Special Operations Forces (SOF) and Competition: Four Emerging Themes
Following the near-global shutdown of economic, professional, and social life in response to the SARS-COV2 pandemic in March 2020, organizers of national security workshops, conferences, and public lectures had to seek ways of exchanging ideas. Understandably, no longer could defence researchers and stakeholders gather and collaborate in the world’s conference rooms and lecture halls in person. This article highlights one such alternative forum and delivery mechanism. We sought to continue the process of informing the public on pressing issues of defence and security, specifically in the special operations realm, while providing the key learnings that emerged from its exchanges virtually. The Centre for International and Defence Policy (CIDP) at Queen’s University in Canada launched the Kingston Consortium on International Security (KCIS) and as part of this effort, we published eight episodes (and counting) of the Politics of Special Forces Podcast. The series covers a broad range of less-discussed topics centred on one guiding question: what role should special operations forces (SOF) play in national security as decision makers begin to rebalance towards competition between great powers? As a bit of a novel twist, a short policy brief accompanies each episode. The inspiration for this series resulted from a conversation between the two authors over a set of unique, but lesser-known issues relating to SOF employment, such as their role in peacekeeping operations, resistance 3 operations, and Arctic operations. Both 4 5 partners realized the need for catalyzing a fresh and comprehensive discussion on the strategic and operational employment of SOF in great power competition after decades of countering violent extremist organization (CVEO) activities. Two lines of inquiry seemed important. First, does the concept of SOF as the “force of choice” need to be revisited? 6 Second, what capabilities and expertise does SOF offer in the context of great power competition (GPC)? In this brief article, we will present the conceptual framework that guided the podcasts’ and policy papers’ design as well as summarize four key learnings to-date that emerged from our conversations.
