Curated news, analysis, and commentary about special operations, national security, and conflicts around the world.
Photo / Image: SOF winter warfare training above the Arctic Circle, Kiruna, Sweden. (Photo from SOCEUR video by SPC Liem Huynh, February 24, 2018).
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SOF News
Kevin James Kelly, Jr. – RIP. An former member of the 75th Ranger Regiment and a Special Forces Weapons Sergeant serving with the 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne) was killed in Ukraine on December 12, 2025. https://specialforcestaps.com/f/kevin-james-kelly-jr
160th SOAR Recruitment in Germany. The 160th SOAR recruitment team will hold career opportunity briefs on 12 January 2026 at Wiesbaden, Germany. Click on link to the Go 160th SOAR page for more details.
New Fitness Test for SEALs, Divers, etc. There are now new evaluation standards to measure the physical readiness of selected personnel in the Navy. The new combat fitness test applies to Navy special warfare, EOD, and diving personnel. “Navy introduces combat fitness test for SEALs, fleet divers, others”, Military Times, January 7, 2026.
CIWAG Provides Pre-Deployment Training for SF. The Center on Irregular Warfare and Armed Groups (CIWAG) held a three-day workshop for A/2/19th SFG(A) in December. The Special Forces company is deploying to the EUCOM AOR. “U.S. Naval War College’s Irregular Warfare Center Provides Special Forces Group Pre-Deployment Workshop”, USNWC, Jan 2026.
SOAR’s Little Bird. The small size and superb transportability of the MH-6 makes it a very suitable platform for special operations forces. “Night Stalker MH-6 Little Bird’s Ability to Appear Out of Nowhere Highlighted in Tanker Raid”, The War Zone, January 7, 2026.
Owen West Back in DoD. A former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations / Low Intensity Conflict ASD SO/LIC has been selected to lead its Defense Innovation Unit. West is a former Marine, banker, and author (three books). He deployed to Iraq twice. He has a degree from Harvard University and Stanford. (DoD biography)
Bond between Delta Force and SAS. The relationship between two elite units is summarized in “Delta Force and SAS: Elite SF Units Compared”, Forces News, January 7, 2026.
SOF, Biometrics, and AI. The United States Special Operations Command is looking to industry to develop ways that artificial intelligence can analyze information from biometrics, documents, OSINT, and other means. Part of this effort would include facial recognition, speaker identification, and DNA profiling capabilities. “SOCOM exploring how AI can process biometrics, other data gathered by operators”, by Drew F. Lawrence, Defense Scoop, January 8, 2026.
Delta Force. Harrison Kass has provided an article that describes one of the US Army’s most elite units. “The US Army “Delta Force”: The Unit That Captured Nicolas Maduro”, The National Interest, January 6, 2026.
SOF History
LTG Yarborough and the Green Berets. The impact that Lieutenant General William P. Yarborogh had on the Special Forces formation was very significant. His most enduring impact came in the early 1960s while he commanded the U.S. Army Special Warfare Center at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Read more in an article published by the U.S. Army on January 5, 2026.
“Wild Bill” Donovan. A Medal of Honor winner from his service in World War I, William Donovan was selected to establish and lead the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). “Wild Bill: The Leadership Legacy of William Donovan”, Small Wars Journal, January 8, 2026.
On January 15, 1951, the Army established the Office of the Chief of Psychological Warfare (OCPW) as a special staff division under the Deputy Chief of Staff and supervisory control of the Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3, headed by Brigadier General Robert A. McClure.
On January 18, 1991, Iraq launched SCUD missiles into Israel. The Coalition quickly deployed ground ‘SCUD Hunter teams’ to find the mobile missiles for aircraft to strike. Read more in “Desert Storm – SOF SCUD Hinting Mission in Iraq” (SOF News).
https://sof.news/history/desert-storm-sof-scud-hunting-mission-in-iraq/
National Security and Commentary
Modern Statecraft Needs to Integrate Military. Dave Maxwell, a retired Special Forces officer, puts forth the position that the Department of State needs a dedicated military advisor embedded at the highest level. One principal function will be to advise on special operations and irregular warfare. He argues that American statecraft has entered an era where diplomacy, influence, and special operations are converging at the center of policy. “To Support an America First State Department, Establish a Deputy Secretary of State for Military Affairs”, Small Wars Journal, January 8, 2026.
U.S. Withdraws from 66 International Organizations. On Wednesday, January 7, 2026, the White House announced that the United States was leaving international organizations – some affiliated with the United Nations (31) and others non-governmental organizations (35). The U.S. Department of State sent out a press statement: “Withdrawal from Wasteful, Ineffective, or Harmful International Organizations”, DoS, January 7, 2026. Some of the organizations pertain to national security:
- European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats
- Global Counterterrorism Forum
- Freedom Online Coalition
- UN Register of Conventional Arms
Demotion of Senator Mark Kelly. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has set in motion a process that may result in the reduction in retired rank of Senator Kelly for his participation in a video that encouraged U.S. service members to ignore illegal orders from superiors. Kelly (biography) is a retired U.S. Navy Captain who served over twenty-five years in the U.S. Navy, flew thirty-nine combat missions as a pilot of an A-6E Intruder attack aircraft, was a Navy test pilot, and went to space four times as an astronaut.
Greenland in the News . . . Again
Part of the U.S.? The Trump administration is renewing threats to make Greenland a U.S. territory in the aftermath of the successful raid to capture President Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela. On Sunday, January 4th, President Trump stated that “We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it.” In a recent interview, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller stated “The real question is, by what right does Denmark assert control over Greenland? What is the basis of their territorial claim? What is their basis of having Greenland as a colony of Denmark?” (The Hill, Jan 6, 2026)
A Military Option? The White House released a statement on January 6, 2026, pertaining to Greenland:
“President Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, and it’s vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region. The President and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the U.S. Military is always an option at the Commander in Chief’s disposal.”
Denmark, a NATO ally, is quite concerned with these statements and a number of NATO allies have pushed back on the idea of the U.S. forcibly taking Greenland from Denmark. Greenlanders are not very enthusiastic about the prospect. In a January 2025 poll, 85% said they were against becoming part of the United States. They are worried that Greenland will become ‘Americanized’, they would lose their free healthcare, their culture, their language, and the ability to control their island. The island has full employment. American investment and development would bring in foreign workers, eventually ending the current Inuit population majority. “Trump’s Threats Push Greenlanders Closer to Denmark”, Wall Street Journal, May 7, 2025. (subscription)
Intel, IO, Cyber, AI, IW
New Deputy Director of NSA. Timothy Kosiba is now the Deputy Director and senior civilian leader of the National Security Agency (NSA). The NSA conducts foreign signals intelligence and cybersecurity in support of national priorities. (NSA, Jan 9, 2026)
New Head CIA Lawyer. The nominee for Central Intelligence Agency General Counsel, Josh Simmons, was confirmed by the Senate. Read a short press release by the agency dated January 6, 2026.
Aldrich Ames – CIA Officer and Russian Spy. Ames, age 84, died in prison on January 6, 2026. He was convicted of espionage charges in 1994. At the time of his arrest he was a 31-year veteran of the CIA. He was a CIA case officer, but he also had been spying for the Russians since 1985. Ames spoke Russian and specialized in the Russian intelligence service. He and the Russians used “dead drops” to exchange secret documents and money. He later, during interrogations, detailed that he compromised the identities of CIA and FBI humans sources, some of whom were executed by the Soviets.
Running Agents. Marc Polymeropoulos writes about how to spot, assess, recruit, train, and motivate an someone in the espionage business. He discusses the fascinating psychological aspects of agent-running and the bind between agents and case officers. Read more in “The Art of Agent-Running”, Engelsberg Ideas, January 6, 2026.
Strategic Competition
USCG and Political Warfare. China has been expanding its influence through fishing fleets, maritime militia, and artificial islands. It has employed a maritime “Gray Zone” strategy – employing political warfare over the conventional alternate to advance its strategic interests. While the U.S. Navy has a robust presence on the high seas, the U.S. Coast Guard could augment the Navy’s presence – providing a law enforcement approach. Read more in “The Coast Guard’s Place in Political Warfare”, Special Operations Association of America (SOAA), December 9, 2025.
Proxy Wars, ARSOF, and SFABs. To ensure that proxy wars do not escalate into a large-scale conventional war the U.S. should forward-base Army special operations forces and Security Force Assistance Brigades into pre-conflict areas. “The Escalating Stakes of Proxy Wars”, Military Review, Nov-Dec 2025.
However;
Army Shuts Down SFAC. The Security Force Assistance Command (SFAC) has gone away. The one-star general officer command had under its command six Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFAB); of which only two will remain in the future. The move is part of the Army’s reorganization effort to prioritize units that provide combat power over other capabilities. The SFABs provided an advisory capability to foreign military forces and were designed to take the pressure off of combat brigades assigned advisor missions. The SFAC was established in 2018. “Army shuts down foreign military training command, will retain 2 SFABs”, Stars and Stripes, January 9, 2026.
Ukraine Conflict
New SOF Leader in Ukraine. In what appears to be a demotion, Vasyl Malyuk has been replaced as head of the Security Service but will now lead special operations. “Zelensky forces out Ukrainian spy chief who led daring raids against Russia”, The Guardian, January 5, 2026.
Oil Tanker Hit. A drone strike hit the Palau-flagged oil tanker ELBUS in the Black Sea on January 7, 2026. She was reportedly enroute to Russia’s Novorossiysk to load oil. The upper section was damaged, no injuries to crew. This is part of Ukraine’s anti-“Shadow Fleet” campaign – striking vessels that are helping Moscow evade sanctions by re-flagging to other countries. This tactic diminishes the revenue stream of Russia that can be used to continue the occupation and fighting in Ukraine. (The Sun, Jan 7, 2026)
“3 Day Special Military Operation”. Putin’s three-day long operation has now lasted longer than the “Great Patriotic War” (1,418 days) when the Soviet Union fought Germany in World War II. In WWII the Russians went up against the Wehrmacht’s Panzer formations and liberated half of Europe. In Ukraine, the Russians are liberating almost a football field a day.
- References:
- Interactive Map. Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine by the Institute for the Study of War and Critical Threats. On storymaps.arcgis.com See also https://www.national-security.info/ukraine/maps.html
SOF News welcomes the submission of articles for publication. If it is related to special operations, current conflicts, national security, or defense then we are interested.
Around the World
Oil Tanker Operations. The U.S. Navy and Coast Guard are continuing the monitoring and pursuit of sanctioned oil tankers that left Venezuela for the Atlantic Ocean over the past week. There should be more seizures in the coming days. Thus far, since December 2025, the U.S. has boarded five sanctioned oil tankers. The latest was the M/T Olina tanker in the Caribbean near Trinidad on Friday morning, January 9, 2026. The Olina was seized by Marines, Sailors, and Coast Guard personnel from Joint Task Force Southern Spear in a pre-dawn action. It was flying the false flag of Timor Leste and carrying a load of oil from Venezuela.
CENTCOM: Syria Strikes. Central Command announced that the U.S. launched airstrikes against ISIS in Syria on Saturday, January 10, 2026. U.S. and Jordanian aircraft hit 35 targets with over 90 precision munitions. Aircraft used were Jordanian F-16s, and US F15Es, A-10s, AC-130Js, and MQ-9s. The strikes were part of Operation Hawkeye Strike.
And Now Mexico? President Trump was interview on January 8, 2026, by Fox News’s Sean Hannity. He stated that special operations and land strikes are going to begin soon against the drug cartels in Mexico. The missions would likely be done in support of and with Mexico’s Secretariat of National Defense.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/trump-announces-expansion-drug-cartel-crackdown-issues-grim-warning-iran
Chaos in Iran. The demonstrations and riots across the country are continuing into the second week. The country’s internet has been undergoing a sustained nationwide shutdown since January 8. What started out in late December 2025 as a small demonstration by shopkeepers in one city has grown into open revolt against the government. Originally, the protests were about severe economic issues but has spread to broader political challenges against the theocracy. There are incidents of gunfire exchanges every day. The protests are in over 100 cities in all provinces of Iran. Many observers believe that this is the closest the country has been to replacing its current regime in the last forty years. “Iran is on the edge of revolution”, by Abbas Milani, The News Statesman, January 8, 2026.
Afghanistan. There are currently over 800 Afghans, more than half are women and children, at Camp As Sayliya (Qatar) that are in the midst of the relocation process from Afghanistan to the United States. The current administration has frozen the relocation program and these families have been stuck for many months in Qatar. Now, according to advocates (#AfghanEvac) of the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) and other U.S. affiliated refugee relocation programs, the U.S. Department of State is offering cash payments to Afghans at CAS to abandon their resettlement to the United States and return to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
These Afghans were thoroughly vetted under Enduring Welcome, approved as refugees, and brought to CAS by the U.S. Department of State. Refugee arrivals were shut down in January 2025 when Trump signed an executive order suspending the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). Read more in “Trump administration strikes another hammer blow at Afghan allies”, by Beth Bailey, Washington Examiner, January 9, 2026. See also “The Cruelty of Trump’s Crackdown on Afghan Refugees”, The New York Times, January 9, 2026. (subscription)
Toppling the Taliban. This article examines how fragmented anti-Taliban forces could adopt a mobility-focused, population-centric campaign to exploit these Taliban regime vulnerabilities and progressively erode Taliban control. The article then specifies low-footprint Western support measures – such as intelligence sharing, precision weapons, exile training, and deniable funding – that could enable victory without reintroducing conventional forces. “Lawrence’s Shadow: How Afghan Resistance Can Topple the Taliban”, by Robert D. Billard, Jr., Small Wars Journal, January 9, 2026.
Yemen in Transition. For years Yemen was split into the Houthi area in the north and a quasi-government entity in the south. Part of the south was dominated by the United Arab Emirate-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC). However, the UAE pulled back its support of the STC and Saudi Arabia assisted government forces in the roll back of the STC. Read “From coalition to confrontation: Saudi-UAE rivalry in Yemenand its regional implications”, Middle East Institute, January 5, 2026. See also “Saudi-UAE Strategic Friction and Regional Fragmentation”, Intelbrief, The Soufan Center, January 6, 2026.
Books, Podcasts, Videos, and Movies
Publication – Operation Serval: A Memoir of War. The Army University Press has translated and republished a French account of the Operation Serval – the French effort to defeat jihadist fighters in Mali and Chad. (PDF, 321 pages) https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/Research%20and%20Books/2025/Serval/OpServal-ua1.pdf
Video – Mike Waltz– United Nations Ambassador. Mike Waltz is an American politician, diplomat, author, businessman, and retired U.S. Army Colonel, a combat-decorated Green Beret with 27 years of military service, and the first retired Special Forces officer elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Mike is interviewed on the Shawn Ryan Show, January 5, 2026, two hours.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbjZ9_QxLsU
Video – Silent Warrior 25. Silent Warrior, a critical forum for senior special operations leaders from across Africa and allied countries to discuss topics such as countering terrorism, strengthening partnerships, and fostering cross-border collaboration, was held in December 2025. View a 3-minute video of some of the conference proceedings. (DVIDS, SOCAFRICA, 8 December 2025, 3 minutes).
https://www.dvidshub.net/video/990939/silent-warrior-25
Book Review – Out of Laos: The Surprising, Spectacular, Origin Story of America’s Hmong People, by Roger Warner. Marc Yablonka provides an excellent review of Roger Warner’s book about the Hmong people of Laos. The book details the U.S. involvement with the Hmong during the Vietnam War, the plight of the Hmong people after the Pathet Lao took over in May 1975, the refugee flight to Thailand, and eventual resettlement in the United States. (Hmong Daily News, Dec 12, 2025)
Perspectives on Terrorism. The latest issue, December 2025, is now online. The journal is published by the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism. (PDF, 119 pgs)
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