SOF Week
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Upgrades ahead across the special operations helicopter fleet
Better targeting, lighter airframes and more firepower are on the docket.
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Blast monitoring, better body armor in store for US special operators
From gloves to body armor, SOF expects to upgrade all their kit in the coming years.
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More data, comms, countermeasures needed for Special Ops aircraft
From their largest to smallest aircraft, upgrades are needed for the next fight, Special Operations Command officials said.
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Special operators want electronic attack and firepower for watercraft
Officials want kinetic and nonkinetic weapons for a variety of vessels.
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Hegseth champions special operations as the force for today’s threats
There has been a 200% increase in SOF missions over the past three years, the defense secretary said.
VIDEOS
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What piece of technology does SOCOM need the most?
The Deputy Director for Acquisition for U.S. Special Operations Command talks about the type of tech SOCOM wants to prioritize right now.
More Stories
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US special forces want longer reach for rockets, snipers, robots
The new sniper rifle would replace two weapons currently in use.
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For data in their sights, US special ops seek military Google Glass
The device would work day or night as well as with existing night vision gear.
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SEALs want loitering munitions aboard insert/extract patrol boats
The launcher addition to the SEAL boat would hold loitering munitions, drones or other payloads.
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Submarine delays push SEALs to find new underwater approaches
A newly fielded vehicle and better dive gear are helping bridge the gap.
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Special operators set to pick light machine gun in new caliber
The .338 caliber has been adopted for sniper use. This is its debut in machine guns.
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Live-fire training suspended for Special Forces after range incident
The Army suspended all Special Forces range activities for 72 hours following an accidental shooting on a range when live rounds were mixed in with blanks.
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Little Bird helicopter replacement in question after Army cancels FARA
Current upgrades aim to keep the helicopter flying until 2034.
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Budget strain pauses MC-130J amphibious project for special forces
U.S. Special Operations Command has paused an ambitious program to make its MC-130J transport plane capable of water landings and takeoff.
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The power of relationships and partnerships forged by special ops
The history of special operations in the U.S. is replete with examples that demonstrate how vital this can be.
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Special Forces soldiers in NW Florida still awaiting child care center
A decision on whether Special Forces families will get a child development center at Camp “Bull” Simons, Florida, may arrive in the coming weeks.
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What could derail great power competition? A terrorist attack.
Special operations must continue counterterrorism and crisis response while also competing with peer adversaries such as Russia and China, experts said.
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Special operations role in great power competition needs work
What will the role of special operations be as the U.S. competes with China and Russia?
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Signals intelligence teams reposition to face China, Russia
The mission has shifted dramatically as the United States ratchets up competition in the frequency bands with peer competitors like Russia and China.
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New guns means new bullets, suppressors and tech for special ops
And why not throw in some new explosives, too.
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Driverless boats, enduring sensors on the special ops maritime menu
Sensors that can run for weeks or month are on the wish list.
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Navigation tools, electric-powered fleet top of mind for special ops
“We know the window is closing to stay on GPS when denied.”
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Drones, planes need new weapons and sensors, says special ops official
The gunships still take center stage but require advancements to keep up with the pace of warfare.
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This SOCOM program has cut proposal to prototype timelines by half
New funding mechanisms, a nonprofit and “Tech Tuesdays” helped the command find new industry partners and deliver prototypes faster.
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Special ops turn to data, space tech to gain ‘decisive advantage’
Positions and capabilities such as data scientists and natural language processing hold promise for better battlefield awareness.
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SOCOM wants new industry pitches to connect autonomous tech
The goal is for government and industry officials to connect autonomous technology to work together.