environment is accessible, reliable, and secure, regardless of participant location. The infrastructure includes regional and enterprise compute and storage nodes, as well as cloud environments that support on-demand access. FY 2026 objectives include further expansion of infrastructure to support institutional schoolhouse training, alignment with JCWA guidelines, and increased use of commercial and government-owned data centers. These efforts are intended to support rapid capability development and mission rehearsal for the CMF.

PCTE Test and Evaluation is dedicated to validating and verifying the integration and operational effectiveness of the PCTE platform. This includes developmental and operational testing, user feedback collection, and cybersecurity assessments such as purple teaming and red team exercises. The program is increasing its focus on automation within the testing process and is coordinating closely with the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) to ensure that all new capabilities meet operational requirements and are resilient against cyber threats.

The acquisition strategy for the Cyber Training Environment program is incremental and leverages a variety of contracting vehicles, including the Cyber Training, Readiness, Integration, Delivery, and Enterprise Technology (TRIDENT) contract. This approach allows for rapid capability delivery, scalability, and continuous integration of new features. The program's structure and funding allocations reflect a shift toward centralized management under the JCWA, enabling more coordinated and cost-effective development of cyber training capabilities for the DoD's cyber workforce.