In 1991, Colonel John Collins, U.S. Army (Ret.), wrote The Truth About Special Operations Forces (SOF). Its five sections outline what it means to be a SOF soldier and how forces must act to be successful. Among the most important is truth number one: “People are more important than hardware.” However, SOF capabilities have evolved significantly since 1991, and while people remain the most important asset, hardware has driven the evolutionary change.
Advances in technology have empowered those in the Special Forces community. Not only have they become masters of the air, land and sea, but there's now a fourth domain: Cyberspace has become a vital part of the battlefield and is quickly becoming as important as the physical domain in battlefield advantage. That's why the Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) team trained in disruptive cyber techniques during Swift Response 2024, an exercise held this month near Skillingård, Sweden.
“This allows us to define a target, use signaling devices to access any WiFi networks originating from that target, and monitor activity from that location for a period of time,” explained an ODA team member, whose identity was protected.
“This is a very useful tool for us because it gives us a different perspective and helps us paint a clearer picture of our goals,” he said.
During the exercise, the aforementioned ODA team identified a target building and used a remote access device (RAD) to identify networks originating from that facility. The team was able to crack WiFi passwords, enumerate networks, and execute exploits on target computers within the building. This allowed the team to manipulate security cameras, door locks, and other security systems within the building.
While one team was responsible for manipulating the building through cyber jamming, the second ODA team performed an infiltration operation into the facility. They performed a Military Free Fall (MFF) jump and marched seven miles to access the building. Cyber jamming allowed them to easily enter the building. From there, they installed signal jamming devices to erase all traces of the attack and then exited the building.
Training on a range of tools equips your team with tool mastery and puts into practice the second SOF truth: quality over quantity.
“In the real world, this allows us to obtain information in ways that we have not been able to obtain before,” the INFIL ODA team commander explained. “If we have a specific target or objective that we need to accomplish, we now have the capability to gather critical information in an undetectable manner if we execute the mission correctly,” he said.
The third truth about special operations is that you can't mass-produce special operations. While the ability to use cyber technology to infiltrate buildings isn't exclusive to special operations forces, the ability to perform MFF jumps and seven-mile marches undetected is a special forces skill that, when combined with cyber capabilities, gives special operations a unique skill set, according to members of the ODA cyber team.
“We can see what's going on and we know what the INFIL team is doing,” he said. “We're keeping a close eye on the whole situation.”
The fourth truth of Special Forces is that you can't create a Special Forces unit after an emergency has occurred. A Special Forces unit must be established, prepared and fully capable. That's why training in exercises like Swift Response is so important. It allows team members to hone their skills and test their knowledge in an unfamiliar environment.
The hardware advances are due to a fifth SOF truth: SOF needs non-SOF support. Cyber jamming is not an entirely new technology, but rather an evolving tool. Keeping the technology up to date is a significant challenge, ODA cyber team members said.
“This capability is something we need to train and keep up to date on,” he said. “It's evolving so quickly that the devices we use today may be outdated next year. It's been five years since I first went to school for this, and so much has changed in that time that it feels like it's a whole new world.”
While progress is inevitable, five truths of Special Operations Forces remain constant: new capabilities align with established practices and keep the entire force moving forward. Working with allies and partners like Sweden in exercises like Swift Response 24 helps Special Operations Forces remain uniquely positioned to counter malign influences, build interoperability, rapidly respond to emerging threats, and, if necessary, deter aggression.
Date taken: May 5, 2024 Date posted: August 27, 2024 19:33 Story ID: 479590 Location: SKILLINGARYD, SE Web views: 13 Downloads: 0 Public domain
This work, “Green Berets use discramative cyber technology during Swift Response 2024” (by SFC Tim Beery, identified by DVIDS), is subject to the restrictions set forth at https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
