Texas Guard, State Cyber Leaders Strengthen Partnership With United Arab Emirates

SAN ANTONIO - Texas Cyber Command and the Texas Military Department hosted a defense attaché delegation from the United Arab Emirates, or UAE, Oct. 21 as part of a four-day senior leader engagement to strengthen ties between the Texas National Guard and its partner nation.

The Texas National Guard and the United Arab Emirates became partners in the Department of War National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program in May 2025. Cybersecurity is one of the partnership's areas of focus, training and collaboration.

The delegation met with leaders at Camp Mabry in Austin, where members received a briefing on the Texas Military Department's capabilities and current border operations. The engagement provided an overview of the department's missions and identified opportunities for future cooperation.

In San Antonio, the delegation visited the 149th Fighter Wing and Texas Cyber Command to discuss air and cyber capabilities and the potential for future partner training opportunities.

Brig. Gen. Tanya Trout, director of the Joint Staff for the Texas Military Department, attended the Cyber Command tour and led subsequent discussions during the engagement.

"Securing critical infrastructures requires an integrated defense," Trout said. "By aligning our State Partnership Program with the United Arab Emirates alongside the Texas Cyber Command, we are building the operational capabilities to protect vital state assets."

Mark Lavin, director of strategy and planning for Texas Cyber Command, said the delegation expressed interest in cooperation beyond military channels, including with state-level cyber agencies.

"What stood out most to me was their willingness to cooperate, even at the Texas state agency level," Lavin said.

Texas Cyber Command is the state agency responsible for preventing and responding to cyberattacks targeting Texas government entities and critical infrastructure. The San Antonio-based command tracks threats targeting Texas and shares information with partners at every level of government. The command also operates a 24/7 security operations center and an incident response unit that supports organizations that have been targeted or hacked.

Texas Cyber Command leaders joined Trout during the briefing. Discussions focused on cyber readiness and sharing threat information across borders. The engagement provided a platform to strengthen cybersecurity defenses and explore partner training opportunities to help build ready forces worldwide.

The integration of Texas Cyber Command has become a powerful strategic relationship, built to enhance overall capabilities and provide new opportunities for collaborative training.

"Together, the Texas Military Department and Texas Cyber Command combine military capabilities with public and private sector technical expertise to defend Texas infrastructure and essential public services," Trout said, adding that the collaboration sharpens Service members' skills and facilitates cyber defense exchanges.

Lavin echoed these sentiments and the opportunities it has provided for the agency.

"As you are able to share information and collaborate on what everyone is seeing, it gives you a clearer picture of vulnerabilities across the board," Lavin said.

Texas National Guard cyber professionals support Texas Cyber Command through Operation Fury Shield, a Texas Military Department mission directed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Service members assigned to the Defensive Cyber Operations Element work alongside command personnel to defend state networks and track threats, including ransomware and credential exposure.

"Operation Fury Shield, through the Defensive Cyber Operations Element, protects Texas Cyber Command's cyber infrastructure by monitoring networks, detecting threats and responding to critical cybersecurity incidents," said Lt. Col. Jorge X. Riosfeliu, Texas Air National Guard, Defensive Cyber Operations Element officer in charge. "Engagements like this one strengthen our team."

Texas National Guard cyber support to state and local agencies has an established record. In August 2019, Texas National Guard Soldiers and Airmen helped 23 local governments recover from a coordinated ransomware attack, with every affected site cleared for recovery within a week.

"Collaboration with partner-nation cyber professionals strengthens Operation Fury Shield's cyber defense capabilities," Riosfeliu said. "By enhancing information sharing, we increase our collective readiness to protect critical infrastructure against evolving cyber threats."

The engagement concluded with discussions on building resilient networks and developing cyber talent as the partnership moves forward.

The State Partnership Program enables states to build relationships with partners and allies, collaborate on training opportunities and strengthen mutual capabilities to maintain ready forces.

"Our partnership with the UAE directly strengthens mutual resiliency," Trout said. "Through joint cyber training, technical exchanges and the practical application of artificial intelligence, both forces are improving defense postures against evolving threats."

The Texas National Guard also maintains State Partnership Program relationships with Egypt, the Czech Republic and Chile. With the United Arab Emirates as its fourth partner, Texas is effectively expanding cooperation in innovative technology and cybersecurity worldwide.