A Massachusetts National Guardsman just packed an entire cyber training lab into a backpack, giving troops the power to practice cyber missions anywhere, anytime.
The system, called Agile Cyber Training Environment (ACTE), can be set up in under a minute and gives troops hands-on training even in outdoor field conditions.
It lets airmen run realistic defensive simulations, experiment with tools, and test mission scenarios before deployment, all without expensive lab infrastructure.
Senior Master Sgt. Taylor Gow, the inventor of ACTE, called the tech a “deployable cyber sandbox,” meant to keep the force ahead of evolving cyber threats.
“Traditional cyber ranges and lab environments require significant infrastructure, formal approval processes and/or enterprise connectivity. This creates delays and limits how quickly we can innovate or train on emerging threats,” he said.
“The ACTE was developed to combat these problems.”
Made by an Airman, for Airmen
ACTE is part of the US Air Force’s Spark Tank 2026 campaign, where airmen pitch ideas to industry experts for funding and fast-tracked adoption.
The initiative accelerates early-stage tech that can better prepare the next generation of military forces.
“Competing in Spark Tank 2026 required translating technical concepts into a mission-focused innovation narrative,” Gow stressed.
“That meant refining the problem statement, identifying measurable impact, and ensuring alignment with 102nd Intelligence Wing and [air force] priorities. This was very much an exercise in both technical proficiency and strategic vision.”
Gow has already deployed ACTE with units in the Massachusetts National Guard, using it for incident response training and drone image processing to enhance mission readiness.
