US special forces to the frontline against China, Russia

US Special Operations Forces (SOF) are undergoing a transformation from an emphasis on fighting insurgencies to potential great power conflict with China and Russia.

This month, Breaking Defense reported that the US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is seeing rising demand for SOF support across the armed services, with demand to support strategic competition up over 30% and for crisis response events over 150%.

SOCOM Chief General Bryan Fenton said during a recent keynote address that special military operations were in a bit of a “renaissance” as the character of warfare evolves and amid a “convergence of adversaries”, namely the growing cohesion among China, Russia, Iran and North Korea.

In a February 2023 US Congress hearing, Representative Jack Bergman highlighted the change in US strategic priorities from counterterrorism to competing with major powers like China and Russia. He explored the relevance of SOFs in addressing irregular warfare and supporting allies in the current geopolitical climate.

Representative Ruben Gallego has emphasized the significance of a comprehensive government strategy to tackle great power rivalry while also questioning the preparedness of SOFs to shift from counterterrorism to irregular warfare capabilities like foreign internal defense and information operations.

In response to Gallego, Seth Jones, senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, has argued for the critical role of SOF in irregular warfare amid competition with state actors like China and Russia.

Jones points out that amid restrained conventional warfare among nuclear powers, major global competitors including China, Russia, and Iran are intensively engaging in irregular warfare