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It is a self-evident truism end of the
Cold War and its reciprocal nuclear blackmail has not resulted in an era
of universal peace. Rather, we have witnessed the resurgence of a
multitude of regional/local or even tribal conflicts, most of which can be
classified as Low Intensity Conflicts (LICs). |
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Earlier and
optimistic assumptions of Low Intensity Conflicts involving nothing more
than police-style operations, or in the worst case a simplified,
lower-risk variant of the conventional battlefield tasks of infantry units
have been quickly proved wrong, and in some case dramatically so (e.g.,
the bloody failure of the peace-keeping mission in Somalia). This has led
to a renewed, generalised interest towards highly-trained and
well-equipped Special Forces units as the instrument of choice for LICs as
well as Operations-other-Than-War (OOTWs).
General
Considerations
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Members of the
Italian Navy COMSUBIN's Special Intervention Unit during urban
combat training. |
Before proceeding
any further, a working definition is necessary at this point to grasp what
is meant by special operations and, thus, Special Forces (NATO
designation) or Special Operations Forces (US designation). The US Special
Operations Command (USSOCOM) defines special operations as “operations
conducted by specially trained, equipped and organised forces against
strategic or tactical targets in pursuit of military, political economic
or psychological objectives. These operations may be conducted during
periods of peace or hostilities.
SF are units formed,
trained and equipped primarily to carry out special operations, and are
thus intended to provide a tailored solution to a number of specific
operational problems in the framework of low-, medium- and high-intensity
conflicts. These actions require units with combinations of specialised
personnel, equipment, training, and tactics that go beyond the routine
capabilities of conventional military forces.
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