Special Operations

US Drops Special Operations Near Raqqa, Cuts Off ISIS Escape Route

The US-led coalition has dropped both American and Syrian fighters behind the city of Raqqa in an effort to cut off the ISIS escape route out of the city. That’s an encouraging sign that perhaps the battle to drive out the insurgents from Syria is going well.

According to reports from inside Syria, five helicopters, supported by five fighter jets, dropped US Marines and dozens of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters near the northern town of Shurfa on Wednesday afternoon.

The purpose of the operation is to seize the key Tabqa dam across the Euphrates River. This will isolate Raqqa from the remaining ISIS-controlled territory in Syria. Raqqa was named the capital city of the self-styled caliphate.

The group said in a statement that the operation was in preparation for an assault on Tabqa, an ISIL redoubt 28 miles west of Raqqa.
They claimed to have captured four villages and severed the main artery running between the extremists’ de facto capital and the western countryside.
Top officials from the 68-nation alliance are set to meet in Washington today to hear more about a revised plan drafted by the Pentagon and presented to US President Donald Trump in February.
The meeting was the first of all the coalition’s top diplomats since September 2014.

Meanwhile, the US and President Donald Trump are having discussions on whether or not to continue to support the YPG, the Kurdish group that is fighting ISIS but is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey and President Erdogan. If the US should shift its allegiance away from YPG, it could signal a thawing of relations between Washington and Ankara.

The US is also ramping up plans to add another 1000 troops to Syria in support of the SDF.

To read the entire article from the Telegraph click here:

Photo courtesy DOD

Special Operations At the Forefront Of Trump’s Counter-Terror Plan

President Donald Trump is using Special Operations troops to carry the fight against Islamic terrorists across the globe in an attempt to minimize large conventional troop deployments.

Trump will continue the plan put in place by the Obama administration to train, equip, advise, and support the indigenous forces in the region rather than post large American conventional forces on deployments overseas.

The global reach of Special Operators is widening. During the peak of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, nearly 13,000 Special Operations Forces were deployed on missions across the globe, but a large majority were assigned to those two countries. Now more than half of the 8600 of the elite troops overseas are posted outside the Middle East or South Asia, operating in 97 countries according to the Special Operations Command.
Still, about one-third of the 6000 American troops in Iraq and Syria are Special Operators, many of whom are advising local troops and militias on the front lines. About a quarter of the 8400 troops in Afghanistan are special operators.
In Africa, about one-third of the 6000 troops assigned there are special operators.

The Special Operations forces of the US continue to do the work in trying to eliminate the terrorist enclaves around the world. And the president is removing some of the shackles that have constrained them under the previous administration, such as loosening the constraints on drone attacks, as seen by the strike recently against Al-Qaeda extremists meeting in a mosque, despite claims that they were civilians.

The US is expanding its influence in Africa, conducting counter-terrorism exercises in Chad, equipping and training local forces and building a $50 million dollar drone base in Niger that will monitor the ISIS insurgents that operate between Chad and Senegal.

To read the entire article from the New York Times click here:

Photo courtesy DOD

Special Operations Sustainment Brigade Gets New home at Fort Bragg

Special Operations troops from Ft. Bragg have the only airborne sustainment brigade in the US Army. And the 528^th Special Operations Sustainment Brigade has a new home on Ft. Bragg.

The unit had been spread around the post but now occupies a 70,000-square foot facility, which is more than four times of the old one. The new headquarters is located in the new Yarborough Special Operations Forces Complex. Besides the 528^th, it also holds units from the 3^rd Special Forces Group and the 95^th Civil Affairs Bn.

The brigade will furnish support in the areas of parachute rigging, logistical support, signal support, military intelligence and medical support for the Special Operations community according to the Brigade’s commander, Col. Lance Curtis.

Maj. Gen. James E. Kraft, commanding general of the brigade’s higher headquarters, the 1st Special Forces Command, said the headquarters was a “world-class facility” for “world class soldiers.”
He praised the soldiers for their efforts in support of Special Forces, psychological operations, and civil affairs troops. The 528th is the only sustainment brigade in the special operations community and the only airborne sustainment brigade in the entire Army.
The unit provides vital support to ongoing special operations missions and currently has about 125 soldiers deployed across 20 countries.
“Thanks for all you’ve done,” Kraft said. “Thanks in advance for all you’re going to do.”

This project is part of a huge overall plan to modernize and update the Special Operations community on base. It has been in the works for more than a decade in the making and allows with the demolition of the brigade’s old, outdated headquarters at the corner of Reilly and Gruber roads to make room for updated construction at the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School.

Eventually, all of the Special Operations forces will reside in the Yarborough Complex which is located on the site of the post’s old ammunition supply point.

To read the entire article from the Fayetteville Observer click here:

Photo courtesy US Army

Special Operations Forces Industry Conference to Meet in May at Tampa

Thousands of government, defense, and industry professionals within the Special Operations community are expected to attend the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC) in Tampa, Florida. The conference which will take place from May 15-18 at the Tampa Convention Center, will showcase the latest technology and provide opportunities for interaction and collaboration among academia, government, industry leaders and the Special Operations Forces (SOF) community.

USSOCOM will open the conference with their “USSOCOM Marketplace” an available resource that will allow prospective customers an opportunity to explore doing business with USSOCOM. It will be especially valuable to those attempting to do business with USSOCOM for the first time.

“SOFIC provides the best opportunity to network with and engage the Special Operations Forces community,” said NDIA President and CEO Gen. Craig McKinley, USAF (Ret.). “As we seek to maintain the edge in technology and maintain our advantage, it’s important that these conversations take place among industry, the military, academia, and other stakeholders so we can work together to find the best solutions to enhance our capabilities.”
More than ten thousand attendees are expected at 2017 SOFIC and 400 companies and organizations will display their products and services in a sold-out exhibit hall. The complete list of speakers and current agenda for 2017 SOFIC can be viewed here.
Please follow updates on Twitter using #SOFIC and on YouTube at YouTube.com/SOFICTV. Additional information can be found at sofic.org.

In addition, there is expected to be numerous panel discussions and industry updates on the latest technology as it applies to Special Operations. On May 16-17 there is a presentation by the manufacturers of the TALOS “Iron Man” suit for Special Operations Forces as well as “Operation SOFtalk” a networking opportunity to discuss different facets of USSOCOM with the command’s senior leaders in an informal environment.

To read the entire article from PRNewswire click here:

Photo courtesy DOD

SAS Gets ‘Kill List’ Of British Jihadis In Iraq

British SAS troops stationed in Iraq have been issued with a “kill or capture” list containing the names of up to 200 British terrorists fighting alongside ISIS.

In a report by The Sunday Times, MI6, MI5, and GCHQ have furnished intelligence to the SAS operators in Iraq with target orders to eliminate British nationals who have joined the terrorist network of ISIS. Any captured British nationals will be turned over to Iraqi authorities and face a possible execution if convicted of terrorism.

Under the command of the US Joint Special Operations Command, they are understood to be part of an international task force with orders to hunt and kill or capture as many foreign fighters as possible. MI5 believes the imminent capture of the northern Iraqi town of Mosul, where Isis has been in control since June 2014, will not herald the end of the terror group, but rather a new chapter in its activities.
One senior defence source said: “A kill list has been drawn up containing the names of hundreds of very bad people. A lot of them are from the UK. The hunt is now on for British Islamists who have effectively gone off-grid.
“This is a multinational special forces operation. The SAS have their own part of the plan and they will be going after British nationals. This is a kill or capture mission and it has already begun.

There are a reported 100 SAS troops operating in both Iraq and Syria. And the belief is as the terrorists are gradually weakening in both countries, it is feared that they will attempt to return to the UK and conduct terrorist activities similar to the one in Paris a year ago. Defense spokesman characterized the jihadis as “hardened fighters”.

To read the entire article from Sunday Times, click here:

Photo courtesy UK Ministry of Defence

US Army Stryker Vehicles Demo Laser Weapons

Stryker vehicles in service with the US Army have been in use for over a decade. Now the vehicle may soon have the ability to defend itself from unmanned aircraft systems using a laser weapon.

US Army Space and Missile Defense Command and the Army Forces Strategic Command recently demonstrated the Stryker’s ability to defend itself from unmanned aircraft in a demo using the improved MEHEL laser weapon.

The MEHEL 2.0 shoots a 5kW beam which is an upgrade of the original 2kW weapon. It uses an onboard radar to detect threats to the vehicle which will eliminate it using the laser weapon.

“The purpose of the JIDO UAS Hard-Kill Challenge was to assess and look at technology… to do a ‘hard-kill’ shoot down of Group 1 [unmanned aircraft systems] and inform decision-makers on the current state of technology and how it can deal with single and multiple targets,” demonstration lead Adam Aberle explained in a press release.
Aberle went on to praise the platform’s successful performance in repelling UAV threats and discussed how the test revealed system limitations as a result of the MEHEL’s upgrade from a 2kW to a 5kW capability.
“We learned from the event, and we have plans to correct those deficiencies for future activities,” he added. “We learned the 5kW laser was able to defeat the targets. We were able to verify and show that we could put a radar and a laser on a platform so it could self-cue to targets and that was very successful.”

The Stryker is a 19-ton, eight-wheeled vehicle that comes in two variants, the Infantry Carrier Vehicle, and the Mobile Gun System (MGS). The Infantry Carrier Vehicle (IFV) carries a crew of two and nine infantry soldiers and has either an M-2 50 caliber machine gun or a Mk-19 40mm grenade launcher. The MGS has a 105mm cannon in it but there are reports of removing it for a 30mm cannon soon.

To read the entire article from UPI, click here:

Photo courtesy US Army

SOF Selection PT Preparation 3.18.2017

Continue to prep for the UBRR and get a long rucksack march in, before enjoying your weekend and a bit of a break on Sunday.

Training:

3 x Military Press (heavy dumbbells) 20 reps, 15, 12
3 x Shoulder lateral raises (heavy dumbbells) 20 reps, 15, 12
3 x Shoulder front raises (medium to light dumbbells) 20 reps, 15, 12
3 x Lat machine pull-downs rear 20 reps,15, 12
3 x Seated rows 20 reps, 15, 12
10-mile rucksack march as fast as you can without ruck-running

Stretch well after completion

SOF Selection PT Preparation 3.17.2017

Continue to prep for the UBRR and focus on some speed work today with the runs. Speed work will help with your endurance and gives your muscles a different workout.

Training:

5 x 1-mile run Go as quickly as you can with a minimum of 5-minute rest between runs. Record your average mile time.
5 x 30 seconds of Pushups.
1 x Do as many push-ups as you can do in 60 seconds.
5 x 30 seconds of Sit-ups
1 x Do as many sit-ups as possible in 60 seconds.
1 x 20 Knees-to-Elbow hanging from the pull-up bar.
25 pull-ups

Stretch well after completion

Iraqi Special Forces Are Clearing Mosul in House-to-House Fighting

The fighting for the Iraqi city of Mosul has become a close-quarters battle between hardened ISIS fighters and Iraqi special forces troops. The battle is now a no-holds-barred, house-to-house, street by street bloody affair as the Iraqis seek to drive the ISIS fighters out of the final large city of Iraq.

ISIS had named Mosul as their capital of their self-named caliphate and trying to hold onto the city at all costs and to extract the largest possible price by the Iraqi forces trying to take back their country.

Mosul is separated by the Tigris River that runs north-south. Iraqi forces supported by US Special Operations forces captured the eastern part of the city late in 2016 and now are trying to recapture the western half.

“The fighting is at much closer quarters. It was street-by-street – now it’s house-by-house,” said Iraqi commando Alaa Shaker, 32, a member of the elite Counter Terrorism Service (CTS).

“We are often literally in the same house, on the roof, and Daesh (Islamic State) is downstairs. Sometimes we drop grenades. If there are civilians, families in the homes, we shout to them to take cover inside a room.”

Seif Rasheed, a 28-year-old CTS medic, said one commando had been killed earlier that day in the same area, shot through the head, and another wounded, shot through the neck and hip.

“Daesh are hiding in homes, opening doors and shooting at troops from just a few meters away,” he said.

The men were speaking as they took a break from the fighting to eat lunch in the courtyard of a western Mosul home, in a neighborhood recaptured from Islamic State the day before.

ISIS militants are far outnumbered in Mosul but are delaying the battle by hiding among the large civilian populace, using suicide car bombs, IEDs, and snipers in the built-up areas. The fighting is expected to last several more weeks.

To read the entire article from Reuters, click here:

Photo courtesy DOD

Israel’s Air Force Bombs Targets in Syria

Israeli Air Force jets pounded targets in Syria which resulted in the Syrian air defense systems launching multiple ground-to-air missiles at the jets in retaliation. One of the rockets was intercepted.

The two countries have been technically at war since the 2011 Syrian civil war against Bashar Al-Assad’s government began. But the bombing of yesterday is regarded as the most serious escalation of the conflict yet in the region.

Israeli authorities claim that their Arrow missile defense systems intercepted one of the rockets fired at the Israeli jets. Syrian military authorities claim to have shot down one of the jets, but the Israeli Air Force said that they suffered no losses in the air strike.

Syria’s army high command confirmed in a statement on Friday that Israeli jets breached Syrian airspace early in the morning and attacked a military target near Palmyra.
The high command described the attack as an act of aggression that aided the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group, which is fighting against the Syrian government.
It said its air defences shot down one of four Israeli jets over what it called “occupied ground” and damaged another.
There were no reports by the Israeli army of any aircraft lost in the operation.
Jordanian new media said an “unidentified object” fell from the skies on Thursday night in the northern area of Irbid, after which security forces surrounded the area of impact.
Pictures shared on social media showed what appeared to be part of a missile that had landed in a yard.

The air strikes were reportedly targeting arms convoys of the known terror group Hezbollah who fought the Israelis in Lebanon in 2016 and is supporting the Assad regime in this conflict. The missile launches prompted the Israelis to set off air raid sirens in the Jordan Valley. Witnesses claimed to have heard an explosion, which may have been the rocket being intercepted.

To read the entire article from Al Jazeera, click here:

Photo courtesy Israeli Air Force