The U.S. Army Special Operations Command has published a new doctrinal document, the U.S. Army Special Operations Forces Strategy. It defines the tasks and goals that, in the opinion of the Pentagon leadership, are facing the army special forces now, as well as the principles of reforming the armed forces, thanks to which these goals can be achieved in the future.

According to the command, under whose command are the "green berets", army rangers and the 1st operational unit of the special forces "Delta" (only 4 thousand people), at present one of their main tasks is to confront Russia and China.

“A rivalry is unfolding between the great powers. Therefore, at the moment we are in a state of conflict. The nature of hostilities is changing, which means that we will change. We remain ready to wage - and we are waging - a fight against organizations practicing violent extremism, and at the same time we are adapting ourselves to rivalry with Russia and China, as well as preparing to participate in hostilities as part of a combined force, ”the strategy emphasizes.

The document notes that US special forces units will shift "the focus from completing forward deployment bases to survivability and success in large-scale military operations."

Russia as an adversary

This is not the first statement by the army command of special operations in which Russia is classified as potential adversary. On October 13, Major General Kurt Sonntag, head of the US Army MTR Center of Excellence Center, named Russia among the opponents to confront with which American special forces should be trained.

“We need to further develop our strengths - the ability to work together with the forces of our partners, while developing their potential and ensuring both them and ourselves an advantage over our opponents: North Korea, Iran, China and Russia,” the Associated Press quotes a statement American general.

Recall that in 2018 the United States adopted a new National Defense Strategy, in which the main focus was not on the fight against terrorist groups, but on “rivalry between the great powers.” Moreover, the main emphasis was placed on countering Russia and China. After this, the US military has repeatedly stated that it is in Russia that they see the main threat to their state.

For example, in July, the head of US military intelligence Robert Ashley said that Russia “poses a threat to the existence” of the US In September, US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper announced the weakening of the United States military advantage. According to the head of the Pentagon, Russia and China are almost equal to America in military power. Prior to this, Esper, still heading the Ministry of Ground Forces, insisted on changing priorities in re-equipping the American army to fight Russia and China.

In June this year, the US Special Operations Forces conducted Resistance Tabletop Exercise (TTX) exercises for the Baltic countries to prepare for guerrilla warfare. At the same time, the Military Times reported that the “green berets” in Virginia were preparing for a “hybrid war” representatives of the Polish territorial defense forces and the Latvian voluntary militarized organization Zemessardze.

“By and large, the United States in its concept of national security prescribed that China and Russia are countries that pose a threat, like Iran and North Korea,” said Sergei Sudakov, corresponding member of the Academy of Military Sciences, in an interview with RT. - In this regard, there is a change in the development strategy of the armed forces as a whole. Now the US is ready to carry out certain targeted operations against two rivals - Russia and China. ”

At the same time, according to Sergei Sudakov, it is likely that all the high-profile statements in the strategy of the US Army Special Forces are intended exclusively for internal use.

“If we are talking about the“ green berets ”, then this is the most combat-ready part of the US Army. But I would not say that in the near future they will be a serious threat to Russia and China. I don’t really imagine how they can be used in large-scale conflicts, the expert noted. “I think these statements are designed to boost morale and carry out a certain minimum necessary reform of the US Armed Forces.”

  • US Army Special Operations Forces
  • Flickr
  • © USASOC News Service

Global challenges

According to the new strategy, "The US Army Special Operations Forces will be deployed around the world and will be ready at any time and anywhere, acting as part of a combined force, to begin to carry out the tasks of competing with the enemy, deterring them and defeating them."

As Alexander Mikhailov, head of the Bureau of Political-Political Analysis, noted in an interview with RT, it is expected that the United States will use special forces to strengthen its positions in other regions of the world.

“The United States is a very ambitious state, it is difficult for him to digest the loss of sole hegemony,” RT Mikhailov said. - Now an important strategic region is Africa. And it is clear that the battle for Africa is coming in the next decade. The continent is turning into a very successful market for cheap labor, where all transnational corporations will transfer production. Plus a resource base. There are always wars around such zones. ”

The document says that the US Army Special Operations Forces are ready to surpass their opponents, for which increased attention will be paid to both training personnel and equipping special forces with the latest military equipment.

“We will be ready to overcome the physical and psychological hardships of high-intensity combat and successfully cope in difficult, spontaneous circumstances,” the authors of the strategy note.

The US Army Special Operations Forces is expected to use “rapidly evolving technologies and breakthrough concepts,” such as secure communications, reconnaissance, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems, as well as “weapons that can avoid detection.”

At the same time, the authors of the strategy emphasize the willingness, if necessary, to do without technological innovations. According to the official publication of the American armed forces Stars and Stripes, in a collision with "Russia or China, GPS and communication systems are likely to be attacked."

    The struggle for consciousness


    The US Army Special Operations Command strategy notes that these forces can be used both in the event of large-scale hostilities and before the outbreak of a military conflict. In a full-scale war, special forces are entrusted with the task of neutralizing A2 / AD systems - weapon systems aimed at deterring the enemy - and carrying out operations even in “virtual and cognitive dimensions”.

    In a conditionally peaceful environment, the US Army Special Operations Forces should “link adversary behavior with additional costs and create conditions in which a quick transition to armed conflict is possible.” At the same time, special attention is planned to be paid to information operations and cyber operations.

    According to experts, this area of ​​activity of the American army special forces is not something new. Since the 1960s, there has been a so-called “4th group of psychological operations” in its composition, whose tasks include influencing the consciousness of the enemy.

    “This activity can include a lot: from penetrating at the technical level into the information space to organizing information companies, creating destabilizing situations in the conflict zone, or moral and psychological pressure on the enemy’s personnel,” Alexander Mikhailov notes.

    However, according to him, in all the armed forces of the world, strategies are being developed to counter such tactics, and Russia is no exception.

    In addition, according to Sergei Sudakov, the United States is unlikely to achieve a serious advantage over Russia in the defense sector.

    “Americans can do a lot in words, but we can counter them with our tightened defense complex and all the types of advanced weapons that our president previously presented,” the expert said.