The Future of Special Operations

SOF’s core principles can serve as a guide in the battle against ever-changing threats

UNIPATH STAFF

A culture of fear had taken over daily life in Afghanistan’s rural Chak district, where residents were regularly intimidated, taxed, interrogated and publicly executed by the Taliban. But all that changed in late October  2012, when Afghan commandos successfully led their largest operation to date. The special operations forces’ efforts to clear terrorist compounds and hideouts successfully eliminated Taliban networks that used the area for training and as a hub for moving weapons, extremists and equipment.

The operation included support from the Afghan National Army and coalition forces, which covered the 388-square-kilometer area to ensure the enemy couldn’t hide or escape. To protect innocent civilians during the fighting, the military set up safe houses.

Even though the Taliban have been eradicated from Chak, the work of the elite special operations warriors is far from finished. The next step for the Afghan special forces teams is to conduct village stability operations that will build and strengthen the community from within.

From lethal action on the battlefield to peaceful engagements that rebuild communities, accomplishments like these highlight the important and wide-ranging role of special operations forces (SOF) and their ability to conduct full-spectrum operations. While organizational doctrines vary by country, the inherent qualities that define these highly effective forces transcend boundaries.

These tenets make commandos, Rangers and other SOF operators valuable assets uniquely equipped with speed, agility and stealth to overcome threats. The U.S. Special Operations Forces “truths” below shape one approach to complex problems:

1. Humans are more important than hardware.
2. Quality is better than quantity.
3. SOF cannot be mass-produced.
4. Competent SOF cannot be created rapidly after emergencies occur.
5. Most special operations require non-SOF assistance.

Are these principles applicable across the range of SOF operators from different countries? What else might be considered enduring and critical to successful execution of SOF’s role in conflict and peacetime?

In the past decade alone, SOF have embraced advanced technology to conduct more sophisticated reconnaissance missions and collect evidence that helps dismantle vast networks of terrorists and criminals. This trend will likely continue, but what new ones will emerge? Qualities that define SOF today will be essential as forces prepare to meet new challenges and leverage future opportunities. Examining these five core tenets will help prepare for what lies ahead.

Humans over hardware
It’s not the tools that get the job done, but the hands that hold them. Investing in recruitment and personnel training is essential for SOF organizations. Equipment matters, of course, but gear and guns don’t think, reason or respond; mission success depends on people. That’s the first SOF truth:  Humans are more important than hardware.

“Investing in human capital is one of our top priorities in the process of developing the capabilities of [Jordan’s special forces],” Brig. Gen. Khalid Bani Yaseen, commander of the Jordanian Armed Forces Joint Special Operations, told Special Operations Technology magazine in May 2012.

Since 1963, when Jordan’s SOF were instituted as part of the Jordanian Armed Forces, the kingdom’s elite forces have evolved from a company-size parachute unit to one that contains three specialized brigades. The Special Forces Brigade is trained to counter unconventional war threats with a counterterrorism battalion and combat search and rescue battalion. The Rangers Brigade focuses on countering conventional threats and supporting national security. When duty calls, the Special Operations Aviation Brigade enables the other two battalions to respond swiftly and with precision.

Jordan continues to invest in its manpower through training, both internally and with partner SOF from other countries. With its unique King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center, Jordan attracts SOF from around the world.

“To achieve His Majesty’s vision for greater international coordination and cooperation in the interest of international peace and security,” said Yasseen, “the special operations forces are spearheading the Jordan Armed Forces’ efforts to enhance coordination with our counterparts regionally and globally, through more training exchange opportunities, experience exchanges and even by carrying out real-life operations with other nations, such as those conducted in Afghanistan and elsewhere with our allies’ forces.”

Jordanian SOF are carrying out military information and support operations in Afghanistan to help sway the public from supporting extremists who weaken the country and promote a distorted version of Islam. These operations complement Afghan SOF village stability operations by strengthening the country from within — a bottom-up approach. One of the Jordanian teams deployed in Afghanistan is the Female Engagement Team, which works with Afghan women and children to provide educational and medical assistance.

Jordan also hosts the massive multilateral training exercise Eager Lion, which includes SOF. Maj. Gen. Ken Tovo, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command Central, represented one of the 19 countries that took part in the 2012 exercise.

“Many of the partners we work with in these regional exercises are skilled, experienced operators who can provide valuable lessons learned to our SOF warriors,” Tovo told Special Operations Technology magazine. “Of course, the most significant benefits we derive are the relationships we develop with members of partner nation militaries — relationships that often will endure over the course of one’s career and may prove beneficial on some future battlefield.”

Best of the best
With manpower the most critical SOF component, it’s important to keep the second and third principles in mind:  Quality is better than quantity, and SOF cannot be mass-produced.

SOF operators make up a small percentage of militaries’ personnel and budgets, but their impact is far reaching. Chosen from the most elite of their military ranks, they have experience, maturity, dedication and skill that make them invaluable components of their nations’ security forces. Because of these distinctions, SOF cannot grow simply by asking for more recruits from the military pool and taking all who join. It is better to have a small, yet effective SOF organization than a larger, weaker one.

As SOF continue to play larger roles in the fight against terrorism and the related criminal networks that provide them with financial support, how can these small organizations meet the growing need to maintain security and stability? The answer may be by increasing the effectiveness of current forces.

This could be done by continuing to embrace technology that allows SOF to work quickly and efficiently. What tools would be the most useful? The answer differs by country. For one, it may be having communications systems that are secure from enemies but can be integrated with SOF from partner nations. For others it may be employing gear that better protects SOF operators while in the field.

While technology has an important role to play, it never replaces the ability of SOF operators to gather information and win the hearts and minds of communities. Interpersonal relationships built during operations — such as public medical clinics and village stability operations — add immense value to SOF teams’ impact. To become better at these types of activities, operators can leverage the skills and knowledge of their counterparts across the world through training, information exchanges and joint operations — becoming a genuine force multiplier.

Forces in Afghanistan achieved success in this way. In 2012, the Special Operations Joint Task Force–Afghanistan was established to unite Afghan and international SOF to better coordinate special operations, as well as share information and resources.

Afghan Brig. Gen. Dadan Lawang said his country’s SOF spent more than a decade building important relationships with their international partners and the local populace. Both have been key to their professionalism and continued success. As a result, commandos and other Afghan SOF have increased their skills in both direct and indirect action, such as the village stability operations.

“Our [special forces] troops are engaging the people directly. So far, everyone is satisfied, and we have very good achievements so far,” Lawang told Special Warfare magazine. “Our [special forces] troops are working daily with the people. They are listening to their problems. They are conducting shuras [councils]. The people have started trusting the [special forces] and commandos more than before. They are turning to them. This is a big achievement.”

Some experts believe these types of indirect SOF missions will help stabilize places such as Afghanistan by providing humanitarian assistance and engaging the general population. If that occurs, others can learn from the Afghan example. Indirect action mission training in areas such as civil affairs could help SOF bring lasting stability to conflict zones.

Always prepared
During times of peace and stability, complacency is tempting. Yet being prepared for the unknown is essential in a world filled with evolving and rapidly changing security threats.

What’s the best way to prepare for such uncertainty? It’s important to remember the fourth tenet of SOF: Competent SOF cannot be created rapidly after emergencies occur.

To continue sustaining their successes, the Afghan National Army officially stood up its Special Operations Command (ANASOC) in July 2012 to better coordinate, maintain and grow its SOF teams. The command includes about 10,000 operators who serve as commandos, special aviators and members of an elite mobile strike force. “Now that we have the ANASOC division, we will work together to scare the enemy so that the enemy will run away from us,” said Brig. Gen. Abdul Karim, ANASOC commander.

Afghan’s SOF teams have the skill and training to take the country into the future, explained Afghan Army Chief of Staff Gen. Sher Mohammad Karimi. “The best way to beat the enemy, defeat the enemy is to play with him the way that he plays,” he said. “You need small units, teams, to go after him where he hides.”

Afghan SOF were able to prove their skills to the world at the 4th annual Warrior Competition in Amman, Jordan, in May 2012. The Afghan forces placed 14th out of 32 international teams in the competition that tests SOF and counterterrorism tactics, techniques and procedures. “It meant so much for us to represent our country and show that we really could keep up,” said Capt. Abdull Matin, who led the team.

Joint support
Despite their talent and skill, SOF do not operate autonomously. The fifth tenet — Most special operations require non-SOF assistance — reflects their partnerships with general military and intelligence forces and government officials. For example, during the October SOF mission to defeat the Taliban in Afghanistan’s Chak district the commandos leveraged 500 people from the Afghan National Army and international forces to help cover the 388-square-kilometer (150-square-mile) area.
Sometimes the cooperation doesn’t happen on the battlefield but rather in community projects that stabilize villages and win trust and respect from the people who live there.

In one Afghan town that meant facilitating a public infrastructure project, explained Lawang. “The roads were not asphalted, so working together, the commandos and the special forces made a proposal to the government to get the roads asphalted. These roads help the villagers, but it also gives us greater access to the village.”

Partnerships with other military and government sources become a force multiplier. As budgets tighten and SOF are continually asked to do more with less, these joint projects enable SOF to make larger impacts with fewer resources. But interagency cooperation can be challenging as organizations’ structures, values and communications vary. If SOF are to work more closely and frequently with outside agencies, they must continue to plan and train for coordination with military, government and civilian organizations.

In the United States, SOF are being embedded with conventional units more frequently. Undersecretary of the U.S. Army Joseph Westphal explained to National Defense magazine that integrating special operations and conventional forces is “one of the ways we’re going to have to do our work in the future, not only to be more effective, but also to be more economically sustainable.”

SOF leaders across the world are challenged by the need to maintain highly advanced forces while preparing them to face and overcome unknown future threats. How can SOF ensure they are prepared for what lies ahead? What technology, training or partnership will become the most important? Unipath will explore these topics in a future edition, providing a forum in which to share best practices and generate ideas on working collectively toward a peaceful and prosperous future.

Sources: National Defense magazine, NATO Training Mission–Afghanistan, Special Operations Joint Task Force–Afghanistan, Special Operations Technology magazine, Special Warfare magazine, U.S. National Guard, U.S. Special Operations Command

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