Curated news, analysis, and commentary about special operations, national security, and conflicts around the world.
Photo / Image: A U.S. Air Force special missions aviator assigned to the 1st Special Operations Wing dons a helmet and night-vision goggles during a training exercise near Hurlburt Field, Florida, Oct. 7, 2025. NVGs amplify existing ambient light or detect infrared radiation to produce an image visible to the human eye in low-light or dark conditions, ensuring Air Commandos can effectively conduct covert night operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Tori Haudenschild)
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SOF News
Justice for Camp Lejeune Victims. “Between 1953 and 1987, over a million people were exposed to toxic water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune at levels up to 3,400 times above safety standards. This contamination has caused cancers, neurological diseases, and countless deaths among our servicemembers and their families.” Bipartisan legislation has been introduced in Congress that will provide for expedited justice. Over 20 Veterans Service Organizations have endorse this legislation. Read more in “Ensuring Justice for Camp Lejeune Victims”, Special Operations Association of America, November 3, 2025.
Boeing Contract to Support Little Birds. A $18 million contract has been awarded to Boeing to provide engineering and technical support to the A/MH-6 Little Bird program. The Little Birds operate alongside other special operations helicopters to include the MH-60 and MH-47 series. “Boeing to support special ops Little Bird fleet through 2030”, Defence-Blog, November 14, 2025.
MH-47G Chinook Specs. The Boeing MH-47G helicopter is in service with the US Army Special Operations Aviation Command. The current MH-47G modernization program is aimed at delivering a mix of remanufactured and new MH-47Gs to USASOC. Read more about the MH-47G in an article published by Airforce Technology, November 10, 2025.
Ronny Jackson Profile. The Chairman of the House Armed Services (HASC) Intelligence and Special Operations Subcommittee is Representative Ronny Jackson (R-TX). This subcommittee is focused on DoD policies and programs affecting military and national intelligence with an emphasis on special operations, intelligence, information operations, and more. Learn more about Rep. Jackson. Breaking Defense, November 7, 2025.
3rd SFG(A) Memorial Walk Rededication. Soldiers across the FBNC SOF community convened at the new headquarters of 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) on November 7th to pay tribute to the unit’s fallen Soldiers in a rededication ceremony of the Group’s Memorial Walk. In a ceremony Soldiers, civilians, and Gold Star families gathered in front of the 3rd SFG(A) headquarters, marking the beginning of a new era in remembrance of the fallen. The Memorial Walk traces its history back to 2010 when 28 stones were placed in honor of Soldiers from 3rd SFG(A) who paid the ultimate sacrifice to their nation during the War of Terror. Since it’s 2010 creation, Soldiers of 3rd SFG(A) have borne the responsibility of adding 33 more stones to site. “3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) Rededicates Memorial at New Headquarters”, by Maj. Justin Zwick, DVIDS, November 10, 2025.
10th Group Cpt Receives Prestigious Intel Award. Capt. Keneally Phelan, Director of Intelligence with 4th Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), was named the 2025 recipient of the Lt. Gen. Sidney T. Weinstein Award for Excellence in Military Intelligence at a ceremony held on Fort Carson, CO, Oct. 30, 2025. The award recognizes exceptional leadership and commitment within the Military Intelligence (MI) Corps. (DVIDS, 30 Oct 2025)
International SOF
“Little Spartans” and SF. Russia, China, and Iran have been increasingly flexing their muscles and taking part in aggressive activities that threaten smaller states. Meanwhile, the “policeman of the world” (United States) has become unpredictable as an ally who would stand up to these aggressive nations. As a result smaller states need to develop their own means of standing up to the bullies of the world. One way to make up for smaller size is to organize and train special operations units to compensate for a smaller military. This article looks at three case studies: the 1st New Zealand Special Air Service Regiment, the Irish Army Ranger Wing, and the UAE Presidential Guard Special Operations Command. “Little Spartans: How Small State Militiaries Use Special Forces to Punch Above Their Weight”, Military Strategy Magazine, November 11, 2025.
UK’s SOMTG. Recent training exercises by the United Kingdom saw the UK Special Operations Maritime Task Group (SOMTG) deploy in the eastern Baltic. UK Royal Marines and Army Rangers conducted a series of training exercises to include ship recapture and covert coastal raids. The training took part during Exercise Baltic Dawn which included 42 and 47 Commando as well as the British Army’s 3 Ranger. “UK Marines, Army Rangers Test Rapid-Response Forces in Baltic”, The Defense Post, November 12, 2025.
SEALs and Exercise TRIDENTE. Naval SOF of the U.S. and Argentina recent took part in an exercise in the waters of Argentina. The exercise promoted the transfer of knowledge, tactics, and procedures in SOF naval operations. Zona-Militar.com, November 12, 2025.
SOFEX ORION 25. The multinational Special Operations Forces Exercise (SOFEX) “ORION 25” concluded in mid-November in Greece. The exercise has been conducted on an annual basis since 2018 which SOF participating troops from many countries. “Multinational SOFEX ORION 25 Concludes”, Geetha.mil.gr, November 13, 2025.
French Special Forces Aviation. The aircrews of an elite French aviation unit under the operational control of the French Special Operations Command (COS) are some of the most heavily armed chopper crews in the world. “The Best-Armed Pilots: French Special Forces Aviation”, SOFREP, November 12, 2025.
SOF History
On November 24, 1963, Camp Hiep Hoa, Republic of South Vietnam, was overrun by the Viet Cong. It was the first CIDG camp to be overrun during the Vietnam War. In the battle, an estimated 500 Viet Cong fighters took the Hiep Hoa Special Forces Camp, resulting in four American personnel MIA. South Vietnamese commando units and the American Green Berets resisted but were overwhelmed. A Special Forces soldier, Isaac Camacho, one of four missing Americans, later became the first American to escape from a Vietcong POW Camp.
On November 19, 1969 the ‘Bronze Bruce’ statue was dedicated at Fort Bragg, NC. The statue memorialized Special Forces soldiers and was the first Vietnam War memorial in the United States. https://www.specialforceshistory.info/culture/bronze-bruce.html
On November 21, 1970, Operation Ivory Coast was conducted. This was a joint operation led by Air Force General LeRoy J. Manor and Army Colonel Arthur D. “Bull” Simons. The operation was conducted by 56 U.S. Army Special Forces Soldiers who infiltrated by helicopter into the Sơn Tây prisoner-of-war camp, located 23 miles (37 km) west of Hanoi, North Vietnam. The objective was to rescue 61 American prisoners of war assessed to be at the camp. Unfortunately, the prisoners were moved to another camp shortly before the mission. https://sof.news/history/son-tay-raid/
Four Delta Force Men Enter a Bar . . . George Hand tells one of his stories of how a quiet night drinking beer in Norway ends up in a fracas with some Russian sailors. SANDBOXX, November 12, 2025.
National Security and Commentary
Syrian President Visits White House. Ahamed al-Sharaa, who was once designated as a terrorist by the United States with a $10 million bounty on his head, visited President Trump last week. Abu Mohammad al-Julani (as he was formerly known) was a member of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) – an Islamist rebel group that played a pivotal role in the Syrian civil war. He joined Al-Qaeda in Iraq in 2003, fought against Americans, was captured, and imprisoned in U.S. facilities. After his release he returned to Syria and founded the Al-Nusra Front in 2012 as Al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate.
DISRUPT Act. The Defending International Security by Restricting Unlawful Partnerships and Tactics Act lays out a plan for multiple federal agencies to collectively disturb and derail some of the adversarial collaboration taking place between China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. “Congress eyes whole-of-government plan to disrupt growing cooperation between US adversaries”, by Brandi Vincent, DefenseScoop, November 7, 2025.
CRS Report on Intel Funding. The Congressional Research Service has updated its report Defense Primer: Budgeting for National and Defense Intelligence, IF10524, 13 Nov 2025, PDF, 2 pages.
https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF10524
A New Cold War? Ten senior academics and diplomats are asked the question: “Are We in a New Cold War?”, Britain’s World – Council on Geostrategy, November 14, 2025.
New Director of NGA. Lieutenant General Michele Bredenkamp has been selected as the Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). LTG Bredenkamp brings more than 30 years of military experience to her new role, where she will lead U.S. geospatial intelligence collection, analysis, and distribution in support of national security. In her most recent role as DNI Gabbard’s Advisor for Military Affairs (DAMA) at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Bredenkamp oversaw the seamless and timely integration of intelligence between the Intelligence Community and the Department of Defense.
Venezuela in the Crosshairs
State Department Declaration. Adding more speculation to the tense situation between Venezuela and the United States is the U.S. Department of State’s (DoS) intent to designate the Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) effective November 24, 2025. According to DoS the Cartel de los Soles is headed by Nicolas Maduro, the president of Venezuela. This would seem to give the United States legal cover for conducting operations against Venezuela and appears to set up a timeline for Maduro to depart voluntarily or face possible military action by the United States. “Terrorist Designations of Cartel de los Soles”, U.S. Department of State, November 16, 2025.
“Gunboat Diplomacy?” The recent military and diplomatic actions by the U.S. could very well be a lot of “signaling” that demonstrate Trumps desire to shape the geopolitical environment of Latin America and demonstrate the willingness to use military force to degrade the trafficking of drugs into the United States. “Why Donald Trump is Not Set on Venezuelan Regime Change”, National Interest, November 12, 2025.
SOF and Venezuela? Recent flights of special operations aircraft (C-146A, MH-6, and MH-60s) near the Venezuela coast and a significant increase in SOF military forces in the Caribbean have raised speculation of U.S. special operations targeting Venezuela. “Are US Special Forces Getting Ready to Attack Venezuela?”, National Interest, November 13, 2025.
Reviving Old Bases in Latin America. Deactivated bases in Panama, Puerto Rico, and possibly Ecuador are coming back to life as the U.S. military builds up forces in the region. Naval Station Roosevelt Roads and former Fort Sherman in Panama are seeing signs of renewed life. There are also talks to bring back a naval presence in the port city of Manta in Ecuador. “The US military’s plan to revive old bases in Latin America”, by Nicholas Slayton, Task & Purpose, November 14, 2025.
Operation Southern Spear. The Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, announced this past Thursday night that the U.S. will be stepping up its military presence and activities in the Latin American region. The effort is to remove ‘narcoterrorists from our hemisphere’. “U.S. Launches Operation Southern Spear”, The Soufan Center, November 14, 2025. In related news, the USS Ford Carrier Strike Group is reported to be positioned between Guadeloupe and Dominica. The ships will be joining the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group as part of Joint Task Force – Southern Spear (JTF-SS).
Ukraine Conflict
Russians Exploit Bad Weather. While drones may be the new dominant force on the battlefield they do have their limitations in poor weather conditions. Clouds and heavy fog contribute to masking the movements of Russian forces into forward positions and the Russians have taken advantage of the latest spell of inclement weather.
Battle for Pokrovsk. The Russians hope to take this small city of 60,000 (pre-war population) and proclaim that they are marching on to victory. Putin will be able to use it as a talking point on state TV as a symbol of progress in the war. The victory will have been extremely costly to the Russians. The Ukrainians could have vacated the depopulated and destroyed city months ago but in staying they are buying time. The loss of Pokrovsk will cause some difficulties in Ukraine’s defensive lines in the Donbas region; but they have likely already taken measures to compensate for the loss when it happens. It will have taken about a year for the Russian’s to capture Ukraine’s 76th largest town (based on pre-war population). Read more in “Pokrovsk: Where Putin Shattered His Teeth”, Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), November 6, 2025.
A Hard Winter Coming. Jack Watling, a Senior Research Fellow for Land Warfare at the Royal United Services Institute in London, says that with the Donbas region in peril, Europe must pressure Russia now. The year-long Russian offensive to take the small city of Pokrovsk may soon come to an end resulting in a victory for Moscow. Over the past year the Russians have lost thousands of soldiers to take a devastated city that used to have 60,000 occupants but now has a population of less than 1,500 civilians. With the fall of Pokrovsk the Russians will move on to their next objective – which very likely could be the city of Kharkiv. Months of talks about ceasefires has only contributed to more time for the Russians to slowly grind away at Ukrainian defenses and take ground meter by meter. A decline in U.S. aid to Russia has yielded some advantage to the Russian military forces and also contributed to a Russian belief that western resolve has diminished. “Ukraine’s Hardest Winter”, Foreign Affairs, November 11, 2025.
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
A Unified Korea. David Maxwell, a retired Special Forces officer, writes on how the unification of the Korean peninsula is a “central unresolved strategic, moral, and humanitarian problem of Northeast Asia. “U-ROK: Why Koreans and Americans must pursue a free, unified Korea”, UPI, November 11, 2025.
Degrading ISIS in Syria. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces advised, assisted, and enabled more than 22 operations against ISIS with partners in Syria over the past month, diminishing the terrorist group’s ability to conduct local operations and export violence around the world. Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) conducted the operations in coordination with Syrian partners from Oct. 1 to Nov. 6, resulting in five ISIS members killed and 19 captured. “CENTCOM Degrades ISIS in Syria”, CENTCOM, November 12, 2025.
Oil Tanker Seized by Iran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) seized a Marshall Islands-flagged vessel on Friday as it was passing through the narrow Strait of Hormuz. The M/V Talara, carrying high-sulfur gasoil, was boarded by helicopter. It was transiting from the UAE toward Singapore.
Russia – Losing Ground in Africa. Russian forces are facing a difficult situation in the West African nation of Mali as Al-Qaeda-loyal JNIM militants (SOF News) close in on the capital city of Bamako. Russia’s Africa Corps has not been successful in assisting Mali government troops in defeating or degrading JNIM and the Tuareg separatists. Three years ago the Mali military regime ousted French forces in favor of Russian mercenaries (Wagner Group) and their replacements (Africa Corps); but the switch has not yielded the results expected. There are about 2,000 Africa Corps personnel in Mali along with a complement of military equipment. “Advancing in Ukraine, Russia Troops are Losing Ground to Al-Qaeda in Africa”, by Tom O’Connor, Newsweek, November 14, 2025.
Sweden to Assist Somalia. The Swedish military has deployed small units to support the Somali National Army (SNA) in counterterrorism. It will provide advise and training on technical exploitation capabilities. “Sweden Deploys Military Units to Somalia to Support SNA in Counterterrorism”, Garowe Online, November 11, 2025.
RSF Thrusts East in Sudan. The paramilitary force battling the army in Sudan’s civil war (SOF News) is shifting its focus eastward after consolidating its grip over Darfur last month. The Rapid Support Forces and the Sudan army are now centering their efforts on Kordofan, a region comprised of three states that serves as a buffer between the RSF’s western Darfur strongholds and the army-held states in the east. “Paramilitary force pushes east in new escalation of Sudan’s war”, Reuters, November 13, 2025.
Books, Podcasts, Videos, and Movies
Publication – The Military’s Role in Humanitarian Efforts During Conflict and Post Conflict, Center for Army Lessons Learned, CALL No. 25-1022, August 2025, PDF, 12 pages. The United States has engaged in 17 nation-building efforts since 1900, with only four resulting in established democracies—a 24% success rate if democracy establishment is the metric. How does the United States ensure future success in nation building efforts? This paper explores key topics including recovery and post-conflict strategies, military applications tailored to host nation needs, communication challenges, and resource coordination. https://api.army.mil/e2/c/downloads/2025/09/30/b3732d44/no-25-1022-the-military-s-role-in-humanitarian-efforts-during-conflict-and-post-conflict.pdf
Sentinel. The November 2025 issue of the Sentinel has been posted by Chapter 78 of the Special Forces Association. Some great articles can be found in this issue on the following topics:
- Gabriel Field Vietnam Memorial
- Lieutenant Governor of Florida – Green Beret
- 55th & Final Son Tay Raider Reunion
- Supporting the Special Forces Monument
- Book Review on the 20th SOS Green Hornets of Vietnam War
- PROJECT CHECKO
- Article on Lehr-Regiment Brandenburg z.b.V. 800
- Art from the 17 Special Forces Group
Video – Veterans Day 2025 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne). DVIDS, 1 1/2 minutes.
https://www.dvidshub.net/video/986449/veterans-day-2025-1st-special-forces-command-airborne
Video – Green Beret, 1st SF Command, DVIDS, 1 minute.
https://www.dvidshub.net/video/985229/green-beret
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Upcoming Events
November 17-20, 2025
2025 Modern Warfare Week
Fort Bragg, Global SOF Foundation
December 2-4, 2025
2025 Irregular Warfare Forum
Andrews AFB, MD
December 10-11, 2025
SOF & Irregular Warfare Symposium
Tampa, Florida, DSI Group
February 10-12, 2026
Special Air Warfare Symposium
GSOF – Fort Walton Beach, FL
February 17-18, 2026
36th Annual NDIA Special Operations Symposium
NDIA – Washington, D.C.
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