The 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) assembled Soldiers, families, veterans, community members and Special Forces Association members to ceremoniously open Red Empire Week 2026 at Camp “Bull” Simons, June 8. Following the ceremony a capabilities exercise or CAPEX was conducted.
This week’s SOF News Update covers USSOCOM’s C-130J autonomy program, Special Forces strategic utility, combat diver modernization, developments in the Iran conflict, Ukraine’s drone warfare lessons, intelligence and diplomacy in irregular warfare, and global special operations news from Canada, Israel, Somalia, and beyond.
Story by Special Operations Association of America. Results from a study commissioned by the U.S. Special Operations Command found that members of the SOF community are facing cancer at a rate 18 percent higher than their conventional forces counterparts. The Special Operations Association of America has long highlighted the health effects that SOF personnel experience due to exposures during training and deployment cycles.
Story by Lindsey Schmidt. Several non-profit organizations supporting the special operations community took the stage during the SOF Week 2026 Non-Profit Round Robin. The fast-paced competition gave each organization three minutes to present its mission and impact before a live […]
This week’s SOF News Update covers developments in Iran ceasefire negotiations, SOF Week 2026, Ukraine’s expanding drone campaign, instability in Mali, missile inventory concerns following Operation Epic Fury, emerging AI applications for special operations forces, and global security developments affecting the U.S. special operations and defense community.
The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) presented a live demonstration involving boats and aircraft on the Tampa waterfront adjacent to the Tampa convention center where SOF Week was held. This year, during SOF Week 2026, the demonstration took place entertaining and informing thousands of spectators. Watch a 3-minute long highlight of the demonstration.
Derrick Anderson, assistant secretary of war for special operations and low-intensity conflict, closed out the Special Operations Forces Week 2026 convention in Tampa, Florida, today with a keynote speech that focused on underscoring the SOF community’s recent successes, as well as articulating his vision for its future.
BlackSea Technologies showcased its Comet unmanned surface vessel (USV) during SOF Week 2026. The Comet is a large, high speed combat ready USV that can conduct a wide variety of missions. BlackSea provided SOF Week attendees a view of its Comet in their booth on the exhibition floor as well as at the adjacent Tampa Bay waterfront.
Senior military special operations forces leaders from the U.S., Sweden and the Philippines participated in a discussion panel about the importance of SOF partnerships and alliances, as part of Special Operations Forces Week 2026 in Tampa, Florida.
Story by AFSOC. During the annual Special Operations Forces Week conference, Air Force Special Operations Command unveiled a unique capability of its OA-1K Skyraider II. To fulfill rapid deployment requirements and further provide expeditionary agility, AFSOC’s newest platform, the Skyraider […]
During a panel discussion at the Special Operations Forces Week 2026 convention in Tampa, Florida, senior SOF leaders discussed how to bring more recruits with science, technology, engineering and mathematics backgrounds into SOF formations.
This weekly briefing summarizes developments in special operations forces (SOF), global conflicts, intelligence, and national security from the past week. It is a big week for the international SOF community; the Global SOF Foundation and USSOCOM are hosting SOF Week 2026 in Tampa, Florida.
Looking for upcoming Special Operations community events this June? Here are notable SOF events happening across the community, including nonprofit fundraisers, networking events, and industry gatherings.
Trojan Footprint 2026, the largest U.S. Special Operations Forces led exercise in Europe, commenced May 10, 2026, bringing together approximately 3,000 SOF operators from 23 NATO Allies and partner nations.
This weekly briefing summarizes developments in special operations forces (SOF), global conflicts, intelligence, and national security from the past week. SOCAFRICA Flintlock exercise ends. One soldier missing and one deceased as AFRICOM’s African Lion exercise comes to a close.
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