National Guard member’s invention allows cyber warfare training on the go

A portable cyber system that fits in a backpack and can process drone images is currently being used for training by members of the Massachusetts Air National Guard.

The Agile Cyber Training Environment, or ACTE, was designed by Senior Master Sgt. Taylor Gow. The project was accepted into the U.S. Air Force’s Spark Tank 2026 initiative.

Spark Tank is an annual competition held by the service in which Air Force and U.S. Space Force personnel can pitch their innovations to senior leadership.

Gow developed the system to allow airmen to conduct cyber warfare training on the go, rather than be confined to ranges and labs. It’s portable, affordable to produce and can be used for a wide array of training simulations, according to the Air National Guard.

He used the system to test defensive and offensive cyber tactics alongside Army, Air Force and law enforcement personnel in training with the Massachusetts Cyber Incident Response Team.

Gow also used photogrammetry on the system to process images taken by drones.

“Traditional cyber ranges and lab environments require significant infrastructure, formal approval processes and/or enterprise connectivity. This creates delays and limits how quickly we can innovate or train on emerging threats,” Gow said in a statement.

The system has the potential to increase training hours due to its accessibility.

“The ACTE was designed by an Airman, for Airmen,” Gow said. “This platform is intended to provide an environment to test, train and develop at the squadron level. I hope that, regardless of the outcome, the 102nd IW will recognize the critical gaps the ACTE fills.”

The new system builds on the Massachusetts National Guard’s cyber warfare capabilities. Last year, guardsmen from Massachusetts deployed to Paraguay and Israel to take part in joint cyber training exercises with international allies.