Curated news, analysis, and commentary about special operations, national security, and conflicts around the world.
Photo / Image: Two U.S. Air Force MC-130J Commando II aircrafts, operated by the 67th Special Operations Squadron, fly in formation prior to conducting static line jump training with Greek special forces during exercise Trojan Footprint 24, over Greece, March 8, 2024. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Westin Warburton)
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SOF News
The Cult of SOF. Richard Hinman, a retired U.S. Army officer, argues that there is an obsession with elite and specialized forces that needs to be rebalanced. He believes that Congress and the executive branch officials should strenghten oversight of SOF. “American cult: Why our special ops need a reset”, Responsible Statecraft, July 9, 2025.
Tim Kennedy – Green Beret Under Fire. In recent years the rumors have swirled in the special operations community about how a Special Forces personality may have distorted his past history. It seems some untruths have caught up to him and he has publically admitted his misrepresentation of his past. The sad part of all this is he is an accomplished individual that should be proud of what he has done. “Tim Kennedy, Green Beret and Army Hype Man, Under Investigation for Lying About Combat Valor”, by Steve Beynon, Military.com, July 10, 2025.
Cuts to OA-1K Armed Overwatch Program. U.S. Special Operaitons Command is slowing down its acquisition of the Skyraider II multipurpose counterinsurgency plane. The fiscal 2026 buy will be just six of the aircraft, down from 12. The planes are designed to conduct light attack, close air support, and ISR missions. The program of record remains at 75 aircraft but the pace of production has been drastically cut. “SOCOM Halves OA-1k Armed Overwatch buy for 2026”, Air and Space Forces, July 10, 2025.
Comparing Rangers and Green Berets. Samantha Franco describes the differences between U.S. Army Special Forces and U.S. Army Rangers. She outlines the requirements of the Ranger Assessment Selection Process (RASP) and Ranger School and the Special Forces Qualification Course (SFQC). Newsbreak, July 11, 2025.
1st SFG(A) in Taiwan. Guy D. McCardle writes on Special Forces are conducting continous training missions with Taiwan’s elite 101st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion and its Airborne Special Service Company. “U.S. Special Forces Deepen Presence in Taiwan Amid Rising Regional Tensions”, SOFREP, July 12, 2025.
Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025. A large-scale military exercise involving special operations forces from Australian and the United States will be taking place between mid-July and early August. It will involve over 30,000 personnel from 19 nations, making it the largest iteration of the exercise to date. The exercise will focus on multi-domain warfighting across air, land, sea, space, and cyber domains, with activities including amphibious landings, live-fire exercises, and combat operations.
SOF History
August 1968 FOB4 Battle. In the early hours of August 23rd, the Da Nang MACVSOG camp known as FOB4 was attacked by members of a Viet Cong battalion and North Vietnamese Army regiment. The enemy roamed through the camp during the surprise attack. In total, there were 16 American KIA and 40 Vietnamese KIA. “Deadly Assault on Special Forces Camp in Vietnam”, by Gene Pugh, Soldier of Fortune Magazine, July 8, 2025.
On July 20, 1942. First Special Service Force officially activated.
http://www.firstspecialserviceforce.net/history.html
On July 22, 1940. Special Operations Executive (SOE) Charter approved, formed from Section D, MI(R), and EH.
Ukraine Conflict
Trump and Ukraine. Rob Danneberg, former chief of operations for CIA’s Counterterrorism Center, says that the U.S. president is being offered a unique opportunity to make a mark in history. Trump and his inner circle have finally realized that he has been taken for a ride by the Russian president. Now is the time to act in a decisive manner. “How Trump Can Be the Winning President in Ukraine”, The Cipher Brief, July 11, 2025.
‘Wobbly’ on Ukraine? H.R. McMaster and Bradley Bowman say that any pause on weapons shipments to Ukraine will hit U.S. interests over the long run. They explain “Why This Is No Time to Go Wobbly on Ukraine”, Wall Street Journal, July 10, 2025 (subscription)
U.S. Weapons Shipments – Turned Off and Now Back On. The zig zag U.S. policy seems to be to intentionally keeping the international community guessing on the Trump administrations views and objectives with the Ukraine – Russia conflict. Earlier this month the Department of Defense announced that it was limiting the sending of specific types of military equipment to Ukraine. That policy lasted about ten days until President Trump announced that the aid would be resumed.
German Missiles to Ukraine. The first batch of long-range missiles from Germany will be sent to fight the Russians by the end of July. The cruise missiles will allow Ukraine to target Russian military infrastructure beyond the frontline. These missiles will complement the British Strom Shadow and French SCALP missiles already being used by Ukraine.
References:
- Interactive Map. Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine by the Insitute for the Study of War and Critical Threats. On storymaps.arcgis.com See also https://www.national-security.info/ukraine/maps.html
- U.S. Security Assistance to Ukraine, Congressional Research Service, CRSIF12040, periodically updated, PDF, 3 pages. https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF12040
- Ukraine Conflict, National Security Info. https://www.national-security.info/ukraine-conflict.html
Sudan Conflict
Sudan Conflict Forecast. Drones and members of private military firms are increasingly part of the fight for the Rapid Support forces (RSF). The drones are hitting critical infrastructure and military targets held by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). Contractors from Colombia and the Sahel are operating in Sudan on behalf of the RSF. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) are continuing its frequent arms transfers. The two-year long Sudan civil war sees no sign of abating. Read more in “Sudan Conflict 2025 Forecast: Drones, Contractors, Cover Activity”, by Daniel Blanco Paz, Grey Dynamics, June 23, 2025.
Update on Sudan War. Robert S. Burrell provides an update on the conflict in Sudan between the RSF and SAF. He describes how the war came about, what has transpired in the past two years, and where the conflict is headed. “Inside the Flames – Two Years of Civil War in Sudan”, Small Wars Journal, July 8, 2025.
National Security
Hegseth, Lethality, and Professionalism. Mike Nelson, a retired Special Forces officer, argues that lethality alone doesn’t win wars. Officers and men also need a sense of morality and maintain their professionalism. “What Pete Hegseth Doesn’t Understand About Soldiers”, The Atlantic, August 2025.
Report – World Geography and Defense. The geography of the world has an influence on U.S. strategy, which in turn, shapes the design of U.S. military forces. One national strategy has been the prevention of an emerging power to control the Euroasian land mass – which could then threaten the security and vital interests of the United States. Read more in “Defense Primer: Geography, Strategy, and U.S. Force Design”, Congressional Research Service (CRS), IF10485, July 7, 2025.
https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF10485
NATO’s Southern Flank Exposed. The countries of Spain, Italy, and Greece have been subjected to Russian ‘gray zone’ tactics and have not stepped up to counter these attacks. The eastern flank countries of Poland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, and Finland are well aware of Russia’s antics and how to defend against them. As these southern tier countries slumber in their complacency, they become an easy target for Moscow and its influence campaigns. “Southern Europe: a soft target in Russia’s expanding hybrid war”, New Eastern Europe, July 8, 2025.
Spies – No Place to Hide. Technology has become a limiting factor for Central Intelligence Agency officers seeking to hide in plain sight. Facial recognition, fingerprints, ad tech ID, and now how they walk can be identifying factors when in public, traveling through airports, in restaurants, or meeting contacts on a dark street corner. Attempts at secrecy by using ‘burner phones’ can sometimes make it easier for agents to be discovered by security organizations. Sometimes, staying off the grid and eliminating your social profile just leads to more chances of being discovered. Modern technology has shattered the old school methods of using ‘cover’ and ‘tradecraft’ for spies to conduct their business. A number of newly established firms are offering solutions to the agency that will assist its operators in this new technological environment. “A band of innovators reimagines the spy game for a world with no cover”, The Washington Post, July 10, 2025.
Haiti Gang Violence. intensifying gang violence in Haiti could destablize the Caribbean region. A recent report by the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) paints a grim picture of Haiti’s future. Mass killings have become more frequent. “Haiti gang violence spurs concerns for regional destabilization”, by Kareem Assaf, Jurist News, July 12, 2025.
Dismantling Defenses Against Foreign Online Influence. The dismissal of workers from the Voice of America along with cutbacks in other government programs has all but eradicated the U.S. ability to counter nefarious foreign interference in the online world. Some of the government entities that were shut down or drastically reduced included the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force, Election Protection Activities at the Deparment of Homeland Security, Center for Countering Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference at the State Department, and more. These actions increase the exposure of the United States’ vulnerabilities to digital attacks from Russia, China, and Iran. “The Trump Administration’s Withdrawal from the Fight Against Foreign Interference – Strategic Implication”, by David Siman-Tov, Institute for National Security Studies, July 7, 2025.
CIA’s Book Club. During the Cold War, the Central Intelligence Agency may have had as much success with books and magazines as with gun-running and spies. Books like George Orwell’s “Nineteen Eighty-Four” had a profound influence on anti-Soviet sentiment. Gary Saul Morson tells the story in “The CIA Book Club Review: Typewriter Revolution”, The Wall Street Journal, July 11, 2025. (Subscription)
Strategic Competition
Ukraine Counters Russia in Africa. Russians are being confronted with an active Ukrainian diplomatic offensive in Africa that is trying to diminish Russia’s influence on that continent through a variety of means. But it is just a diplomatic effort; there appears to be some more covert action taking place as well. David Kirichenko explores this topic in “How Ukraine is Challenging Russia in Africa and the Middle East”, Lawfare Blog, July 2, 2025.
Diplomacy Taking a Back Seat. National power on the international scene is more than just military forces and leadership willing to use it. Some national power comes from the use of diplomatic tools and ‘soft power’. The demise of Voice of America and the U.S. Agency for International Development has weakened U.S. ‘soft power’. Now it seems even more is being done to diminish U.S. influence with the cutting of over 1,300 Department of State staff. The resulting cost to America’s standing and influence around the world will be high. “Rubio’s Cuts at State Department Demote Longtime U.S. Values”, The New York Times, July 11, 2025.
Paper – Global Swing States. The United States should prioritize six countries in its foreign policy. This would help the U.S. maintain its influence in the world and counter the ambitions and nefarious activities of adversary nations like Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. “Global Swing States and the New Great Power Competition”, The Washington Quarterly, July 7, 2025, PDF, 23 pages.
Afghanistan
DOS’s CARE Eliminated. The entire leadership of the State Department’s Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) has been dismissed from their jobs. Afghan allies, interpreters who worked alongside U.S. conventional and special operations forces and who have received a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) have been left in the lurch in places like the Middle East, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.
Losing Friends. The current administration is dismantling Afghan immigration policies that are hindering the relocation and resettlement of Afghan interpreters and Afghan special operations forces that worked for U.S. military forces in Afghanistan during the twenty year’s of U.S. involvement in the Afghan conflict. Erin McFee, the founder and president of the Corioli Institute, makes the case that deserting our Afghan allies undermines the future of U.S. security. “How to Lose Friends and Alienate Partners”, Foreign Policy, July 11, 2025. (Subscription)
Afghan Allies in Limbo. Beth Bailey, a podcaster and veteran of the #AfghanEvac, writes on how America’s friends are now at risk because of the Biden administrations misteps and the current changes in policy under the Trump administartion. One set of Afghan allies are the former members of the Zero Units that worked for the Central Intelligence Agency. Thousands remain in Afghanistan or other countries awaiting entry to the United States; but the Trump administration is turning its back to them. “Our closet Afghan allies are in limbo”, Washington Examiner, July 11, 2025.
Books, Podcasts, Videos, and Movies
Book – Black Ops. Ric Prado, a former CIA clandestine services officer, has authored a non-fiction book describing the life of a CIA shadow warrior. It hit the New York Times bestseller list. The memoir offers a glimpse into the shadow wars that America has fought since the Vietnam Era. Prado’s carreer spanned the Cold War and the Age of Terrorism. https://www.ricprado.com/
Book Review – Into the Void: Special Operations Forces after the War on Terror. Eric Robinson reviews this book published by the US Army War College Press (2025). The book presents a positive, forward-looking vision of what makes special operations forces unique and explore how the SOF enterprise’s character, concepts, and capabilities can – and must – evolve.
SOF News Book Shop
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Upcoming Events
August 19-21, 2025
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Bangkok, Thailand
October 2025
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October 7-9, 2025
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October 13-16, 2025
Special Operations Association Reunion (SOAR)
Las Vegas, Nevada
October 14-17, 2025
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Las Vegas, Nevada
November 17-20, 2025
2025 Modern Warfare Week – Fort Bragg
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