NATO's Crossed Swords Exercise Integrates AI Agents into Cyber Warfare Training
NATO's Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence is incorporating AI agents into its annual Crossed Swords exercise, focusing on synchronizing cyber operations with kinetic military actions.
The NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) has commenced its annual Crossed Swords 2026 exercise in Tallinn, Estonia, this week, with a significant focus on integrating artificial intelligence into cyber operations training. The exercise, running through Friday, brings together over 250 participants from more than 40 countries, including NATO members and non-members, to practice the intricate planning and synchronized execution of cyber operations alongside kinetic military actions.
Participants hail from national cyber forces and supporting units, encompassing military cyber operators, threat hunters, and digital forensics experts. The drill aims to sharpen command-level direction of both offensive and defensive cyber assets while allowing tactical specialists to hone their skills. Notably, the cyber exercise is also linked to a training event for special operations forces, underscoring the increasing convergence of cyber and physical warfare domains.
"The core operational challenge we are testing is synchronisation. Cyber effects must hit at the right moment to support a kinetic or special operations action – not in parallel, but in sequence, with timing measured in minutes, not hours. This year, that gets harder, because AI is now in the loop on both sides," stated Jozef Kostelansky, Crossed Swords 2026 Exercise Director. This highlights the growing complexity introduced by AI in modern military cyber engagements.
A key innovation for this year's exercise is a dedicated track focused on AI agents. Participants are tasked with building, deploying, and assessing these agents, and will operate alongside them in simulated scenarios. The exercise environment utilizes locally hosted AI and, for the first time, incorporates OpenAI's Daybreak cyber defense offering, pushing the boundaries of AI integration in defensive cyber training.
"By introducing AI agents into the operational workflow, Crossed Swords 2026 is directly addressing one of the most significant shifts in the modern cyber threat landscape. We are training our participants to harness the power of AI while maintaining the critical human oversight required for complex, multi-domain mission success," Kostelansky added. This emphasis on human oversight is crucial as AI capabilities rapidly advance.
The exercise also fosters collaboration between national cyber forces and civilian partners, integrating critical infrastructure protection into their planning. Over 20 organizations from industry, academia, and the NGO sector are supporting the event, providing expertise, target systems, and specialized tooling. Notable contributors include Bitdefender, ESET, Elastic, Mandiant, OpenAI, Stamus Networks, TryHackMe, and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Crossed Swords, which originated from a 2014 red teaming workshop, has steadily grown in scope and participation. The number of participants has nearly doubled since 2022, reflecting the increasing importance of cyber defense and operations training within NATO and allied nations. This expansion signifies a broader trend towards more sophisticated, integrated, and technologically advanced cyber warfare exercises.