USAF Cyberworx, partners host grand opening for cutting edge cyber center

U. S. Air Force Cyberworx celebrated their grand opening of the Madera Cyber Innovation Center at the U.S. Air Force Academy in El Paso County, Colorado, April 25, 2025.

Air Force Lieutenant General Tony Bauernfeind, Academy Superintendent, was the presiding official for this ceremony.

“This was first envisioned as cadet training center, but it will be something even greater than that,” said Mr. Paul Madera, U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. (Ret.) and Academy graduate. “This facility will serve as an intersection between the commercial world and the Air and Space Forces, providing a research center where we can trade ideas and learn from each other.”

The MCIC serves as a multifaceted workspace, connecting Cyberworx personnel with cyber industry partners, peers, and cadets by providing a physical venue to collaborate, research and test new technologies. Eight labs were created to support the MCIC: Cross Domain Command & Control lab, Immersive Environments lab, Data Visualization & Decision Support lab, Cyber Security lab, Networking, Radio Frequency & Telecomm lab, Industrial Controls & Platform Security lab, Cyber Forensics & Reverse Engineering lab, Robotics & Autonomous Systems lab, Cyber Training and Policy lab, Strategy Cyber Law lab, and Ethics & Digital Humanities lab.

In addition to the labs there are also cyber education classrooms that offer different capabilities dependent on the skill level of the course. All the work within these classrooms will tie into one of the specified labs throughout the center. The primary objective of these classrooms and labs is to create a physical environment that’s agile, fluid and won’t become outdated as technology rapidly changes.  

The MCIC has some key features to train cadets as future warfighters:

• Industrial Controls & Platform Security “Cyber City” Lab: Think of a small model city with computers controlling its power grid and other infrastructure. Some systems are simplified for training, while others are realistic copies of real-world systems. Cadets can practice attacking and defending this city's critical services. Cyber City also displays examples of internet-connected devices ("Internet of Things"), virtual and augmented reality gear, and tools for analyzing huge amounts of data.
• Cyber Training Lab: The Cyber Training Lab will provide platforms and infrastructure necessary to maintain a robust Cadet Cyber Competition Team year after year.
• Cross Domain Command & Control Center: A high-tech command and control center is connected to a simulated battlefield network. This allows cadets to work with the latest networking and virtualization technologies, bridging their classroom learning with large-scale military exercises.

“I am so excited for our cadets and faculty to dive into the new opportunities the MCIC will enable,” said Brig. Gen. Linell A. Letendre, Dean of the Faculty.” This facility will elevate our ability to contribute to real-world cyber challenges and hone cadets’ preparation to win our nation’s wars.”

For more information or to experience a virtual tour please go to https://afcyberworx.org,