Creating a NATO Special Operations Force (Defense Horizons, Number 52, March 2006)

Abstract

In the post-9/11 security environment, special operations forces (SOF) have proven indispensable. SOF units are light, lethal, mobile, and easily networked with other forces. While the United States and its North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies have extensive SOF capabilities, these forces are not formally organized to collaborate with one another. There would be much to gain if U.S. and allied SOF trained to work together: national SOF assets would be improved, obstacles to effective combined operations would be removed, and a coherent Alliance capability would be readily available for NATO. The Alliance can focus and grow its SOF capabilities by providing a selective and small combined "inner core" of NATO special operations forces for operations, while using an outer network to expand and improve SOF cooperation with interested allies.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 2006
Accession Number
ADA450154

Entities

People

  • David Gompert
  • Raymond C. Smith

Organizations

  • National Defense University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • C4I
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Command And Control
  • Department Of Defense
  • Information Systems
  • Intelligence Collection
  • International Organizations
  • International Relations
  • Military Organizations
  • National Security
  • Nato
  • Special Operations Forces
  • Teamwork
  • Terrorism
  • Terrorists
  • United States
  • United States Special Operations Command
  • Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
  • Warfare

Readers

  • International Relations and European Studies
  • Irregular Warfare and Special Operations Cyberspace Operations against Adversarial Threats.
  • Systems Analysis and Design