Curated news, analysis, and commentary on special operations, national security, and conflicts around the world.
Photo / Image: Green Berets assigned to 3rd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) operate a Ground Mobility Vehicle equipped with specialized snow tracks during cold weather training on Fort Wainwright, Alaska, Jan 22, 2026. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. David Cordova)
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Executive Summary
The U.S.-Israel attack on Iran continues and may go on for several weeks. The fighting has expanded into southern Lebanon as Israel strikes Hezbollah positions. Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more important to national security as time goes on; but there are some issues to work out between the Department of Defense and the AI industry. NATO is increasing its activities and training in the Arctic region, working on interoperability. The Pakistan-Afghanistan conflict has escalated from border clashes to air strikes. Russian combat operations in Ukraine are hindered by the sudden loss of Starlink capability.
Attack on Iran Update
President Trump said that the joint U.S.- Israel military action against Iran could go on for four weeks. France, Britain, and Germany are concerned about the Iranian attacks on targets in several countries in the Middle East – attacks going beyond just Israel. RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus was struck.
CENTCOM Release on Downed U.S. Aircraft: All six crewmembers are safe.
“At 11:03 p.m. ET, March 1, three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles flying in support of Operation Epic Fury went down over Kuwait due to an apparent friendly fire incident.”
Reports indicate more than 40 senior Iranian political and military leaders were killed in the opening salvos of the conflict on Saturday, February 28, 2026. The attacks against Iranian leadership continued into Sunday with the elimination of more high-ranking officials. Military targets, missile launch sites, and communications nodes were struck as well. Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel and the Israelis have responded with air attacks.
SOF News has published three updates on the attack on Iran (below):
Attack on Iran Update (Mar 1, 2026)
https://sof.news/middle-east/operation-epic-fury-update/
Operation Epic Fury – Details of Attack (Feb 28, 2026)
https://sof.news/middle-east/details-on-operation-epic-fury/
Attack on Iran – Operation Epic Fury (Feb 28, 2026)
https://sof.news/middle-east/attack-on-iran-feb-26/
Listing of U.S. Assets Employed in Operation Epic Fury
https://www.national-security.info/events/2026/operation-epic-fury.html
SOF News
10th SF Group Trains in Sweden. Green Berets took part in a grueling winter warfare training exercise in Scandinavia. “U.S. Elite Troops Hardened by War on Terror Retrain for Arctic Combat”, by Sune Engel Rasmussen, The Wall Street Journal, February 23, 2026. (subscription)
160th SOAR CW5 Presented with MoH. At the State of the Union address CW5 Eric Slover was presented with the Medal of Honor on February 24, 2026. He took part in Operation Absolute Resolve – the daring raid to capture President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela. He was at the controls of the lead aircraft, an MH-47 Chinook, inserting a Delta Force team at the target area. During the insertion his helicopter took fire and he was struck three times in the leg.
US SOF’s Mission in Strategic Competition. David Pullan and Joshua Young argue that the US should proactively aim to divert, distract, and degrade enemy capabilities through restructuring the US Special Operations Forces’ (SOF) mission set to operate against its adversaries in the gray zone. Counterinsurgency and Foreign Humanitarian Assistance should be removed from SOF’s Core Activities and given to other entities, and Persistent Gray Zone Operations (PGZO) should be added to SOF’s Core Activities. In order to retool SOF for the era of strategic competition, they must be unburdened of their current excessive set of responsibilities and given a new range of tasks that will allow them to focus on winning at the strategic level through asymmetric warfare in the gray zone. “Going on the Offensive: Rethinking US SOF’s Mission Set for the Age of Strategic Competition”, Small Wars Journal, February 26, 2026.
‘Robin Sage’ – the Honeypot. A Navy veteran working as a “white-hat hacker” and cybersecurity analyst in 2009 decided to test “information leakage” in the U.S. defense community. He created an online social media profile for ‘Robin Sage’ – a young and attractive girl who claimed to be a cyber threat analyst at the Naval Network Warfare Command in Norfolk, Virginia. Using Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media ‘she’ gained contacts throughout the intelligence and defense community. Using these contacts ‘she’ began to gather sensitive information, collaborated on work projects, and was offered consulting work at Google and Lockheed. “A ‘white-hat’ hacker catfishes defense information security experts with a photo and personal networking”, We Are The Mighty, February 24, 2026.
1st SF Command gets AI Facial Recognition. The U.S. Army’s 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) has awarded Clearview AI a new contract for its facial recognition software. The application parses social media photos and enables users to identify potential subjects and victims across diverse sources. Clearview AI assists in rapidly analyzing vast amounts of facial data that can be used to identify high-value targets. The award buys ‘five seats’ and will likely support analysts involved in targeting, network mapping, and intelligence preparation of an operational environment. “US Army renews Clearview AI facial recognition contract for special operations”, Biometric Update, February 27, 2026.
‘Connector Roles’ and Resistance Networks. Decentralization, which assists in providing security and secrecy, is a key characteristic of insurgencies and resistance movements. However, these isolated cells, whatever their function might be, need to be connected to support each other and conduct operations. This connective tissue provides operational effectiveness but also is a vulnerability. Read more in an article by Miro Sedlak entitled “The Connector Problem in Resistance Networks: Why Decentralization Fails in Practice”, Small Wars Journal, February 27, 2026.
International SOF
Cdr NATO SOFCOM Visits Finland. The commander of Allied Special Operations Forces Command (SOFCOM) U.S. Lieutenant General Richard Angle visited Finland on 23-25 February 2026. He visited Finnish special operations forces and the UTI Jaeger Regiment’s winter exercise. NATO SOF activity continues to emphasize Arctic readiness and multinational interoperability. (Finnish Army, Feb 25, 2026).
Tropical Dagger. A special operations exercise is being held in Jamaica from late January to early March 2026. SOF from the Caribbean, Canada, US are participating in the multinational training. Exercise Tropical Dagger has been conducted since 2012. The Jamaica Armed Forces and Special Operations Command South (SOCSOUTH) are hosting the event.
SOF History
On March 3, 1943, the Morale Operations Branch of the OSS was formed. It utilized psychological warfare to sap morale, induce confusion, and sow distrust within the populations of Axis countries and within the ranks of their armed forces. The unit represents one of the earliest institutional predecessors to modern information operations conducted by SOF.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morale_Operations_Branch
https://www.soc.mil/OSS/morale-operations.html
On March 1, 1961, the 11th Special Forces Group was activated. It was a part of the U.S. Army Reserves and had units based in Eastern United States from Florida to Massachusetts and inland. It was deactivated in 1995 and some members were rolled into the 19th and 20th SFG(A)s.
https://www.specialforceshistory.info/groups/11sfga.html
On March 5, 1966, Barry Sadler’s “The Ballad of the Green Berets” made #1 on the music charts, a hit song by favored by music fans at the height of the Vietnam War. It was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks. It became the top-selling single of 1966. The song was written by then Staff Sgt. Barry Sadler during his time in Special Forces medic training.
https://specialforcestraining.info/balladgreenberets.htm
On March 2, 1971, 1LT Robert Howard was presented the Medal of Honor by President Nixon for his actions in Vietnam on December 30, 1968. He was wounded 14 times over 54 months of combat.
On March 3, 1971, the 5th Special Forces Group departed South Vietnam. The Green Berets were withdrawn as part of the U.S. troop reductions in Vietnam.
In March 1981, Special Forces personnel arrived in El Salvador to train government soldiers in their war against leftist rebels. The mission lasted until February 1992. (Some sources place the arrival of SF advisors and trainers in January 1981) https://specialforcestraining.info/history/el-salvador.htm
March 4, 2002, was a deadly day for American troops on a mountaintop in Afghanistan. Several men lost their lives. Two earned the nation’s highest honor – the Medal of Honor. Navy Master Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Britt Slabinski and Air Force Tech. Sgt. John A. Chapman.
https://sof.news/afsoc/john-chapman-medal-of-honor/
On March 3, 2023, COL (Ret.) Paris Davis (Special Forces) received the Medal of Honor in a ceremony at the White House for his actions in Vietnam in June 1965. Although wounded, he refused medical evacuation to remain on the battlefield and rescue fellow soldiers.
https://sof.news/vietnam/paris-davis-moh/
National Security and Commentary
Army WOs to Bid on Bonuses. The Army has rolled out a new program, the Warrant Officer Retention Bonus Auction, for senior warrant officers seeking to remain in service. They will have to place bids for their retention bonuses in a new auction-style system meant to ensure the service retains the highly trained specialists while reducing costs. Officers who bid above the acceptable threshold receive no bonus. “Army asks some senior warrant officers to bid for retention bonuses in auction-style program”, Stars and Stripes, February 24, 2026.
And Now Cuba? The United States is using a fuel blockade to increase the pressure on the communist regime in Havana. The U.S. imposed a fuel blockade on the island in a presidential executive order at the end of January; some analysts assess the blockade is intended to pressure regime stability. On February 27, 2026 President Trump made a few remarks about Cuba – among them:
“Maybe we’ll have a friendly takeover of Cuba. We could very well end up having a friendly takeover of Cuba.”
VA Rescinds rule on Evaluation Rating Based on Impact of Medication. A firestorm erupted recently when the Veterans Affairs published on February 17, 2026, a rule that would reduce disability payments if medication assists in reducing a disability. Numerous veteran organizations immediately came out against this rule and the VA pulled it back on February 27, 2026.
Intel, IO, Cyber, AI, IW
DoD Designates Anthropic as “Supply Chain Risk”. The dispute between the Department of Defense and Anthropic has escalated. DoD has declared Anthropic a ‘supply chain risk’ and directed that all DoD entities will stop using Claude – Anthropic’s AI.
Anthropic’s Claude Out, OpenAI In. OpenAI reached an agreement with the Department of Defense for deploying advanced AI systems in classified environments. OpenAI states that their AI deployment has more guardrails than any previous agreement for classified AI deployments, including Anthropic’s. This includes “No use of OpenAI technology for mass domestic surveillance” and “No use of OpenAI technology to direct autonomous weapons systems”. “Our agreement with the Department of War”, OpenAI, February 28, 2026.
Anthropic’s Pentagon Deal Falls Apart. The Pentagon and Anthropic were close to agreeing on the use of artificial intelligence. But strong personalities, mutual dislike and a rival company unraveled a deal. “How Talks Between Anthropic and the Defense Dept. Fell Apart”, The New York Times, March 1, 2026.
Ukraine Conflict
The resilience of Ukraine is holding after four years of being under attack by Russia. Russia is “not winning”. The little territory that they manage to capture each month has been costly – both in personnel and equipment. Its economy has suffered after four years of fighting with Ukraine. In the past two months the Ukrainians have gained back limited amounts of territory in local counteroffensives.
Machines and the Evolution of Warfare. James Mingus and Maggie Harris write about how unmanned ground vehicles are changing the nature of warfare. “War Without Soldiers: The Evolution of Warfare in the Age of Machines”, Modern War Institute at West Point, February 24, 2026.
Colombian Veterans Fighting in Ukraine. Erin K. McFee explores the reasons Colombian veterans head to Ukraine to fight. An estimated 300 to 550 Colombian nationals have been killed fighting for Ukraine since February 2022. Almost 25% of the ‘internationals’ fighting in Ukraine are from Colombia. McFee writes about how Colombia transitions its veterans to civilian life. It is a lack of reintegration of Colombian veterans that makes offers to fight in Ukraine attractive. “Why Colombia’s Veterans Are Going to War in Ukraine”, Atlantic Council Dispatches, February 23, 2026.
Russian C2 Hampered. Russian forces using illegal Starlink accounts have been cut off from the service. This has hurt Russian communications, coordination, and drone operations. At the same time, Moscow decided to limit Russian soldiers use of Telegram as a method of securing control of the information space. Many of the Russians in Ukraine use Telegram to conduct a variety of essential military communications.
- 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.
Afghanistan
Pakistan Hits Afghanistan Targets. The Pakistanis conducted widespread airstrikes across Afghanistan amid rapidly escalating cross-border fighting. Targets were hit in Kabul, Kandahar, Gardez, and other locations. The tension has escalated between the two countries over the past several months with several border clashes. Fighting has been reported in provinces all along the border; starting from Nuristan to Kandahar provinces. Casualty reports are unverified with each side overstating the casualties of the other. The fighting took place for most of the week with airstrikes taking place as late as Sunday. Cross border attacks and airstrikes are likely to continue in the coming week.
Western Hemisphere
Boat Intercepted by Cuba. A 24-foot speedboat carrying ten individuals was stopped by the Cuban Coast Guard on February 25, 2026. The boat fired upon the Coast Guard patrol vessel injuring one Cuban guardsman. At the end of the fracas four of the speedboat’s occupants were killed and the other six were wounded. The boat was carrying assault rifles, handguns, explosive devices, body armor, telescopic sights, and uniforms. It seems some of the boat occupants were US-based Cuban nationals who are opposed to the Communist regime. “How obsession to ‘liberate Cuba’ led men on a deadly speedboat journey”, The Washington Post, February 26, 2026. (subscription)
Books, Podcasts, Videos, and Movies
Movie Trailer – Pressure. In the hours before D-Day (World War II), a weather decision had to be made. The success of the invasion of Europe by the Allied forces depended on a short window of good weather. Operation Overlord needed just the right tides, currents, winds, daylight hours, and moon phase to be successful. Group Captain James Stagg, a highly-regarded meteorologist, had the task of predicting the English Channel weather – a very daunting chore considering the high stakes. This would be the largest seaborne invasion in history and the key to winning the war. Focus Features, February 19, 2026, YouTube, 3 minutes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdM4tdLQBg0
Video – Air Force Special Tactics Delivers Results. U.S. Air Force Special Tactics Squadron Commander Lt. Col. Blake Jones discusses how Special Tactics Airmen remain a community of “doers and problem solvers” during an interview at Hurlburt Field, Florida, Feb. 4, 2026. He emphasized that “pressure is a privilege” and that the demanding nature of the Special Tactics mission is what attracts and develops the highest-performing Airmen. (U.S. Air Force video by Staff Sgt. Natalie Fiorilli) DVIDS, 2 mins.
https://www.dvidshub.net/video/997685/pressure-privilege-air-force-special-tactics-delivers-results
Military Review. The January-February 2026 issue is now available online. Topics include leadership in LSCO, Russia’s drone-driven army, unit survival in LSCO, AI in Army PME, helicopters and faster resupply, moral injury, and more. https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/Military-Review/English-Edition-Archives/January-February-2026/
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Upcoming Events
April 10-12, 2026
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May 18-21, 2026
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June 7-11, 2026
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June 22-24, 2026
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