U.S. Special Operations Is Arming Small Surveillance Planes For Precision-Strike Options

Image courtesy of the U.S. Army

FOX News/Warrior Maven: US Special Operations arms surveillance aircraft for precision attack

U.S. Special Operations Command is arming small, maneuverable surveillance planes to offer war commanders a precision-strike option supporting ground troops in rugged terrain with Hellfire missiles and laser-guided rockets.

If overhead fire support is able to identify and attack pockets of enemy fighters, fewer ground troops have to enter into enemy fire. Also, an overhead asset of this kind can be an intelligence node able to send targeting information and data regarding troop movements. When it comes to actual close-in counterinsurgency combat, fighters often obscure themselves in defilade or in buildings, requiring a need for precision strikes. Air to ground precision weapons can use a laser rangefinder and other kinds of advanced technologies.

One plane now operating is MAG Aerospace’s MC-208 Armed Caravan, a converted surveillance aircraft already in service with SOCOM and another in production for a U.S. allied international force. The Aircraft consists of a Textron-built airframe and MAG-integrated sensors, communications, avionics and weapons systems.

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WNU Editor:  I am surprised that these planes do not have this options already.

U.S. Special Operations Command Is Shifting Its Focus From Combatting Terrorism To Facing countries Like Russia And China

Military Times: After decades focused on terrorism, special operations is broadening its horizons

With clear marching orders from the Defense Department to turn focus to competitors like China and Russia, the U.S. special operations community is at an inflection point. Kicking down doors in Afghanistan and Iraq will give way to more missions like training partners in Europe and Asia, and U.S. Special Operations Command could see a shift in its funding and oversight.

But that re-focus should not mean that special operations forces will take a back seat to traditional air, land and sea power, according to a report released Wednesday, as competitors are already using proxy forces and misinformation campaigns, both of which are right in the SOF wheelhouse.

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WNU Editor: This is a huge shift. The Russian and Chinese military are not the Taliban, ISIS, etc..

Inside the Special Operations Force Tasked With Rescuing Navy SEALS

Photo: The insignia of the 103rd Pararescue Squadron. Nathaniel Welch

The Esquire: The Savior Elite: Inside the Special Operations Force Tasked with Rescuing Navy SEALS

They are the military’s “guardian angels.” They are trained paramedics, paratroopers, and combat divers. This is the story of one such soldier, and the mission of a lifetime.

“RAMP DOOR!”

The jumpmaster screams the command over the roaring engine, and the back hatch of the HC-130 aircraft yawns open into night. A cold wind enters the cabin. It brushes past the seven soldiers seated in rows, sending stray pieces of paper, fabric, and tape fluttering in the thin air. In front, the team leader, Tech. Sgt. Jordan St. Clair* looks out past the ramp door. He can see nothing. A low blanket of clouds blots out the moon and stars and erases the distinction between the black sky and the black Atlantic Ocean beneath. He turns back to his men, each strapped with over a hundred-and-fifty pounds of gear. Their faces are lit only by the lambent glow of chemlights.

“STAND UP!”

The seven soldiers rise. At the next command—“HOOK UP!”—they clip their parachute line to a red steel cable running over their heads.

Fifteen hundred feet below, their target: the Tamar, a commercial shipping vessel two thirds into its voyage from Baltimore to Gibraltar. Earlier that morning, there had been an explosion onboard, some unknown ignition that had set fire to four sailors working inside the hull. In his distress message, the ship’s captain wrote that the men had been burned from head to toe. They were in the middle of the Atlantic; the nearest land—the Azores Islands—was over five hundred miles to the east. They were out of range of both U.S. and Portuguese Coast Guard helicopters as well as rescue boats. The men’s injuries were severe, requiring expert attention. The captain’s message was routed from Lisbon to Portsmouth, then to Boston, and on to the soldiers in Long Island. Within hours of the explosion, two of the sailors died. The two other men—charred, skin flayed—wait now without pain medicine.

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WNU Editor: I always wondered on who would stand up to save US special forces teams who need saving. Now I know.

A Look At The Aviation Units That Provide Air Transport For U.S. Special Operations

A rare shot of a C-41A, believed to be assigned to the 427th Special Operations Squadron, at Andrews Air Force Base in 1993.

The Drive: Shedding Some Light On The Pentagon's Most Shadowy Aviation Units

When officials in Washington need air support for the most complex and secretive military missions, this is who they call in.

On May 2, 2011, a group of special operators from the top secret Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) descended on an unassuming compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. In an ensuing fire-fight, members of SEAL Team Six shot and killed infamous Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. Due to an accident during the operation, the elite troops had to leave behind evidence of previously unknown stealthy transport helicopter, likely related at least in part to the ubiquitous UH-60 Black Hawk.

The incident offered a rare window into the activities of the U.S. military’s most secret aviators and a look at their unique aircraft. Although the secretive 160th Special Operations Air Regiment, otherwise known as the "Nightstalkers," may get all the attention, layers of clandestine units far more obscure exist. Some of them are silently blazing the path for special operations aviation's future.

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WNU editor: Someone has to fly the military's special operators .... and I am not surprised that they are probably just as highly trained as the men that they are transporting.

New U.S. Commander of Special Operations: Special Forces Trained To Seize And Disable Nuclear Or Radioactive Bombs

Army Gen. Raymond Thomas delivers remarks after assuming command of U.S. Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., March 30, 2016. Army Gen. Joseph Votel, the previous commander, assumed leadership of U.S. Central Command in a separate ceremony. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Angelita M. Lawrence

Bloomberg: U.S. Commandos Trained to Stop Terrorists With `Dirty Bombs'

* Special operations forces a resource as summit weighs threat
* Pentagon plans to spend $1 billion through 2021 on technology

U.S. commando units have been trained to seize and disable nuclear or radioactive bombs, providing a crucial last line of defense if terrorists get their hands on such weapons, according to the general in charge of the forces.

The U.S. Special Operations Command “has sufficient ‘render-safe’ capacity to respond to the most likely” scenarios involving weapons of mass destruction under the current analysis of threats, Army General Raymond Thomas has told lawmakers.

The Pentagon rarely discusses publicly its plans to use commandos if terrorists obtain a nuclear weapon or build a “dirty bomb” from radioactive material. While U.S. officials say there’s no sign yet that Islamic State has such a capability, the prospect was on Friday’s agenda for the Nuclear Security Summit of world leaders being hosted by President Barack Obama in Washington.

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WNU Editor: It sounds like the Pentagon is preparing for the worst.

SAS And US Special Forces Are Teaming Up To Form A New Unit To Be Called 'Task Force Black' That Will Target The Leadership Of The Islamic State

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

The Islamic State cabinet and the men who will be targeted by U.K./U.S. Special forces

SAS And US Special Forces Forming Hunter Killer Unit To 'Smash Islamic State' -- Mirror

Task Force Black will aim to “cut the head off the snake” by hitting the command structure of the Islamist terror group responsible for a trail of destruction

Elite British and US special forces troops are forming a hunter killer unit called Task Force Black – its orders: “Smash the Islamic State.”

The undercover warriors will aim to “cut the head off the snake” by hitting the command structure of the Islamist terror group responsible for a trail of atrocities across Iraq and Syria, reports the Sunday People.

PM David Cameron has told the SAS and UK spy agencies to direct all their ­resources at defeating IS after a video of US journalist James Foley being beheaded shocked the world.

British special forces will work with America’s Delta Force and Seal Team 6. The move sees a rebirth of top secret Task Force Black, which helped defeat al-Qaeda terrorists in Iraq .

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Update: Task Force Black: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know -- Heavy.com

My Comment: This is not going to be an easy task ... the problem will be the lack of actionable intelligence.

The Special Ops Mission To Rescue Amercian Hostages In Syria Was Bigger Than The Bin Laden Raid

The Operation To Rescue American Hostages In Syria Was Much Larger Than We Realised -- Business Insider

The failed U.S. mission to rescue a number of hostages being held by the Islamic State (IS) militant group in Syria earlier this summer was a much larger operation than previously realised, according to new reporting by James Gordon Meek and Lee Ferran at ABC News.

The mission, carried out by U.S. Special Operations soldiers flown to the target location near Raqqah, Syria by the 160th Special Operations Air Regiment (SOAR), involved at least 24 soldiers and was supported by helicopters and an Air Force AC-130 gunship — a modified cargo plane with sophisticated electronics and weaponry — providing close air support.

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Update: U.S. hostage rescuers dropped from night sky: Syria activist -- Reuters

My Comment: The U.S. was expecting the worse .... and were armed and fought accordingly. And while many of the details of this raid have now been made public .... my gut is telling me that there are even more details of this raid that we will probably never know in our lifetimes.

The U.S. Navy Is Building A 'Mothership' For Secret Special Operations

Cragside will be rigged so it can function as a floating base for up to 200 troops, their weapons, and more. (Manuel Hernández Lafuente/ShipSpotting.com)

The U.S. Navy Is Quietly Building A Big, Secretive Special Operations 'Mothership' -- David Axe, The Week/War Is Boring

Will commandos get jet skis? Oh yes.

The U.S. Navy is quietly converting a 633-foot-long cargo ship into a secretive helicopter carrier with facilities for supporting a large contingent of Special Operations forces and all their gear, including jet skis.

Yes, jet skis.

And here's the really weird thing: almost nobody is talking about the new "mothership" vessel, even though it could significantly expand America's at-sea commando footprint.

In November, Military Sealift Command — America's quasi-civilian fleet of more than 100 specialized but lightly armed vessels — awarded an initial $73-million contract to shipping giant Maersk to convert one of its cargo ships to a so-called "Maritime Support Vessel" standard.

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My Comment: This story was actually published a few months ago .... I missed it .... so here it is. Xbradtc at Bring the Heat, Bring the Stupid has a good analysis here.

Why The U.S. Special Forces Raid In Somalia Was Not A 'Failure'

Why The Navy SEAL Raid In Somalia Was Not A 'Failure' -- Business Insider

The realization that the Navy SEALs had not gotten their target in Somalia swept through the media like a tsunami in the days following the raid.

Largely the headlines or subsequent body text made use of the word "failed" to describe the mission.

Yes, the group of SEALs were noticed by a lucky militant taking a smoke break, who walked back inside without showing that he had seen them, before coming out with reinforcements and guns blazing, forcing the SEALs to retreat without killing their target.

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My Comment: The operation could have ended badly .... but it did not. On that point alone the raid should not be considered a failure.In addition .... this al Shabaab commander now knows that he is on the top of a list of U.S. targets .... that alone will keep and his associates cautious and on their toes for the foreseeable future thereby limiting their exposure and scale of operations.

The Future Of U.S. Special Operations

The Future of Special Operations: Lawrence of Arabia, Kim, & 007 -- Sydney J. Freedberg Jr., Breaking Dwefense

WASHINGTON: The future of Special Operations Forces may look less like Zero Dark Thirty and more like Lawrence of Arabia or Rudyard Kipling’s Kim – with just a dash of 007. It’s a future that builds on the last ten years of raids and advisor missions, then adds solo operators in foreign lands, proxy wars with nuclear-armed rogue states, and stealth aircraft infiltrating commando teams to sabotage high-tech defenses.


That’s the vision from the influential Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments which rolled out a study on the future of SOF, “Beyond the Ramparts,” this morning. CSBA is arguably the Pentagon’s favorite thinktank, and its briefing in Congress’s Rayburn Office Building was headlined by House Armed Services Vice-Chairman Mac Thornberry, who’s pushed for new legal authorities for SOF, and Garry Reid, deputy to Michael Sheehan, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and low Intensity Conflict. The meat of the presentation, though, came in co-authors Jim Thomas’ and Chris Dougherty’s distillation of their 144-page report.

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My Comment: This is a must read on what the probable future is for U.S. Special Operations.

A "New Path" For U.S. Special Operations?

A Commander Seeks to Chart a New Path for Special Operations -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — Not long after Adm. William H. McRaven led the mission to kill Osama bin Laden, he was put in charge of the nation’s entire contingent of Special Operations forces, and set to work revamping them to face a widening array of new threats as America’s combat role in the Middle East and southwest Asia winds down.

His efforts to apply the lessons learned from more than a decade of fighting in the shadows of the larger wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have high-level support from a White House and Pentagon eager to avoid large-scale foreign interventions and to encourage allies to assume more of the burden of combating extremism and instability.

Admiral McRaven’s goal is to recast the command from its popular image of commandos killing or capturing terrorists, and expand a force capable of carrying out a range of missions short of combat — including training foreign militaries to counter terrorists, drug traffickers and insurgents, gathering intelligence and assessing pending risk, and advising embassies on security.

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More News On U.S. Special Operations

Special Operations Commander Defends Consolidation Efforts, Lays Out Future Strategy -- National Defense
Commander Looks to Expand Role of Special Ops -- Newsmax
Two Years After bin Laden Raid, the Future of Special Operations -- Nate Rawlings, Battleland/Time
Head of special ops warns of difficulties in Syria intervention -- Washington Free Beacon
Female U.S. soldiers given special operations in Afghanistan (Video) -- Washington Post
GI JANE: Officials Look At Women Joining SEAL Teams, Special Forces -- Business Insider
Special Operations Forces reexamining standards as women ready to join ranks -- FOX News/Washington Free Beacon
Special Operations: What New Powers They Need From Congress & Pentagon -- Sydney J. Freedberg Jr., Aol Defense
U.S. Special Operations Forces -- Council On Foreign Relations
Special Ops Office Needs To Grow; Meet Adm. McRaven's Favorite Pundit, Linda Robinson -- Aol Defense
Special ops bravado hurts national security -- Michele L. Malvesti and Nancy Walbridge Collins, CNN

SEAL Admiral: Women Could Be Great Navy SEALs

US Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Sienna De Santis and US Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Heidi Dean, greet children during a patrol in Sangin Valley, Afghanistan, in this 2010 file photo. The head of Special Operations Forces (SOF) says he supports the integration of women into the Navy SEALs. Courtesy of David Hernandez/DOD photo/Reuters/File

Women Could Be Great Navy SEALs, Says Head Of Special Ops -- Christian Science Monitor

The head of Special Ops has indicated his support for integrating women into the elite force. The necessity, he adds, is ensuring that all special operators are in peak physical condition.

The head of Special Operations Forces (SOF) says he supports the integration of women into the elite force.

“It’s time to do this,” says the organization’s top officer, Adm. William McRaven.

“We’ve had women supporting direct Special Operations for quite some time,” he added in remarks Tuesday morning at the Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict conference in Washington.

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More News On The U.S. Head of Special Ops Giving The 'Green Light' For Women In Special Operations

Officials to Study More Roles for Women in Special Ops -- US Department of Defense
SEAL admiral: Women will do 'phenomenal job' -- UT San Diego
Commander sees women in elite US special forces -- AFP
U.S. reviews elite women warfighters -- UPI
Officials to Study More Roles for Women in Special Ops -- Patch
Officials To Study More Roles For Women In Special Ops -- Albany Tribune
Movies to real life: Top SEAL says GI Jane may be coming soon -- Washington Times

My Comment: Even Retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal believes that this is a good idea .... but some positions are going to be closed.

The Future Of Special Operations

This team has less than a year to prepare for deployment to Afghanistan. The operators are prepared to fight, but the emphasis is on building a local force to repel insurgents. Chad Hunt

The Future Of Special Ops -- Popular Mechanics

You might think of special operations forces as gunslingers who launch clandestine raids. But the traditional role of spec ops is training soldiers and building nations—skills that will be put to the test as the U.S. withdraws from Afghanistan. PM rides along with an A-Team as is preps for this mission.

Dawn is breaking as six members of the A-Team gather for physical training (PT) at an empty trailhead in Yakima, Wash. The men, dressed in MultiCam desert camouflage, deploy from a white government-issued van and immediately start unloading rucksacks and doing leg stretches.

Only half of the 12-man detachment, part of the 1st Special Forces Group, is available to stalk Rattlesnake Hills on the edge of the city for this morning's PT. One member is injured, another is in sniper training, and the team's Fox (intelligence specialist) is in dive school. The rest are sleeping off the prior night's guard duty at the Yakima Training Center. The clandestine operational detachment is a long way from its home base at Okinawa. The wide, undulating landscape and relentlessly rocky terrain here more closely resemble Afghanistan, where the team is slated to spend 2013.

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My Comment: These are the forces that will be confronting the Taliban after regular U.S./NATO forces have withdrawn .... talk about a tough mission.

USS Ponce Is The Latest Vessel For The US Navy SEALS

The United States amphibious assault ship USS Ponce retrofitted for use by US Navy Seals Photo: US Navy

Floating Base Steps Up U.S. Presence In The Persian Gulf -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — One of the Navy’s oldest transport ships, now converted into one of its newest platforms for warfare, arrived in waters off Bahrain late last week, a major addition to the enlarged presence of American forces in the Persian Gulf designed as a counter to Iran.

The keel for the ship, the Ponce, was cast in 1966, and the vessel, nearing the end of its service, was to have been scrapped. But the Ponce was reborn as a floating forward base for staging important military operations across the region — the latest example of the new American way of war.

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My Comment: This vessel is the latest example of the new American way of war .... and a clear indication on how future US military operations will be conducted.

Inside Spec Ops Armored Vehicles During Live Fire Read more: Inside Spec Ops Armored Vehicles During Live Fire

From Popular Mechanics: On a visit to Yakima Training Center in Washington State, Pop Mech had the rare opportunity to ride along with a Special Operations team conducting live fire training from armored vehicles. Watch the action here—and read more in our July cover story "The Future of Special Ops," on newsstands now.

The Future Of Special Ops In Afghanistan

High Level Meeting Focuses On Future Of Special Ops In Afghanistan -- CNN

The head of U.S .Special Operations Command recently held a closed-door secret meeting at his Florida headquarters to discuss the future of special operations forces in Afghanistan after the U.S. formally withdraws at the end of 2014.

The Tampa meeting was called by Adm. William McRaven, commander of SOCOM. It involved some of the most senior officers in the military, as well as officials from U.S. intelligence agencies, two U.S. military officials told CNN.

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More News On Special Operations In Afghanistan

U.S. SOCOM Commander Discusses Progress in Afghanistan -- Defpro
ANA Special Forces increase Kandahar Security -- Shadow Spear
Afghan forces leading night raids -- UPI
Special Ops Provide Great Return on Investment, Commander Says -- US Department of Defense
Special Ops Provide Great Return on Investment, U.S. Special Ops Commander Says -- Defpro

Military Increases Reliance On Special Forces

View more videos at: http://nbcsandiego.com.

Military Increases Reliance on Special Ops -- MSNBC

The Department of Defense adjusts to doing more with less

As the military prepares to adjust to budget cuts across the board, they'll have to do what’s become routine in the corporate world: Doing more with less.

Even as the military begins to draw down forces in Afghanistan, threats around the world still demand attention. That means an increased reliance on Special Operations Forces, such as Navy SEALs, headquartered on Naval Amphibious Base Coronado in San Diego.

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My Comment: This is not going to be easy to do.

U.S. Special Operations Command Now Wants More Autonomy To Deploy Their Forces

Photo: Adm. William H. McRaven

Admiral Seeks Freer Hand In Deployment Of Elite Forces -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — As the United States turns increasingly to Special Operations forces to confront developing threats scattered around the world, the nation’s top Special Operations officer, a member of the Navy Seals who oversaw the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, is seeking new authority to move his forces faster and outside of normal Pentagon deployment channels.

The officer, Adm. William H. McRaven, who leads the Special Operations Command, is pushing for a larger role for his elite units who have traditionally operated in the dark corners of American foreign policy. The plan would give him more autonomy to position his forces and their war-fighting equipment where intelligence and global events indicate they are most needed.

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My Comment: I can understand his need to be in a position (and authority) to make fast decisions on intelligence that is always quickly changing .... but doing things that is beyond normal Pentagon deployment channels .... I feel uncomfortable with that idea .... and I suspect that the Generals in the Pentagon are also feeling the same way.