Maryland National Guard & Estonia Enhance Cyber Defense in NATO ‘Crossed Swords’ Exercise

Maryland National Guard Enhances Cyber Defense Capabilities in Joint Exercise with Estonia

TALLINN, Estonia – The Maryland National Guard recently concluded participation in Crossed Swords 25, a significant cyber defense exercise held in collaboration with Estonian partners at the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE). The exercise, which ran from October 27 through November 7, 2025, brought together approximately 240 participants from around 45 countries, including Airmen from the 175th Cyberspace Operations Group.

Crossed Swords is an annual training event designed to bolster cyber warfare capabilities, focusing on operational-level military command elements and enhancing both offensive and defensive cyber skills through simulated operations and crisis response. This year’s iteration also emphasized the development of multi-domain operational competencies, including information warfare, legal considerations, and collaboration with Special Operations Forces.

The exercise centered on simulating two cyber headquarters, representing fictional nations, and focused on five key objectives mirroring the lifecycle of a modern cyber conflict: strategic command and control, tactical cyber operations, multi-domain integration, public-private partnership testing, and technology validation.

According to Maryland Air National Guard Lt. Col. Bob DeLuca, flight commander for the 175th Cyberspace Operations Squadron, the exercise provided a uniquely realistic training environment. “The combination of strategic decisionmaking, tactical AI‑assisted execution, and immediate coordination with critical infrastructure owners created a drill that felt less like a training scenario and more like an actual national defense operation, something no previous exercise that we have participated in had ever achieved,” he said.

Maryland Airmen, working alongside their Estonian counterparts, had the opportunity to operate in emerging domains such as information operations (IO) and utilize AI-driven cyber tools. This allowed them to step outside of their typical roles and gain experience in cutting-edge cyber defense techniques.

The exercise underscored the evolving nature of the cyber threat landscape, where complex, multi-domain operations and hybrid tactics are becoming increasingly common. Tõnis Saar, director of NATO CCDCOE, emphasized the need for a “wartime mentality” in cyberspace, including the development of strong offensive cyber capabilities. “We have to adapt to the reality of today’s cyber threat landscape – where complex, multi-domain operations and hybrid tactics are the norm. It has become clear that in cyberspace, we need to adopt a wartime mentality, including strong offensive cyber capabilities,” Saar stated.

Teams were challenged within stressful scenarios designed to test their capabilities, ultimately enhancing NATO’s ability to detect, respond to, and mitigate cyber threats, while preserving critical online services and functions. The exercise focused on elevating the alliance’s abilities from initial threat detection to decisive action.

DeLuca highlighted the value of the exercise in improving the readiness of the Maryland National Guard. “This exercise provided a means for our members to measurably improve their leadership, planning, detection, assessment, and response to sophisticated cyber-attacks,” he said. “Participating in CrossedSwords2025 sharpened our unit’s mission‑readiness on every level, and the team performed amazingly.”

The Maryland National Guard’s participation in Crossed Swords 25 builds upon a partnership with Estonia that spans over 30 years. The Estonian Defence Force took the lead in the Command Headquarters, with Estonian personnel filling many team leader and technical roles, while Maryland Guardsmen participated as integral members of their teams. This collaborative approach fostered a strong working relationship and facilitated the sharing of knowledge and best practices.