Special operations forces will face more capable enemy, Army combat official says

Warfare is changing for special operations fighters facing increasingly capable opponents, an Army commando combat official said this week.

“We will all have the same tools,” Col. Michael McGuire said Thursday in a presentation during the first virtual version of the annual Special Operations Forces Industry Conference [SOFIC]. 

Warfighters holding the same tools will include both traditional forces and non-state actors, said McGuire, who leads a combat developments department within U.S. Army Special Operations Command.

The Army predicted two years ago that tip-of-the-spear warfare would evolve. Among other prognoses, the Army said that the enemy would gain access to advanced technology, and that the United States no longer could presume that it had dominant power in several key areas. 

The predictions materialized quickly, and the force no longer can count on having traditional advantages, the combat specialist said in his SOFIC presentation.

“The operating landscape evolved as we expected,” McGuire said, “but much faster than anticipated.”

Military commanders are kept awake at night by the notion of being more vulnerable than they thought, said McGuire, who noted that changes to warfare will continue to evolve. 

The Pentagon also has noted changes to warfare, shifting focus away from traditional special operations missions in counterinsurgency and counterterrorism, and more toward competition against so-called “great power” rivals. In other conferences, the Army has highlighted the possibility of major land war against potential adversaries Russia and China.

The administration’s fiscal 2021 budget request for Special Operations Command, SOCOM, included $2.3 billion for procurement, a drop of about 25% from the 2019 allocation, according to a report from the National Defense Industrial Association, which each year hosts SOFIC. The event typically takes place in Tampa, Florida, but this year was virtual due to concerns about the coronavirus.

At this year’s SOFIC event, participants noted that the counterinsurgency and counterterror missions remain robust, despite the budget cuts and the shift in focus. The missions within those realms might also change, participants said.

“We may spend more of our time on defense,” said McGuire in his presentation.

“Equipping (special operations forces) in today’s environment is a moving target,” he said. “We need to accept that and leverage the tools we have available.”

In a conference session at SOFIC on Thursday, Lt. Gen. Francis Beaudette, the head of Army Special Operations Command, underscored those issues.

"Our ability to dominate the competitive space and outpace our adversary is mission critical to us," he said.