U.S. Operators with 10th Special Forces Group, along with special forces from the United Kingdom and Poland, infiltrate from a CH-47 Chinook helicopter and assault toward their objective during a joint training exercise in Colorado Springs, Colorado, June 5, 2025. The U.S., U.K. and Polish forces trained together for three weeks before the final exercise that consisted of teams converging on the objective, capturing or killing a high-value target, and executing sensitive site exploitation. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Rhianna Ballenger)
In a request for information published Wednesday, SOCOM said it was looking to further “explore” various data collection capabilities and how AI can potentially analyze information from…
The new assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict comes into the job as SOF are busy conducting high-profile ops and pursuing new capabilities.
A civilian guest of U.S. Army Special Operations Command takes cover behind a vehicle with a member of USASOC during a simulated mission on 7 April 2024, at Fort Bragg, NC. (U.S. Army photo by SSG Gavin Lewis)
Advancements in commercial vehicle tech “generate vast amounts of data and emit unique signatures,” according to a SOCOM notice, meaning adversaries could use these emissions to “track…
Derrick M. Anderson, nominee to be assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-Intensity conflict, arrives for his Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing in Dirksen building on Thursday, September 18, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images)
U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the 91st and 96th Civil Affairs Battalions (Special Operations) (Airborne) receives a briefing about artificial intelligence model used during for a tabletop exercise as part of Atlas Lion at Fort Bragg, N.C. Oct. 27, 2025. The Atlas Lion Table-Top Exercise is an AI supported simulation designed to validate Civil Affairs Company’s core competencies in a digital training environment, ensuring readiness for real-world operations by validating their ability to effectively support civilian populations and local governance. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Natalia Hernandez)
U.S. Air Force special tactics Airmen from the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Airlift Wing conduct infil operations into the Caribbean Sea from a Mississippi Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk off the coast of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, Aug. 28, 2025 as part of Emerald Warrior 25.2, a large-scale special operations exercise staged in multiple locations by Air Force Special Operations Command. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Dale Greer)
A U.S. Air Force Air Commando assigned to the 27th Special Operations Wing controls sensors on an AC-130J Ghostrider gunship during a live-fire training event over a live-fire range in Australia during exercise Talisman Sabre 2025, July 11, 2025. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Gracelyn Hess)
A U.S. Air Force Airman assigned to the 27th Special Operations Wing remotely piloted aircraft community checks weather during an Exercise Talon Spear at Melrose Air Force Range, N.M., June 20, 2023. (Photo by Senior Airman Alexcia Givens)
Special Tactics Airmen assigned to the 24th Special Operations Wing secure an airfield during exercise Emerald Warrior 2024 at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, March 1, 2024. Special Tactics Airmen are continuously adapting and training in order to ensure mission success for the joint force. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Stephen Pulter)
A Special Tactics Airman, assigned to the 24th Special Operations Wing, signals a plane to land at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico on March 1, 2024. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Senior Airman Natalie Vandergriff)
With focus now turned toward competition with China and Russia, special operations forces need to hone their ability to achieve “security through obscurity.”
