The flagship of the Black Sea fleet, the Slava class RTS Moskva (121) was badly damaged early on Thursday (Apr 14, Ukraine time). The Ukrainian military announced that two of its Neptune missiles hit the ship. Two hours later the Russians announced that ammunition on board the ship had exploded causing an evacuation of the ship. The crew of 510 has been evacuated. Early news reports indicated that the ship had sunk, but most news media now are saying that it is being towed to port by the Russian navy.

Editor’s Note: Many initial reports by news agencies and social media reported the Moskva had sunk. However, by mid-day on Thursday it was under tow going to port. By the end of the day news reports were saying it has sunk.

The Ukrainians said that the Neptune missiles were launched from the Black Sea shore between Odesa and Nikolaev. It has been reported that a Turkish-built TB2 drone was flown in the vicinity to distract the ships attention from the incoming missiles. The majority of the crew were reported to have been rescued; however, a number of the crew may have died or are missing.

Photo: RK-360MC Neptune Cruise Missile. Photo by Ukraine’s Naval Command, March 15, 2021.

The Neptune cruise missiles are a very recent addition to Ukraine’s inventory of weapons. The RK-360MC Neptune was put into use in the Ukraine navy’s artillery brigade on March 15, 2021, as part of the newly-created coastal defense missile battalion. The missile design is based on the Soviet-Russian Kh-35 cruise missile (AS-20 Kayak). It has a range of 300 kilometers, has a 330 lb warhead, and is a low-altitude missile.

Shelling and missile attacks from the Black Sea fleet has been striking targets along the Ukrainian shore as well as further inland. The Russian blockade of Ukrainian shipping continues. An amphibious landing force on several ships is still positioned in the Black Sea off the coast of Odessa with the capability to land a substantial element of Russian naval infantry. Any attempt to land forces on the Black Sea coast of Ukraine are now problematic – as the amphibious naval force is now more vulnerable to air attack.

The Russians continue to pose a threat to both Mykolayiv and Odessa. Located on the west bank of the Dnieper River close to the coast of the Black Sea, Mykolayiv is a strategic objective for the Russians that is on the road to Odessa located further west along the coast of the Black Sea.

Image: Ukraine Postage Stamp: “Snake Island”. The Ukraine postal service recently had an artist competition for new stamps. This stamp by artist Boris Groh was a winner. Snake Island was the location of a small Ukrainian Coast Guard station in the Black Sea that was told to surrender by the Russian navy. The Moskva (121) is depicted in the image.

The Moskva was the ship that was involved in the famous Snake Island incident. In the initial days of the invasion the Moskva radioed to the Ukrainian defenders of Snake Island to surrender. The response from the Ukrainian coast guard was “Russian warship, go f*** yourself”. The Ukrainian defenders were ultimately captured and then released about one month later during a prisoner of war exchange.

A replacement ship would usually come from the fleet the Russians maintain in the Mediterranean Sea. However, the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits have been closed to warship traffic by Turkey in accordance with the Montreux Convention. Russia could force the issue and try to move one or more of its warships through the straits.

The Moskva is a 12,500-ton ship that is over 600 feet long. It carries numerous anti-ship missiles and air-defense missiles. The ship was commissioned into the Soviet navy in 1982. A prime function of the ship would be to protect amphibious ships landing naval infantry. It has 16 fixed launchers for P-1000 anti-ship missiles, vertical tubes for 64 S-300 air-defense missiles, and rail launchers for 40 Osa missiles for aerial self-defense. In addition, it carries guns, torpedoes, and has a landing pad for a helicopter.

Do you receive our daily newsletter? If not, you can sign up here and enjoy it five (almost) days a week with your morning coffee (or afternoon tea depending on where in the world you are).

*********

Photo: Moskva cruiser, Russian flagship of the Black Sea.

References:

Russian Cruiser Moskva – Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_cruiser_Moskva

“Ukraine’s navy acquires first Neptune cruise missiles”, Kyiv Post, March 15, 2021.

“The Russian Cruiser ‘Moskva’ Dominates the Black Sea”, by David Axe, Forbes.com, January 20, 2022.

The first woman to become a Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen (SWCC) graduated from the Naval Special Warfare training pipeline on Thursday, July 15, 2021. She was among 17 graduates of the Crewman Qualification Training (CQT) class earning their pins.

“Becoming the first woman to graduate from a Naval Special Warfare training pipeline is an extraordinary accomplishment, and we are incredibly proud of our teammate. Like her fellow operators, she demonstrated the character, cognitive and leadership attributes required to join our force.”

Rear Adm. H. W. Howard, commander, U.S. Naval Special Warfare Command

The Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen specialize in small boats used in maritime operations, insertion and exfiltration of SEAL and other special operations elements, Visit Board Search Seizure (VBSS), and in the conduct of coastal patrol and interdiction. SWCCs provide dedicated rapid mobility in shallow water areas where larger ships cannot operate. The Special Boat Teams have the unique capability of delivering combat craft via parachute drop utilizing the Maritime Combatant Craft Aerial Delivery System.

Photo: CORONADO, Calif. (May 14, 2020) A member of Crewman Qualification Training Class 109 receives a Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewman (SWCC) Basic pin during a graduation ceremony at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, May 14, 2020. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Anthony W. Walker/Released) 200514-N-QC706-0117

The ‘official’ Naval Special Warfare website on SEAL / SWCC training details the rigorous and demanding 37-week long training that SWCCs undergo to become qualified. The website states that there are five stages for a SWCC candidate.

• Stage 1 (2 months) takes place at the Naval Special Warfare Preparatory School in Great Lakes, Illinois where the candidates improve their physical fitness and learn the basic concepts of special warfare.
• Stage 2 (three weeks) is the Naval Special Warfare Orientation course where there is a lot of physical fitness and water training.
• Stage 3 (7 weeks) is the Basic Crewman Selection course (BCS) where the physical fitness training and conditioning continues. More running and swimming with lots of time spent in the pool or ocean. The last part of the BCS is called “The Tour” – a grueling days long crucible period requiring mental fortitude and physical stamina.
• Stage 4 (7 weeks) is the Basic Crewman Training where the candidates learn special operations maritime skills, navigation, communications, combat medicine, and small boat seamanship.
• Stage 5 (7 weeks) is the Crewman Qualification Training. The mental and physical toughness of the SWCC candidates is tested while they learn advanced navigation, weapons, mission planning, and small boat operations. After competing this phase the candidates attend NSW survival, SERE, and cross-cultural training.

The graduation rate for the SWCC assessment and selection pipeline is about 35%. In 2016 the Navy’s special warfare duty positions were opened to female sailors. 18 women have attempted the SEAL or SWCC training, but thus far, only one has successfully completed the training. The new SWCCs will either go on to some specialized training (for instance, the Special Operations Combat Medic course) or report to a Special Boat Team.

Photo: Naval special operations forces from the Greek Underwater Demolition Team (DYK), Cypriot Underwater Demolition Team (UDT), and U.S. Navy Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen (SWCC) conduct Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS) in Souda Bay, Greece, during a trilateral exercise, January 11-29. (Photo by Sgt. Monique ONeill, SOCEUR, Jan 24, 2021)

Once qualified SWCCs continue to train in their core competencies as well as in advanced skills. They are experts in maritime operations, navigation, communications, engineering, parachuting, and other special operations tactics and techniques. The principle boats that they will operate include the Combat Craft Assault (CCA), Combat Craft Medium (CCM), Combat Craft Heavy (CCH), , and the Special Operations Craft Riverine (SOC-R).

Photo: Two combatant craft assault crafts (CCA) assigned to the Special Boat Team 20 perform a high-speed transit in the Mediterranean Sea, May 26, 2021. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Eric Coffer, May 26, 2021)

The Navy has three Special Boat Teams with 800 sailors. The Special Boat Teams are located in Coronado, California (SBT 12), Little Creek, Virginia (SBT 20), and Stennis, Mississippi (SBT 22). The SBTs are continually deploying to overseas locations in support of naval special operations exercises, training, and missions.

*********

Top Photo: A Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewman (SWCC) candidate from Basic Crewman Selection (BCS) Class 111 prepares for an evolution during “The Tour” at Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Center in Coronado, Calif., June 1, 2020. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Sean Furey)

Story by Naval Special Warfare Command.

Naval Special Warfare (NSW) concluded the second and final pilot round this week for its newest initiative, the NSW Leader Assessment Program (NLAP), which focuses on transforming how it selects and promotes future leaders.

NLAP serves as an integral component to NSW’s focus on informing, developing and implementing a reliable and repeatable talent management paradigm. NLAP increases precision and selectivity in NSW’s assignment processes for every milestone of officer and enlisted leadership, putting the right people in the right positions by assessing attributes known to be correlated with successful leaders.

“We place emphasis on superior leadership as our principal asymmetric advantage over the nation’s adversaries and embrace the mission imperative to evolve the ways we assess the character, cognitive and leadership attributes within the force,” said Rear Adm. H. W. Howard III, commander, Naval Special Warfare Command. “We recently accelerated the development of the NLAP pilot to rapidly experiment with an approach that increases officer and enlisted selection precision, development opportunities, and leader pairing decisions – and addresses cognitive biases that can adversely impact selection decisions.”

This round of NLAP pilots consisted of four separate convenings with two in Little Creek, Virginia and two in Coronado. Naval Special Warfare Center, which has been charged with running the assessment program, screened over 90 participants eligible for either executive officer or command master chief positions. In the future, the four-day process held on the premises will apply to all levels of leadership from major command to O-5 command as well as tactical level commanders and senior enlisted advisors.

Photo: Naval Special Warfare Leader Assessment Program (NLAP) participants discuss leadership techniques during an NLAP pilot, June 15. (U.S. Navy photo by Brad Houshour)

“To meet tomorrow’s national security objectives, we must improve leader selectivity and assignment precision while promoting a culture of development,” said Capt. Bart Randall, commodore, Naval Special Warfare Center. “We will produce a stronger, more self-aware, lethal NSW force by assessing participants’ leadership potential, cognitive aptitude, communications skills and personality attributes and providing that information to inform selection decisions and the participants’ own professional development process.”

NLAP evaluated the readiness of prospective leaders in a transparent, fair and merit-based fashion. Among other criteria, panel considerations included peer and subordinate surveys completed by service members who have worked with or for each participant. Additionally, participants underwent physical, psychological and writing assessments to establish performance and psychometric baselines. Panel members also conducted double-blind interviews to further assess participants’ leadership potential.

NSW completed its initial NLAP pilot in March 2021, assessing 48 officers across the spectrum of attributes required for strong leadership. This convening, along with other services’ experimentation with similar programs, served as a proof of concept to inform the latest round of assessments.

Altogether, the pilots will form the basis for the implementation of formal policies and procedures to establish the NLAP program as part of NSW leader selection in 2022. The iterative nature of the pilots was by design, a strategy to methodically “build a little, test a little, learn a lot,” according to Howard. Because the program is still under development, results from the NLAP pilots will not be used for future Navy administrative selection panels.

Naval Special Warfare Center, located on Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, provides initial assessment and selection and subsequent advanced training to the Sailors who make up the Navy’s SEAL and Special Boat communities. These communities support the NSW mission, providing maritime special operations forces to conduct full-spectrum operations, unilaterally or with partners, to support national objectives. For more information on the NSW pipeline, visit https://www.sealswcc.com/.

**********

Top Photo: Naval Special Warfare Leader Assessment Program (NLAP) participants undergo physical performance testing during an NLAP pilot, June 14, 2021. NLAP is run by Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Center. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Benjamin K. Kittleson).

Story: This article is a courtesy story by Naval Special Warfare Command first published by DVIDS on June 29, 2021. The Defense Visual Information Distribution Service provides media content for the public domain.

This video depicts scenes from the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Centre (NMIOTC) course held in Greece in April 2021. The course is designed to improve the accuracy of snipers engaging stable or moving targets from land, air, and naval vessels.

The video was produced by Sgt. Patrik Orcutt of the U.S. Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR). The video was originally posted on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service on June 16, 2021. DVIDS content is in the public domain. Video is two minutes long.

Watch the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-y3IwL8zBsk

By Eliverto Larios, 10th SFGA, Feb 22, 2021.

A record-setting cold-weather front provided a prime training opportunity for Green Berets from the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) to dive through the sheet of ice covering Townsend Reservoir here at the Mountain Post.

The Green Berets set out to improve their maritime skills by diving under the ice-covered Reservoir on Fort Carson, Colorado on February 18, 2021. The ice diving training was the first of its kind performed by the 10th SFG (A) in more than five years. It allowed the team to familiarize themselves with specialized ice diving gear, and get a better grasp on the required skillset to thrive in an arctic dive.

With frigid temperatures and snow-covered mountains as a backdrop, the team laid out their equipment on the shoreline. With one member in a full dive suit and the others acting as safeties, the team went through pre dive checks, laying in the water to make sure all hoses were connected correctly and there were no leaks in the wet suit.

Once the checks were complete, it was time to dive. Each Green Beret took their turn disappearing under the ice sheet into the dark freezing water while tethered to a safety diver who stood a few feet into the reservoir. The submerged diver would swim out into the reservoir and punch through the ice, giving a thumbs-up to signal that everything was ok. After a few more minutes, each diver emerged from the water and removed their gear with the help of their teammates.

10th Group is already the home to the Special Operations Advanced Mountaineering School (SOAMS) and the Winter Warfare Detachment experts but are increasingly focused on how to fight and win in the unforgiving environment north of the Arctic Circle.

The arctic environment necessitates advanced training because it is an inherently deadly atmosphere where even routine mistakes can be fatal, explained a member of the 10th SFG(A). Losing a glove in the desert or the jungle is an inconvenience; in the arctic it can cost a Soldier their hand and their ability to survive, let alone thrive, in combat.

Diving in that environment adds an even greater level of risk and a requirement for absolute mastery of individual technical skills. With the help of several expert divers, some former Special Operations veterans, the team was able to emulate an environment similar to what they would find in an Artic Warfare environment and understand the importance of the training.

The focus on arctic warfare is part of a Department of Defense wide effort to train and fight in the far north. The arctic is of strategic interest for its untapped natural resources, shipping lanes, and proximity to world powers.

Last month, during an Association of the United States Army virtual event, The U.S. Army Chief of Staff, Gen. James McConville, emphasized the importance of having such capabilities in the Artic.

“Optimizing the employment of our forces and being able to demonstrate our capabilities through combined exercises and power projection are critical.”

The Army even recently upgraded the design of its Arctic Tab and issued new guidance for its wear – the redesigned tab is worn above the unit patch like the Ranger and Sapper tabs. The Arctic tab is earned by completing either the Cold Weather Leaders Course or the Cold Weather Orientation Course at the Northern Warfare Training Center located in Black Rapids, Alaska.

**********

Photo: A Green Beret from 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) conducting an ice dive on Fort Carson, Colorado, 18th February, 2021. (U.S. Army photo by SSG Eliverto V Larios)

Story: This story by Staff Sgt. Eliverto Larios of the 10th Special Forces Group was originally published as “Green Berets learn to thrive in arctic”, DVIDS, February 22, 2021. The Defense Visual Information Distribution Service provides stories, videos, and photographs that are in the public domain.

By Petty Officer 1st Class Sean Weir.

Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen (SWCC) operators complete demanding tactical training throughout their careers, but before becoming a SWCC operator they must first pass a 72-hour crucible during the fifth week of the SWCC Basic Crewman Selection (BCS) course called the “Tour.”

“On Time, On Target, Never Quit” is the SWCC motto, a valuable maxim the men and women learn at Basic Crewman Selection, take to heart when they embark on the Tour during Basic Crewman Training, and they take with them throughout their careers.

“The Tour is 72 hours of physically and mentally demanding training evolutions designed to replicate harsh environments that SWCC operators may encounter in their carrier as a Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen.”

Chief Warrant Officer Four Joshua Hummel, SWCC School Officer in Charge

During 23 hours of running and five miles swimming, the candidates complete grueling team building activities that develop unity, teamwork, character and humility. Pushed by a team of experienced SWCC instructors under demanding environmental conditions, candidates learn to work as a boat team and also to help the person next to them during life threatening situations.

“The hardest part for a student is changing their mentality and habits. Anyone can show up to SWCC school for a day. It takes someone with self-discipline and mental perseverance to do it every day. From day one until they graduate the students have to realize becoming an elite operator isn’t something you do one day a week or two weeks a month, it’s something you do every day, it’s a lifestyle.”

Chief Warrant Officer Four Joshua Hummel, SWCC School Officer in Charge

SWCC operators work closely with Navy SEALs by providing clandestine insertion capabilities in coastal areas while operating specialized craft used to deliver operators and provide heavy weapons and other critical support. They conduct special reconnaissance, patrol, as well as Visit, Board, Search and Seizure on suspected maritime craft. The Tour is the end of the initial training and where candidates get selected to become SWCC operators, and proceeds the 14-week long Crewman Qualification Training which is just a portion of the six-month A-school.

BCS is administered by Basic Training Command, a component of Navy Special Warfare (NSW) Center, in Coronado, CA. NSW Center provides initial and advanced training to the Sailors who make-up the Navy’s SEAL and Special Boat Teams. For more information on SWCC and how to become part of it, visit www.SEALSWCC.com.

**********

Photo: A Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewman (SWCC) candidate from Basic Crewman Selection (BCS) Class 111 prepares for an evolution during “The Tour” at Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Center in Coronado, Calif., June 1, 2020. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Sean Furey)

Article: This story was originally published on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service on August 5, 2020. DVIDS is a web-based resource providing defense media products that is in the public domain.

SOF News Update 20200114 – Curated news, commentary, and analysis about special operations, national security, and conflicts around the world. New 7th CSM, bodyguards in Hollywood, Delta Force, new IDF unit, IDF drones, IS video about the Sahel, audiobook about SF in Vietnam, and Afghan conflict lessons learned.

Email Formating. We are doing a little bit of experimentation with our email format. If you notice some odd things going on over the next few weeks then we managed to muck something up. Bear with us; we will get it straightened out and hopefully provide an improved reading experience.

SOF News

SF “Day on the Hill”. The Special Forces Association is looking for SFA members to support a planned “Day on the Hill” at the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. on February 5, 2020. The intent is to visit Congressional offices to advocate for the bipartisan passage of the 116th U.S. Congress House Resolution 906 and Senate Bill 743 – “Merrill’s Marauders Congressional Gold Medal Act”. The bill seeks to recognize the valor and contributions of the U.S. Army’s 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional). The unit conducted long-range special operations jungle warfare during World War II in the China-Burma-India Theater against Japanese forces. For more information on how to help contact the Special Forces Association.

Death of 5th Group Officer. Douglas Ndole Odera, a member of the 5th Special Forces Group, died on December 23, 2019 at age 36. He was a graduate of West Point and had completed several deployments with Special Forces. Obituary.

SEAL Heading off to Space. An active-duty Navy lieutenant with an interesting career (SEALs, Silver Star, Harvard Medical School, etc.) finds himself in the astronaut program. Read “SEAL, Doctor, Astronaut – Navy Lt. Jonny Kim achieves your childhood dreams so you don’t have to”, Task & Purpose, January 13, 2020.

Promotion for Cdr 1st SOW. Air Force Colonel Michael Conley has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general. He is currently serving as the commander of the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida.

Bio of Gary Gordon – 1SFOD-D KIA in Somalia 1993. The official blog of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has published a biography of MSG Gary Gordon. See “Gary Gordon: A Real American Hero”, VA, January 9, 2020.

Former Green Beret Pleads Guilty. A former Special Forces NCO of the 3rd Special Forces Group will be sentenced in his role in stealing money while deployed to Afghanistan. He faces 15 years in prison. (Army Times, January 13, 2020).

CMO Capacity Building in Africa. James P. Micciche, a U.S. Army Civil Affairs office, has written a lengthy essay on the need to stay for the long haul in Africa to ensure regional stability. Read “A Cause of and Solution to Extremism: A Case for Civil Military Operation (CMO) Capacity Building in African Partner Forces”, Small Wars Journal, January 13, 2020.

New 7th Group SEA. The 7th Special Forces Group has a new group Senior Enlisted Advisor. A change of responsibility ceremony was conducted on Friday, January 10, 2020 at Camp Simons, Florida with CSM Alexi Ortiz taking the reigns. (NSF Daily News, Jan 11, 2020).

SEAL Arraigned on Murder Charge. A Navy SEAL charged with murder in the strangulation death of an Army Green Beret in Mali has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Read more in “Navy SEAL arraigned on murder charges in death of Green Beret”, Army Times, January 13, 2020.

SOF Vets Work as Bodyguards in Hollywood. A firm providing protection to high-profile Hollywood actors relies on former and current members of law enforcement organizations and special operations units of the military. Read more in “Inside the Secret Service of Hollywood That Guards Stars Like Post Malone and Jennifer Lopez”, The Daily Beast, January 12, 2020.

Delta Force – Staying Elite? Sebastien Roblin explains how the selection and training process prepares its members for the difficult and dangerous missions it conducts around the world. But it also does more. Read “How does the Delta Force Remain So Elite?”, The National Interest, January 12, 2020.

Soldierstone. “Hidden high in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, in a remote and unmarked field, is a secret monument honoring war veterans. The lonely pillar of polished granite sits at more than 11,000 feet, in a clearing among majestic peaks.” LTC (Ret) Stuart Allen Beckley, a former Green Beret and Vietnam Veteran, is the man behind “Soldierstone”. Read more in “Visiting Soldierstone, a hidden memorial in Colorado honoring forgotten war veterans”, CBS This Morning, December 2, 2019.

Human Domain and PSYOP. Some fascinating, futuristic reading by the Mad Scientist Laboratory (army.mil). Read Psychological Warfare in the Human Domain: Mixing AI-Powered Technology wit Psychosocial Engagement, TRADOC, January 13, 2020. The plot is about a multifunctional special operations team that infiltrates into the Ad Dali’ Province of western Yemen as part of a coalition effort that supports the UN recognized government of President Mansour Hadi, based in the southern capital of Aden in the year 2025.

The ‘New’ SOF M110K1 Sniper Rifle. A sniper rifle used by Special Operations Forces is getting an upgrade that will allow it to remain in the SOF arsenal for a few more years. Read “The U.S. Special Forces ‘New’ M110K1 Sniper Rifle: The Best on the Planet?”, The National Interest, January 11, 2020.

Crash of SOF Drone Cause Revealed. The cause of a September 2018 crash of a MQ-9 Reaper was revealed in a recently released Air Force accident investigation. The aircraft was assigned to the 27th Special Operations Wing at Cannon AFB, N.M. Thirty-four MQ-9s have been destroyed (by various means) during the 2009-2019 time frame. Read “Report: MQ-9 Crash Caused by Faulty Engine Design”, Air Force Magazine, January 13, 2020.

International SOF

Israel’s Drones. Seth Frantzman, a Jerusalem-based journalist, enlightens us on “How Israel Trains Its Elite Drone Warriors”, The National Interest, January 11, 2020.

India’s VIPs Losing NSG Security. The government of India has decided to withdraw the security details provided to VIPs by the National Security Guard Black Cat Commandos. Read “Govt to Withdraw NSG Commandos From All VIP Security Duties”, Indian Defense News, January 13, 2020.

IDF Establishes New ‘Multidimensional Unit’. The Israeli Defense Forces announced the formation of a new unit that will help Israeli ‘strike the enemy faster’. Personnel assigned to the new unit will come from a variety of other IDF units to include intelligence, special forces, reconnaissance, paratroopers, air force, and others. The new unit will be led by a former commander of the elite Duvdevan special forces unit. Read “IDF Launches New Combat Unit”, Arutz Sheva, January 1, 2020.

Military News and National Defense

Contractors Supporting Military Operations. Russia, China, and the United States are increasingly using private military contractors to accomplish national security objectives. Read more in “The Dark World of Private Military Contractors”, Inside Over, January 7, 2020.

Hearings on Lessons Learned. Mr. John F. Sopko, the head of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) will be testifying before the U.S. House of Representatives’s Committee on Foreign Affairs on Wednesday, January 15, 2020 at 10:00 am (EST). The hearing is about the U.S. Lessons Learned in Afghanistan. You can watch the testimony live.

Norway and SSA. Two Norwegian Army officers collaborate in an essay describing the Security Sector Assistance capabilities of Norway – touching on the use of Unconventional Warfare, Military Assistance, Security Force Assistance, and Security Sector Reform. The article describes how small states can punch above their own weight. See “Small States – Big Gains: Understanding the Dynamics of Security Sector Assistance (SSA)”, Small Wars Journal, January 13, 2020.

Turkey, Diplomacy, and Operation Peace Spring. Turkey’s ambitious involvement in Syria is causing domestic and international problems for its leadership. Read more in “Turkish Public Diplomacy and Operation Peace Spring”, by Ozlem Kayhan Pusane, War on the Rocks, January 13, 2020.

Books, Pubs, and Papers

Audiobook – SF in Vietnam. John Stryker Meyer has published an eleven hour long audiobook entitled Across the Fence: The Secret War in Vietnam. His audiobook details the deadly and secret war in Laos and Cambodia fought by Special Forces men assigned to the top secret Military Assistance Command Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group or SOG. The audiobook is available on Audible – an Amazon company.

Journal of Military History. The latest issue is posted online. Must be a current member of the Society for Military History to access.
https://www.smh-hq.org/jmh/online.html

TV, and Videos

68 Whiskey. James Clark of Task & Purpose reviews a new CBS comedy about medics serving in Afghanistan. He says “Don’t bother”. Read “CBS’s new dark comedy ’68 Whiskey’ is everything that’s wrong with network military shows”, Task& Purpose, January 13, 2020.

Video – IS Operations Across the Sahel. A new Islamic State video details the jihadist group’s varying operations across the Sahel over the past few years. The group, known as the Islamic State’s West African Province, is also known as the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS). The operations that are presented in the video take place in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso. Read more in “Islamic State video details operations across the Sahel”, FDD’s Long War Journal, January 10, 2020.

Tampa Bay Frogman Swim. Watch a video from the January 12, 2020 event that raised money for the Navy SEAL foundation. (six minutes).
https://www.facebook.com/RonCollins/videos/10157674298002092/

1917. This movie is about two young British soldiers who are given a seemingly impossible mission to cross enemy territory and deliver a message that will stop a deadly attack on hundreds of soldiers. Watch the official movie trailer by Universal Pictures, posted December 18, 2019 on YouTube, 3 minutes long.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZjQROMAh_s

Merrill’s Marauders. The 530th Composite Group conducted special operations missions in the Asian theater against Japanese forces during World War II. Watch a 3 minute long video about their missions.
USASOC PAO, YouTube, 28 August 2019.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wacNdAi8OBA

**********

Photo: A Soldier assigned to the 10th Special Forces Group participates in Wet Silk Training at the Iron Horse Physical Fitness Center on Fort Carson, Colorado, on September 9, 2019. Photo by Special Christopher Stevenson, 10th SFGA.

This SARC video explains the job and responsibilities of the Navy Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman. The SARC has to perform as a medical provider and as a warrior. They deploy with Navy and Marine special operations units. Watch the two-minute long video published on January 24, 2019 by America’s Navy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ONl8Z1s-Ac

**********

Photo: Taken from the video.

Despite SOF aircrews having recently taken part in an actual SOF insertion onto a ship where SOF troops captured illegal immigrants holding the crew of a ship captive, UK Special Forces aircrew have just completed yet another major week-long SF exercise called Faraday Field.

Air assets started to assemble on a recent Sunday at the remote Altcar range – located on the UK’s west coast and where both regular and reserve troops, plus cadets, fire some two million rounds a year.

First to arrive were Merlin helicopters from the Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton. These were followed by Chinooks from RAF Odiham and then Royal Navy Wildcat helicopters from RNAS Yeovilton.

Once established on camp, and following a meal and briefing, the UK Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing aircrews commenced week-long night time insertion sorties, out to both rigs and shipping, located in the nearby Morecambe Bay – the second largest gas field in the UK.

The sorties consisted of the force inserting SOF troops by fast roping from Chinooks, whilst protected by both Wildcat and Merlin helicopters. Plus, a Merlin HM.1 providing ISTAR, Radar coverage and Search and Rescue duties.

To compensate for the disruption caused to local residents during Faraday Field, created by noise from the helicopters departing en-mass each night, the range held a one-hour public open session on the exercises last day. Residents were able to view a number of the helicopters and then watch them depart to their home bases.

It was an opportunity that was gratefully received by those who took advantage of the occasion. It also somewhat compensated for the actions of one or two members of the range’s security team, who during the week tried to stop residents and enthusiasts photographing the helicopters whilst they were standing on public footpaths, located outside the range boundary.

**********

Photos: Provided by author.

Author: Pat Carty is a NATO accredited journalist who covers military news, events, operations, and exercises; including special operations forces. He is a contributor to SOF News as well as several other military defense publications.

NAVSCIATTS – The Naval Small Craft Instruction and Technical Training School is located at the John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The command is a center for training international military and law enforcement personnel. NAVSCIATTS is a Security Cooperation / Security Force Assistance schoolhouse operating under the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) in support of Geographic Combatant Commander’s Theater Special Operations Command (TSOC) priorities.

History. The school used to be located in the Panama Canal Zone. It was first established as the Small Craft Inspection and Training Team (SCIATT) at the U.S. Naval Station, Rodman, Panama in 1963 by the U.S. Coast Guard. Operation of the school was transferred to the U.S. Navy in 1969 and redesignated as the Small Craft Instruction and Technical Team. With the closure of U.S. bases in Panama the school was relocated to Mississippi.

Mission. “NAVSCIATTS conducts Foreign Internal Defense (FID) in support of Combatant Commanders in accordance with Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command priorities using Mobile Training Teams (MTTs) and in-residence training to prepare Partner Nations forces to conduct small craft operations in riverine or littoral environments”. [1]

Training Programs. Over the past two years (2016 and 2017) the school has trained up over 2,000 international military and law enforcement agency personnel from approximately 80 partner nations. The instruction takes place in the form of residence courses and mobile training teams across the tactical, operational, and strategic spectrums. Topics include waterborne operations, maintenance, instructor development and other subjects. [2]

“The facility trains and educates international special operations forces, SOF-like forces and SOF enablers across the tactical, operational and strategic spectrums through in resident and mobile training team courses of instruction, including operations, repairs, sustainment of craft, communications, weapons, small unit tactics, range safety, unmanned aerial systems and intel fusion operations.” [3]

NAVSCIATTS Courses. There are a multitude of courses taught at the training facility. The courses can be custom-tailored to the training audience. The courses are divided into three categories:

• Strategic courses
• Operational courses
• Tactical courses

Below is a listing of the courses conducted [4]

• Strategic
  • Strategic Leaders International Course
  • Partner Nation Instructor Course
• Operational
  • Diesel Systems Overhaul and Maintenance
  • Outboard Motor Maintenance and Overhaul
  • Technical Welding and Applied Repairs
  • Instructor Development Course
  • UAS Operations and Planning
  • Rule of Law and Disciplined Military Operations
  • Intel Fusion and Operations Integration
  • Expeditionary Logistics and Supply
  • JO/NCO Leadership and Planning
• Tactical
  • Patrol Craft Officer – Coastal
  • Patrol Craft Officer – Riverine
  • Waterborne Instructor Course Coastal
  • Waterborne Instructor Course Riverine
  • Patrol Craft Advanced Training
  • Combat Lifesaver Course
  • International Small Arms Maintenance
  • International Tactical Communications Course
  • Range Operations Safety
  • SOF Tactical Patrol Leader

Instructor Cadre. There are less than 100 instructors at the school. The commandant for the past few years has been a Navy SEAL. The cadre conducts both in-resident training as well as take part in Mobile Training Teams to foreign countries. Training offered by the cadre is often followed up with advanced training by Special Boat Team or SEAL Team instructors.

Boats. The school provides training utilizing 25-foot Boston Whaler Patrol Boats, 25-foot Security Force Assistance Combat Craft, and 38-foot Security Force Assistance Combat Craft.

International Training Audience. The school provides instruction for partner nation personnel from all over the world. One example is the school’s Lake Chad Basin Initiative – which is working through the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership to facilitate this training event. The objective of the training is to increase partner nations’ abilities to project force against violent extremist organization safe havens within the Lake Chad region. The students will be armed with U.S.-based maintenance and leadership training prior to the delivery of mission-essential equipment to security forces in the region. Follow-on training by mobile training teams will reinforce and further the capabilities gained from the training at the CONUS based schoolhouse. [5}

Training Location. The location of the the training facility is ideal – this part of Mississippi possesses some of the finest riverine and littoral training areas found within the United States. The facility is located on the Mississippi coast 45 miles (72 kilometers) northeast of New Orleans, Mississippi. Two other Naval Special Warfare commands are located on Stennis – Special Boat Team 22 and Training Detachment Stennis.

References:

NAVSCIATTS Website on USSOCOM Portal
www.socom.mil/navsoc/NAVSCIATTS/

NAVSCIATTS Facebook
www.facebook.com/NAVSCIATTS/

NAVSCIATTS YouTube
www.youtube.com/NAVSCIATTS

Footnotes:

[1] Mission statement from NAVSCIATTS, accessed Dec 2017.
www.socom.mil/navsoc/NAVSCIATTS/mission-statement

[2] USSOCOM, Tip of the Spear, United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), October 2017, 19.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Listing of courses offered from NAVSCIATTS website as of December 2017.

[5] See “NAVSCIATTS Conducts Inaugural Lake Chad Basin Initiative”, by Angela Fry, DVIDS, December 7, 2017.