The RAND Corporation has published an interesting report entitled Strategic Disruption by Special Operations Forces. This report answers two questions:
- What are the mechanisims through which disruption campaigns by military forces can enable friendly strategic outcomes short of war?
- What is the role for special operations forces in such campaigns?
The authors of the report have developed a new concept for strategic disruption by special operations forces. It involves proactive campaigns to delay, degrade, or deny an adversary’s ability to achieve core interests through its preferred strategies. The report outlines five unique pillars that can create the time, space, and opportunities needed for the U.S. to achieve strategic objectives. It uses historical cases to buttress the report’s findings.
Table of Contents:
- Chapter One. Introducing Strategic Disruption
- Chapter Two. Defining Strategic Disruption
- Chapter Three. The Value Proposition of SOF in Strategic Disruption
- Chapter Four. The Resist Pillar of Strategic Disruption
- Chapter Five. The Support Pillar of Strategic Disruption
- Chapter Six. The Influence Pillar of Strategic Disruption
- Chapter Seven. The Understand Pillar of Strategic Disruption
- Chapter Eight. The Target Pillar of Strategic Disruption
- Chapter Nine. Future Strategic Disruption in Cyberspace
- Chapter Ten. Findings and Implications for Future SOF
- Appendix A. List of Historical Strategic Disruption Campaigns
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Strategic Disruption by Special Operations Forces, RAND Corporation, November 2023, PDF, 109 pages. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1794-1.html
Photo by Sgt. Patrik Orcutt, DoD.
