Not many jobs take a whole army : special operations forces and the revolution in military affairs

This paper studies the recent transformation in the employment and operations of ‘Special Operations Forces’ (SOF). In this paper, I argue that these changes constitute a ‘revolution’, and I use the theory of ‘revolutions in military affairs’ (RMA) as a framework of analysis to demonstrate this. SOF have moved from a marginal, albeit important part of traditional conventional strategy towards being a central component of any government warfighting or security calculus. The SOF ‘revolution’ may be seen in the context of the missions they are called on to perform and the capabilities they therefore must posses. Second, the organizational structures, doctrine and tactics of SOF also demonstrate high levels of innovation; and the combination of technology with SOF’s traditionally high-levels of resourcefulness and adaptability has resulted in new approaches to the conduct of operations. Taken together, these changes may offer governments an increasingly viable and effective alternative to traditional approaches to the use of force by states. ******************** Malcolm Brailey is an Associate Research Fellow at the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. His academic qualifications include an MA (International Relations) (Honours) from the Australian National University, a Graduate Diploma in Defence Studies from Deakin University, and a BA from the University of New South Wales. A former Australian Army infantry officer, Malcolm is a graduate of the both the Australian Defence Force Academy and the Royal Military College Duntroon. Malcolm served in a variety of regimental, staff and training appointments, including operational service with the NATO Stabilization Force (SFOR) in Bosnia-Herzegovina during 2001. Malcolm joined IDSS in July 2003 to work as a member of the newly formed RMA Program. His area of speciality is land warfare transformation issues and associated operational concepts. His other research areas of interest include US and Australian defence policy, homeland security, international law and the ethics of armed conflict.