Chamber gets two defense grants -$300K

Press Release: Governor Rick Scott announced the awarding of two defense grants to the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. The announcement was made at the Gulf Power Economic Symposium last week, in Sandestin. The grants include a $100,000 defense reinvestment grant and a $200,000 defense infrastructure grant.

These grants will be used by the Chamber of Commerce’s Armed Services Department and the Navy’s Center for Information Dominance to partner in developing a prototype cyber warfare battle laboratory in Pensacola. The grants also assist in the Chamber’s mission to retain and create jobs in Northwest Florida.

“This research and development project is the seed to cyber warfare training and simulation in a lab environment,” said Admiral Robert Kelly, (Ret.), vice chairman, armed services for the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. “It will permit the inclusion and the participation of national resources for war-gaming cyber warfare.”

“The Cyber Battle Lab Cooperative is a tremendous example of our long-standing partnership with the Center of Information Dominance to maximize their mission capabilities while working towards the development of a new industry cluster in Pensacola,” said Craig Dalton, vice president, armed services for the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. “The lab is a culmination of strategic investments by the Chamber to make Pensacola and Corry Station the world’s most technologically superior location for cyberwarfare research, development and training.”

“In addition to helping the local economy, this revolutionary simulator will help CID maintain its technological edge over our adversaries,” said Captain Gary Edwards, commanding officer, Center for Information Dominance. “This funding allows us to create a virtual training environment where our students will participate in a complex capstone scenario training lab which will validate the transfer of critical knowledge, skills and ability to defend our nation’s vital computer networks and to attack those adversaries who attempt to harm us in cyberspace.”

“This enterprise is another example of how the State of Florida, the local community and the military are working together to help keep our nation safer and more secure,” said Capt. Edwards.