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Green Berets Partner with Spanish Special Operations Forces for Training

Wednesday, November 1st, 2023

ALICANTE, Spain — Green Berets with the U.S. Army’s 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) concluded a nearly two-month joint combined exchange training — known as JCET — with members of the Spanish Army’s Grupo Especial de Operaciones near Alicante.

The U.S. and Spanish special operations forces practiced a wide variety of skills during this exercise, including training in long-range marksmanship, crew-served weapons familiarization, mission planning, close-quarter battle, breaching operations, military operations in urban terrain, rappelling and other critical combat and unconventional warfare skills.

U.S. Special Forces conduct JCETs with foreign militaries and partner agencies in their home countries. “JCETs facilitate shared understanding and awareness of capabilities and readiness,” said Lt. Col. Kevin Bowman, U.S. Special Operations Command Europe’s special operations liaison officer to Spain. “More importantly, they allow for both country’s units to build bonds and relationships, which are invaluable, particularly in times of crisis.”

Conducting JCETs with traditional U.S. allies like Spain is important to U.S. Special Operations Forces. “Spain is a very capable NATO ally with diverse, yet shared interests around the globe. It is critical that both countries collaborate wherever possible, given the high probability that we’ll be asked to work together in a future scenario,” Bowman said.

This JCET built upon past training and exercises for the Green Berets of 10th SFG (A). “This two-month JCET was extremely successful – not only did we increase our own tactical capabilities, but we also improved our interoperability and integration with our Spanish Army SOF peers,” said a U.S. Army special forces detachment commander directly involved in the training. “My Spanish counterpart and I integrated our teams to the maximum extent possible… this afforded both detachments the opportunity to develop our mission planning skills, mobility capabilities, and combined special reconnaissance and direct action tactics, techniques, and procedures.”

Both the Green Berets and the GOE gained valuable experience and increased their interoperability according to the detachment commander. JCETs continue to provide unique training opportunities for both U.S. forces and their multinational counterparts.

By CPT Jonathan Leigh

Photos by SSG Jacob Dunlap

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SWCS Enhances Allied SOF Partnership with International Military Student Ceremony

Thursday, October 26th, 2023

The U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School’s International Military Student Office conducted a ceremony for the international students, their military sponsors, and the IMSO staff to recognize the partnerships and bonds formed across American and allied partner Special Operation Forces, Sept. 18, 2023.

Brigadier General Guillaume “Will” Beaurpere, SWCS commanding general, hosted the social at Fort Liberty, North Carolina.

“It is an honor to have them here and, every time, it is an impressive group of leaders,” Beaurpere said, recognizing the additional obstacles, such as language or different operating procedures, that the international students must negotiate and surpass. Many countries send their top officers and soldiers to receive training through SWCS.

The recognition ceremony of allied SOF relates to the USSOCOM line of effort to expand and reinforce generational and new relationships. The partnership and relationship for the Soldiers begin at SWCS during initial acquisition and later in advanced skills and education experiences.

“The Special Warfare Center and School is honoring approximately 40 international military students and international exchange officers representing 23 countries such as Germany, Canada, and Switzerland, among others,” he said.

Our allied partners are here for a myriad of reasons: Joint Special Operations Master of Arts Program, Army Special Operations Forces Qualification Courses, liaison officers, and advanced skills training such as Military Freefall Jumpmaster Course. These international military soldiers embark on a unique journey, experiencing a world-class education in special operations and a first-rate intercultural exchange.

At the core of ARSOF is fostering relationships built on trust and understanding to create an ability to partner with people from other nations and to help strengthen both partners’ capabilities.

ARSOF Soldiers invest a baseline of six months to acquiring a foreign language, which help to create mutual trust and understanding, build partnerships, and forge alliances.

“Perhaps the greatest benefit of training here are the enduring interpersonal and professional relationships,” Beaurpere said.

He added explaining the benefit of having international students enrolled in SWCS. Their experiences help build the foundation of interoperability and integration that are critical to SOF.

The IMSO ceremony represents a snapshot of the larger global SOF network, creating an opportunity for attendees to connect and further develop intercultural exchange. Relationships formed at SWCS become the bedrock from which many operational and strategic partnerships develop.

Echoing Beaurpere’s comments is an international student, who completed the Special Forces Qualification Course. The student’s name is not being released to the public as an active international special operations service member.

“We’re building the relationship with each other,” the student said. “As partner nations, we might have to face the same enemy in the future, so we are now building the rapport and making our relationship stronger by doing so.”

The students spent an evening celebrating international students and strategic partnerships.

Beaurpere concluded the evening’s events by highlighting the importance of partnership.

“The strength to stand against our adversaries will never come alone, it will come together,” he said.

Editor’s note: Capt. Shao, a recent graduate from SWCS, contributed to the article.

The U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School (USAJFKSWCS) at Fort Liberty, N.C., is one of the Army’s premier education institutions, managing and resourcing professional growth for Soldiers in the Army’s three distinct special operations branches: Special Forces, Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations.

For more information about the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, visit www.swcs.mil.

Story by By Steve Morningstar, U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School Public Affairs Office

Photos by K. Kassens, SWCS Public Affairs Office

Posted in Army, Guest Post, SOF | Comments Off on SWCS Enhances Allied SOF Partnership with International Military Student Ceremony

CMSAF Underscores Need for 137th SOW Multi-Capable Airmen

Wednesday, October 25th, 2023

WILL ROGERS AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Okla. (AFNS) —

Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass saw firsthand how Airmen with the 137th Special Operations Wing set the Oklahoma Standard across the force during a visit Oct. 12.

She encouraged every service member she met to understand the “why” of the Air Force’s prioritization of learning multiple skill sets and becoming multi-capable Airmen, noting that the wing had leaned into the concept through its mission sustainment team.

“I hope you appreciate learning this skill set that we hopefully will never have to tap into,” Bass said. “We are more focused on reoptimization than we ever have been before. How do we reoptimize what the Air Force looks like to do the number one thing we are supposed to: defend our nation?”

She noted that the variety of civilian and military experience of Air National Guardsmen makes them ready-made to be formed into small mission teams, whether someone is a power production specialist in the Guard and a mechanic as a civilian, or a fireman in the Guard and a carpenter as a civilian.

Staff Sgt. Anthony Hill, 137th SOW Mission Sustainment Team, or MST, member, is a civil engineer Airman and policy analyst for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma as a civilian. He encountered the MCA concept during a previous deployment to Africa where they did not have the equipment and training needed to rapidly establish a base for austere operations.

“The tent systems we were setting up were more difficult and heavier in design, it took a longer time to train individuals and assemble units with those different levels of experience and they required a dedicated power grid,” he said. “The tent systems that are now part of our MST deployment package would have made a huge difference in sustaining the mission in that expeditionary environment.”

Discovering how to better equip Airmen for expedient operations in locations with limited resources has been the focus of the MST since its inception. A photo of the MST’s preliminary training activity was featured in the U.S. Air Force “Profession of Arms” as it calls for Airmen to serve in whatever form is needed to get the mission accomplished while meeting the expected standard of excellence.

“Our number one job is to deter. If deterrence does not succeed, we will make sure that we are able to compete and win. We are not fighting conflicts that we have before. We have to optimize ourselves in the information, space and cyber domains because if you lose in those things, you lose – period.”

Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass

Airmen with the 137th Special Operations Group have developed equipment to be compatible with an expeditionary warfare environment. On the tour, Bass encountered the mobile processing, exploitation and dissemination center, which was built to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations in austere locations.

“We were the first to develop this package,” said Tech. Sgt. Stephen Rosebrook, 285th Special Operations Intelligence Squadron, Oklahoma National Guard. “We have since trained active-duty special operations squadrons as well as partner nation forces.”

The 137th SOW mission is to provide forces organized, trained and equipped to support combatant commanders across the spectrum of conflict. Ensuring its citizen air commandos are prepared to deploy to the fight together anytime, anywhere, is a focus of the wing.

“We have got to reprioritze and reoptimize to make sure that we can continue deterring,” Bass said. “It is not our job to predict when challenges and crises and conflict will come, but it is our job to be ready today for anything.”

By TSgt Brigette Waltermire, 137th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs

Posted in Air Force, Guest Post, SOF | Comments Off on CMSAF Underscores Need for 137th SOW Multi-Capable Airmen

USSOCOM Combines Two Program Executive Offices Into One

Monday, October 23rd, 2023

The announced during SOF Week in May, the amalgamation of United States Special Operations Command’s Program Executive Office C4 (Command, Control, Computers, Communications) and PEO SR (Special Reconnaissance) into PEO Tactical Information Systems (TIS) is complete.

The command stated that the move was to better align the acquisition arm of USSOCOM with the National Defense Strategy. It results in a rather large portfolio including Technical collection and communication, Integrated sensor systems, Sensitive site exploitation, Remote Capabilities, and Tactical Communications.

However, the enterprise networks and transport systems the command relies upon for day-to-day work in garrison did not move to PEO TIS, but rather comes under the Director for Enterprise Information Systems.

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SOFWERX- Urban Non-LOS Targeting Systems Feasibility Study & Rapid Prototype Event

Tuesday, October 17th, 2023

SOFWERX, in collaboration with USSOCOM in collaboration with USSOCOM Program Executive Office – SOF Warrior (PEO-SW), will facilitate a series of Feasibility Studies (FS) and Rapid Prototype Events (RPE) 11-13 December, 2023, to develop concepts and components of systems that utilize an open architecture to enable rapid, precise, operator-controlled Non-Line of Sight (Non-LOS) targeting in urban, surveilled environments. Additionally, system-level aspects, such as integration, testing, and training, are also considered to ensure fieldable solutions.

ecent battlefield advancements with fixed and mobile sensors are changing the relational dynamic between opposing sides in the close-in fight. Autonomous vehicles and remotely placed sensors have made it very difficult to ingress to and operate in static, fixed locations with Line-of-Sight (LOS) of opposing positions. Reliable networks of sensors can provide virtual LOS for targeting, while enabling SOF operators to remain in unexposed positions. In situations in which a human operator cannot maintain direct LOS, targeting data must be obtained, integrated, and validated to ensure the entire situation is fully understood before kinetic action is initiated. This sensor to integration to visualization process for the operator must occur almost instantaneously to take advantage of fleeting opportunities of the close-in fight. There are many commercially driven opportunities that should be investigated, and the myriad of issues must be better understood to develop a complete close-in, non-LOS targeting system. Further, the system should have an open architecture to permit easy technology insertion. This system will rely heavily on Artificial Intelligence and due to its complex nature will need advanced means to evaluate and train with it in many differing scenarios.

The operational focus of this effort is an urban environment. World-wide trends toward urbanization will force military operations in urban areas that have much more complex environments. Collateral impact to neutral parties must be minimized in rapidly changing scenarios. Urban structures and high-signal densities impact sensor, communications, and weapons operations.

Proposals in the following areas will be considered based on technical merit and diversity of focus area coverage among the submissions. Targeting is intended for kinetic follow-on effects, but parallels to Cyber, Electronic Warfare, and other effects can be included.

1) Sensors. What sensors can provide unique discriminating data to aid in obtaining a non-LOS targeting solution? What platforms can be used to standardize sensor control and data formatting? What sensor collaboration would be beneficial (radar, electro-optical, infrared, hyperspectral, etc.)? What are the parametric requirements for the use case? What is the impact of the urban environment? Fixed vs mobile sensors. Demonstrate your concept in an urban environment.

2) Data networking (transport/backhaul). What short-range data links can be used to form a network? How do the data requirements match the networking capabilities? What mechanisms are available to ensure availability, integrity, enhanced survivability, and other required protections? What network structure is suitable for urban environments? Demonstrate your concept in an urban environment.

3) Data processing. What is needed to effectively clean and normalize the data? How are missing elements of data handled? How can distributed processing be accomplished? How is data accuracy evaluated? Develop a data architecture concept. Demonstrate your concept using data representative of an urban environment.

4) Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence. What algorithms can be used to group, correlate, and synchronize data to build a complete, accurate and actionable picture? Timeliness vs completeness vs resource trade-offs. What can be accomplished on the edge to produce dependable target recognition? Defined by characteristics that include:

• increased identification rates of intended targets

• increased discrimination of decoys

• ability to maintain target lock while maneuvering in 3-D space

Demonstrate your concept using data representative of an urban environment.

5) Data Visualization. How are the data and processing results displayed? How would Android Tactical Assault Kit (ATAK) or similar devices be integrated into the non-LOS targeting system? How is data presented horizontally and vertically? Concepts for relating non-LOS targeting data with other display data. Demonstrate effective visualization in a complex urban environment.

6) System Integration, Testing, and Training Concepts. The system aspects of solutions are as important as specific components. What are the issues with integration when looking at the above focus areas collectively? What integration trade-offs are available? What are concepts to test the components separately and together in a real urban environment? What are training concepts for situations in which you may not be able to combine all aspects of the system in an actual environment?

For full details and access to submission templates, visit events.sofwerx.org/urban-non-los-targeting-systems.

Submit NLT 08 November 2023 11:59 PM ET.

Posted in Sensors, SOF | Comments Off on SOFWERX- Urban Non-LOS Targeting Systems Feasibility Study & Rapid Prototype Event

SOFWERX- USSOCOM Innovation Foundry Event: SOF Aspects of Cyber Security in 2035

Thursday, October 12th, 2023

SOFWERX, in collaboration with USSOCOM’s Directorate of Science and Technology (S&T) Futures, will host the fourteenth Innovation Foundry (IF14) Event in Tampa, FL, 12-14 December 2023, which intends to bring together Special Operations Forces (SOF), industry, academia, national labs, government, and futurists in an exploration, design thinking, facilitated event to assist USSOCOM in decomposing future scenarios and missions.

Political, social, and technological developments will have an increasing impact on the future of world societies. Organizations, militaries, governments, and entire economies rely on complex digital infrastructures for their operations. The safety and reliability of these information systems are of significant concern to organizations around the world, while malicious actors seek to exploit vulnerabilities to achieve their ends. Because of this, cyber security has been a focus of increasing attention and will be of critical importance in the future operational environment.

The theme of IF14 is SOF Aspects of Cyber Security in 2035. The event seeks to explore the nature of cyber security operations and infrastructure in 2035 and SOF’s role in this environment.

Specific areas of interest include the growth of digital infrastructure for civilian and military systems; the impact of artificial intelligence technologies in the design, implementation, exploitation, and securing of information systems; the impact of innovative communications, networking, and control systems on future cyber infrastructure; advancements of quantum computing and encryption tools; as well as offensive and defensive approaches including prevention, pre-emption, detection, isolation, defeat, and the exploitation of digital vulnerabilities.

In this effort, S&T Futures is working with the Next-Generation Effects (NGE) and Network and Data Management (NDM) Capability Function Areas, in conjunction with echelons of intelligence and operational staff.

S&T Futures has developed and refined a unique process, the Innovation Cycle, to engage technology pioneers and leaders, and to discover and develop high risk, innovative, and disruptive technologies for future on-boarding. This Innovation Foundry is the first phase of the Innovation Cycle and will be focused on idea generation. Deliverables for the IF14 event will include preliminary capability concepts targeting the defined problem areas which may impact SOF forces and operations in the 2035 timeframe in cyber security. This event will be followed by: 1) a Rapid Capability Assessment (RCA) to further develop the preliminary capability concepts and, 2) a series of Integrated Technology Sprints (ITS) to demonstrate proofs of concept.

For more information, visit events.sofwerx.org/ussocom-innovation-foundry-if-14-event.

Submit NLT 30 October 2023 11:59 PM ET.

Posted in Cyber, SOF | 1 Comment »

AFSOC Embraces Extended Reality (XR) to Enhance Readiness

Thursday, October 12th, 2023

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. —

Extended Reality (XR) is revolutionizing the way Air Force Special Operations Command is approaching training and readiness. XR is an umbrella term that encompasses Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR) to create a spectrum of experiences that range from fully virtual environments to overlays of digital content onto the real world. These technologies manipulate our perception of reality, hence the term “extended.” The manipulation of reality is at the core of XR, and it’s transforming the training landscape of AFSOC.

The XR Training Program’s mission is to provide Air Commandos the ability to conduct repetitive readiness training anyplace at any time through secure, autonomous learning distribution and reporting across all command disciplines. The vision is equally ambitious: to be a training program that employs virtual, mixed, and augmented training methodologies, producing warfighters with greater skillset competencies and proficiency in a more realistic environment, at a reduced cost, and on a shortened timeline.

In the beginning of FY23, AFSOC established an XR cross-functional team dedicated to creating an XR Training Framework for the entire command.

“Our first step as a command was to admit we had fallen behind in the evolution of training technology,” said Capt. Kyle Schoonover, Chief of AFSOC XR Training Program. “In true AFSOC fashion, in just a few months we went from this realization to producing a MAJCOM-wide framework capable of incorporating all existing XR technologies as well as charting a path forward for future development in the years to come.”

This framework operates on a crawl, walk, run strategy, composed of four distinct lines of effort (LOEs):

LOE 1: Virtual Hangar

The foundational effort for XR in AFSOC focuses on initial qualification academic training for all aircrew support and mission support personnel, including maintenance and Mission Sustainment Teams. A prime example of this is the “Virtual Hangar” initiative by AFSOC A4. This innovative program leverages VR to enhance AC-130J, MC-130J, CV-22 and munitions maintenance workforce training. The “Virtual Hangar” offers comprehensive Instructor Tools and custom-built Learning Modules, ranging from checklist execution to 3D-modeled schematic overlays.

LOE 2: NexGen Instructor

AFSOC plans to incorporate VR into all Flying Training Units (FTUs) responsible for training AFSOC aircrew. Training modules will cover the academic phases of the FTU syllabi such as academics on aircraft systems and mission equipment. Collaborative partnerships with other Major Commands (MAJCOMs) will be pursued when appropriate, and pathfinding will be the norm when required.

LOE 3: Fusion & Integration

The integration of XR into operational units is a pivotal aspect of AFSOC’s strategy, with a particular emphasis on mission events. These events can range from emulated flight of AFSOC aircraft, to special tactics, to our medical community across the entire continuum of patient care.

LOE 4: The Future Fight

The pinnacle of AFSOC’s XR Training Framework envisions the utilization of Augmented Reality (AR) for aircrew and special tactics teams. Imagine a CV-22 pilot flying over Melrose Air Force Range in New Mexico while their visor displays real-world terrain from distant locations like the Indo-Pacific region. Meanwhile, the pilot’s visor reveals a digital wingman controlled by a ground-based XR device. The goal is to replicate any battlespace via XR technology back at the home station.

“AFSOC’s XR framework provides every unit in the command with a readily digestible and easily repeatable strategy to modernize their training through next-generation methodologies of instruction,” said Schoonover.

The AFSOC XR Training Framework’s implementation is ongoing. While teams across AFSOC continue to work through LOE 1 by immersing in virtual reality and “Virtual Hangars”, LOE 2 is on the horizon with small group XR testing sessions with the AC-130J FTU planned for Summer 2024 and the C-146 FTU planned for Fall 2024. As investment into the training program framework continues, the line of efforts will gain momentum.

“AFSOC is heavily invested in enhancing readiness and training through initiatives like XR,” said Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind, AFSOC commander. “The use of XR in training allows Air Commandos to experience highly realistic simulations of complex scenarios, missions, and environments they may encounter in real-world operations. This practice is paramount as we prepare for current and future operating environments. I’m excited to see where this program goes and we will be ready to build upon each line of effort as resources become available.”

With a comprehensive XR Training Framework in place, AFSOC is poised to transform its training methodologies, ensuring that Air Commandos are better prepared and equipped for strategic competition.

By Capt Amy Rasmussen

Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs

Posted in Air Force, Guest Post, SOF, Training | 1 Comment »

Spectra Group’s Award-Winning SlingShot Satcom System Selected for Project Capstone 4

Monday, October 9th, 2023

Spectra Group, a specialist provider of secure voice, data and satellite communications systems, in partnership with Inmarsat, has been selected to support Project Capstone 4 (Army Futures Command’s premier integration and experimentation exercise in 2024) with their award-winning SlingShot satellite communications system. Spectra Group has a strong pedigree of successfully supporting previous command and control innovation and integration demonstrations for the USDOD and USSOCOM, the Army Maneuver Battle Lab (AEWE 2019) and the Fires Battle Lab (MFIX 2022).

SlingShot is a compact and user-friendly tactical radio range extension system designed to enhance Beyond Line Of Sight (BLOS) Communications On The Move (COTM) C2 (Command and Control) communications. This innovative system effortlessly enables in-service Ultra High Frequency (UHF) and Very High Frequency (VHF) radios to utilise L-Band satellite frequencies, extending their reach over thousands of kilometers. A standout feature of SlingShot is its intuitive plug-and-play capability, making it a reliable choice for both stationary and mobile setups. It serves as a direct augmentation to existing tactical radios. When paired with the Inmarsat L-TAC service, SlingShot significantly expands its user base and coverage, enabling the immediate transmission of voice, data and specialized military applications, such as artillery coordination and situational awareness, across vast distances.

Project Capstone leads the integration of all the domains that the US Army is dependent on — air, land, sea, space, cyberspace adopting a truly multi-domain/multi-national approach, while at the same time looking at concepts for the future. The Network Cross Functional Team (N-CFT) acknowledges that as national armies operate in multinational coalitions during future expeditionary operations, integration and interoperability of communications is paramount to ensuring battlefield success. Therefore, the N-CFT hosts foreign liaison officers from the armies of two close allies, the U.K. and Australia, to help shepherd information interoperability initiatives, concepts and goals and Spectra Group from the UK has been selected to support this project.

SlingShot plays a pivotal role in advancing interoperability among forces. By bridging communication gaps and ensuring seamless integration between different communication systems and networks, SlingShot fosters collaboration and coordination among diverse military units and allies. For broader connectivity, SlingShot can adeptly link the L-TAC networks to major, distant headquarters worldwide using cutting-edge digital RF-Over-IP technology. With a commendable track record, marked by over 7,000 units actively utilised by both specialised and regular forces globally, SlingShot has proven its mettle in the most challenging environments and diverse locales.

Pat Gallagher, General Manager Spectra Group (US) said: “SlingShot has a fantastic operational record with USSOCOM and is the perfect system to support AFC’s communication innovation and integration experiments as it can be added to any existing or future capability. When combined with the Inmarsat L-TAC service, SlingShot delivers the ultimate interoperability for secure voice, data and applications at scale for operations anywhere in the world.”

Posted in Army, Comms, International, Press Release, SOF | Comments Off on Spectra Group’s Award-Winning SlingShot Satcom System Selected for Project Capstone 4