Special forces face uphill task, says USSOCOM chief
View of the compound prior to the SOF raid on Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in October 2019. (Photo: DoD)
With near-peer adversaries snapping at their heels, US special forces face a more contested environment in future operations.
US special forces are already embracing the reality of a new and continuously evolving threat environment, according to Gen Richard Clarke, Commanding General of US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).
In his keynote address at the virtual SOFIC event on 17-21 May, Clarke highlighted the SOF culture of 'adapting and overcoming' obstacles. He also referred to two decades of US military experience in Afghanistan as presenting military forces with significant technological changes and growing challenges.
'Some of the most challenging things we've done in the past decade are a vision of an easy day in the coming decade', Clarke cautioned.
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
Read this Article
Get access to this article with a Free Basic Account
- Original curated content, daily across air, land and naval domains
- 2 free stories per week
- Daily news round-up email service
- Access to all Decisive Edge email newsletters
Unlimited Access
Access to all our premium news as a Premium News 365 Member. Corporate subscriptions available.
- Original curated content, daily across air, land and naval domains
- 14-day free trial (cancel at any time)
- Unlimited access to all published premium news
More from Special Operations
-
![Japan to set up DARPA-style institute to tackle evolving threat of cyber warfare]()
Japan to set up DARPA-style institute to tackle evolving threat of cyber warfare
Japan’s Ministry of Defense is devoting government-level effort and funding to tackling the growing problem of cyber warfare.
-
![Eurosatory day four: Images from across the show]()
Eurosatory day four: Images from across the show
All the best images from the penultimate day of Eurosatory 2024 which brought the security industry into sharper focus for attendees to the Parc des Expositions de Villepinte.
-
![Explosive detector dogs sniff out demo explosives at Eurosatory]()
Explosive detector dogs sniff out demo explosives at Eurosatory
The Ukrainian dogs carried out the demonstrations at Eurosatory’s HELPED area which focuses on humanitarian and environmental crises.
-
![Avon Protection wins orders and unveils total protection CBRN system]()
Avon Protection wins orders and unveils total protection CBRN system
The Eurosatory exhibitor has been clocking up the contract awards in recent months and one of the more notable wins was for a respirator contract worth up to US$47 million from UK MoD but the focus is also on opportunities with police and security forces.
-
![AeroVironment to “dramatically” increase production of Switchblades]()
AeroVironment to “dramatically” increase production of Switchblades
The company plans to double or triple production rates for Switchblade 600 and 300 systems.
-
![Clearspeed provides advanced voice analytics for risk assessment (video)]()
Clearspeed provides advanced voice analytics for risk assessment (video)
Clearspeed's innovative voice analytics technology is transforming risk assessment and insider threat detection for global security forces, including NATO Special Operations.
