Policy
What Have US Special Operators Learned from the Ukraine War?
The Army, for one, is considering creating a special-operations drone specialty.
Science & Tech
Air Force Special Operations Looks To Reinvent Itself On the Cheap
Cargo planes that drop cruise missiles from pallets and land on water show how air special operators are trying to trick out what they’ve already got on the tarmac.
Science & Tech
General Atomics Unveils New Drone That Carries 16 Hellfire Missiles
The Mojave, marketed for special forces, doesn’t need a traditional runway to launch.
Threats
The Taliban is No ‘Partner,’ Says Top US Special Ops Commander
After withdrawing, the US must rely on other Afghans and foreign governments for intelligence to track and target ISIS-K.
Science & Tech
US Air Force Developing Combat Tanker-Airlifter that Can Land on Water
In a conflict with China, aircraft will need flexibility in basing, and that means water takeoffs, landings.
Science & Tech
SOCOM Members Got an All-Star Crash Course in AI
Over a unique six-week course, participants met virtually with tech leaders to talk about AI's future.
Science & Tech
Army SOF Units Are Getting Smaller, More Self-Reliant as Focus Shifts to China, Russia
New adversaries, warfare concepts, and gear are also driving special operators to become more tech-savvy.
Science & Tech
Tough Conditions and Contested Communication Are Forcing the US Military To Reinvent AI
Those miracle apps on your phone are powered by cloud computing and high-bandwidth data transfer. What does AI look like when those features are missing?
Ideas
Defense One Radio, Ep. 81: The future of Afghanistan
Ben Watson talks with Greg, a Green Beret medic who served in Afghanistan, and with Long War Journal's Bill Roggio.
Ideas
ISIS and Al-Qaeda’s Sub-Saharan Affiliates Are Poised for Growth in 2021
A rundown on jihadi groups’ expansion in the Sahel and Nigeria, the Horn of Africa, and the continent’s southeastern Swahili coast.
Business
New Plane Key to Special Ops Vision for Africa, General Says
Air Force Special Operations Command is planning flight demonstrations in coming months.
Science & Tech
AI Is Reshaping the US Approach to Gray-Zone Ops
Artificial intelligence and machine learning tools aren’t just for big hot wars, but also for places where the battle lines aren’t clear.
Ideas
There's No Easy Fix For Australia's Special Forces Culture
A blistering war crimes report is forcing us to take stock of what the Australian Defence Force asks of its soldiers.
Ideas
As Spotlight Fades, What Next for Special Operators?
Under Trump, the Pentagon's ‘service secretary’ in charge of SOF has changed hands eight times between seven people.
Ideas
Look at Great Power Competition Through a Special Operations Lens
Most of this competition is far short of combat, which makes the principles and expertise of SOF keenly relevant.
Science & Tech
How AI Will Soon Change Special Operations
A new SOCOM office is pursuing tools to understand and influence populations, clear rooms with robots, and spot new forms of jamming.
Science & Tech
Here’s What Special Operators Want From Their New Light Attack Plane
In short: something they can start flying right now.
Science & Tech
Special Operations Command Made a Mind-Reading Kit For Elite Troops
The experimental tool is among several that aim to combine sensors and AI to give U.S. operators a new edge.
Science & Tech
US Is Moving Too Slowly to Harness Drones and AI, Former SOCOM Commander Says
Tony Thomas says he wishes he’d spent less time growing his command and more time pushing it to embrace new technology.
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