BLUF

US General states Special Operation Forces need to operate differently as cyberwar has extended the battlespace exponentially—to win, he believes superior technology is the answer.

Summary

This article about the future of warfare makes the following points:

  • Army Gen. Richard Clarke says warfare in the future will be multi-domain, partnered and contested in every step.
  • Special Forces have excelled in previous conflicts, but the new challenge is strategic competition, winning without fighting.
  • Previously, the competition was on land, sea and air, but now it's contested in Cyber, Space and the information space.
  • Clarke said the contest in the information space would impact all warfare. The battle takes place on the Internet, but not always. ‘It is in the cognitive space where we must prevail’.  
  • New technologies will be critical moving forward. 
  • Special Operations Command  uses technology specialists to address the evolving Cyberthreat, Chinese global activity and Russian disinformation.
  • Clark acknowledges that there may be no end to this conflict, just nations pursuing an edge over their adversaries. He is confident that the US will rise to this challenge and stated, ‘Our goal is to maintain a strategic advantage’.
Learn more about how the US might conduct future military special operations.

References