Hosted by the Czech Armed Forces Cyber Command, the exercise brought together cyber operators from multiple nations to train in defending critical networks against adversary cyber activity. U.S. participation included cyber specialists from the 179th Cyber Protection Team, Nebraska National Guard, along with cyber elements from the Texas National Guard, supporting the engagement through the Department of War State Partnership Program (SPP).
Representatives from Israel collaborated with exercise planners and participants, sharing insights and expertise despite being unable to fully participate in operational training activities. During the exercise, cyber defenders worked together within a simulated cyber range environment to detect malicious activity, respond to incidents, and restore disrupted services across a complex network infrastructure. Teams coordinated defensive actions, shared threat intelligence, and practiced incident response procedures in realistic cyber scenarios designed to mirror modern cyber threats. “Cyber threats are constantly evolving and do not respect national borders,” said CPT Rivera of the Texas National Guard. “Training together with allies and partners allows us to build trust, strengthen interoperability, and ensure we are ready to defend our networks together.”
A Growing Cyber Partnership
The cooperation between U.S. and Czech cyber forces has grown steadily over the past several years. In 2019, the Czech Armed Forces formally established Cyber Command, marking a major milestone in strengthening the nation’s cyber defense capabilities and contributing to NATO’s collective security. Since then, Czech cyber professionals have actively participated in several U.S.-led cyber exercises, including Cyber Tatanka, Cyber Shield, and Cyber Flag, working alongside American cyber forces and other international partners to build operational experience and strengthen collaborative cyber defense. These engagements demonstrate the Czech Republic’s commitment to strengthening cyber capabilities and deepening partnerships with the United States and allied nations. “I have had the pleasure of observing the Czech Army’s cyber capabilities grow tremendously over the past 4 years that I have been participating in our SPP engagements,” said CW4 Duchane of the Texas Army National Guard. “Their operational and technical skillsets have developed through our Subject Matter Expertise exchanges, and we just witnessed a maturation in their exercise development with CYBER CALL 2026.”
Validating Rapid Cyber Response Teams
Exercise CYBER CALL 2026 focused on validating rapid-response cyber defense teams designed to detect, analyze, and mitigate cyber threats targeting critical digital infrastructure. Operating within a realistic cyber range environment, teams worked to identify adversary activity, maintain network visibility, and coordinate defensive actions while protecting critical services. The exercise tested multiple operational capabilities, including threat detection, incident response, intelligence integration, and coordination across cyber teams. By operating together in complex cyber scenarios, participants strengthened procedures for defending networks and responding to cyber incidents while improving interoperability among allied cyber forces. “It was amazing to see how technically diverse and capable they are in their disciplines,” said CW3 Vicich of the 179th CPT Nebraska Army National Guard.
Strengthening Collective Cyber Defense
As cyber threats continue to grow in complexity and scale, multinational cooperation remains critical to defending digital infrastructure and maintaining security across allied networks. Exercises like CYBER CALL demonstrate how partnerships between the United States, the Czech Republic, and partner nations strengthen collective cyber defense by improving coordination, sharing expertise, and building trusted operational relationships. Through continued collaboration, training, and information exchange, allied cyber professionals are ensuring they remain prepared to defend critical networks and maintain security in the digital domain.
As cyber defenders from multiple nations trained side by side in Brno, the message was clear: strong partnerships in cyberspace are essential to maintaining security, stability, and resilience across the NATO alliance and its partners.