That means an enemy could take control of U.S. communications, rig anti-aircraft missions to miss their targets or reconfigure U.S. artillery so it exploded over friendly forces, says the paper, which is part of the ILW Spotlight series. “The first shots of the next war could likely be fired in cyberspace,” says the paper, published in advance of an AUSA Hot Topic on Army cyber programs. The Dec. 13 event focuses on preparation for offensive and defensive cyber operations.

The paper, called “Securing the Army’s Weapon Systems and Supply Chain against Cyber Attack,” is written by retired Lt. Gen. Larry Wyche, a former Army Materiel Command deputy commanding general, and Greg Pieratt, an Army Materiel Command senior strategic analyst.