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Dissecting Special Operation

jhungary

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Was just surfing the page for a quiet Saturday, I was quite surprise to see people don't quite understand some concept of Special Operation when I was watching a thread. Being a defence forum, so I volunteer to help. And today, I am going to talk about Special Operation.

Each country have there own Armed Force, so it's only natural for them to inherit their own Special Operation Unit. Each country set their rules for their Special Operation profile and standards. In this article, I am going to use United States Special Operation Command (USSOCOM) as a template so don't be surprise if what I said here is not exactly how SOF team operate in your own country.

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Brief History of Special Operation

Special Operation as a concept exist since a really, really long time, if you have to look back to the essence of special operation, then the famous Trojan Horse can also be seen as a kind of Special Operation

The modern era special operation exist as early as 1845, when the British Indian Army employ Crops of Guide and Gurkha Scout to perform combat reconnaissance behind enemy line, that is the first use of standard Special Force unit

However, up until WW1, SOF are used as an attachment unit attached to a formal fighting unit, the only completely independent SOF unit was arguably the Strom Trooper used by the German during WW1, where a bunch of soldier going wild and infiltrate the gap between trenches and storm the no man lands are widely but arguably the first organised SOF unit that the world have ever seen.

But for the undenialable fact remain, the SOF unit was horned and the name earned during WW2, when they were established as a full fledged department inside Military Organisation.

The father of Special Forces undoubtedly is the Brigadier Dudley Clarke, which formed 3 core unit during WW2 that evolved into what SOF is today, they are the Commando (British Commando), Special Air Service (SAS) and the US Army Ranger. Where these three organisation basically wrote the book on Special Operation Manual that most SOF live by today

The definition of Special Operation

Special Operation (refer to SpecOp herein) Force are a force or unit to train with unconventional warfare, quote from Ben Affleck from the movie Pearl Harbour, it's the kind of mission usually give you a medal but it will give it to your NOK.

That actually did summed up the definition of special operation, which is a sort of high risk mission that normal combat force will not or are not equip to deal with and a specialised tactics and equipment (Also training to use those equipment) are needed to perform such mission, that mission can then be called a SpecOps and the people who conduct those mission are called Special Force Operator, or simply operator.
Many people don't know this, but SpecOps not just deal with highly classified mission (Such as Tier 1 mission) but the mission statement and mission spectrum for SpecOps are quite board. Basically, SpecOps are separated into 4 different categories:

1. Special Operations
2. Overt Operations
3. Covert Operations
4. Black/Denied Operation

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Special Operation

Basically this is a sort of Military Operation that require some special skills set to perform, typical Special Operation usually included Combat Search And Rescue, Special Reconnaissance, Intelligence Gathering, Personnel and Asset Recovery.

Most of these type of operation require skill set which a normal soldier would not process, skill such as stealth, live saving, medical and intelligence processing. For which a special branch of people trained in those field and they perform those operation (Like Parajumper perform a CSAR operation or a LRS Platoon gather intelligence behind enemy lines)

The mission parameter would be the same as any normal mission given to normal unit, just the skill required is different, so the operational parameter would have the same as any combat mission given to any combat unit, just these type of mission is a lot harder to complete. SOF soldier performing those operation would wear uniform, have complete tactical control of any allied asset in their AO, have official and established support system and also with support and usually conduct in association with normal combat troop (Such as a PJ can rescue a downed airmen behind enemy line and transfer him to medical personnel waiting on pick up point)

Special Operation are conducted by member of the USSOCOM, which with

Army
USASOC (US Army Special Operation Command, known as Green Beret)
US Army Ranger
US Army EOD

USAF - 23 AFG
Combat Controller
Pararescuemen
Tactical Air Party
Combat Weather Services

US Naval Special Warfare (NSW)
SEALs
UDT

MARSOC (Marine Special Operation Command)
Force Recon
Marine Raider (SOCS-S)

US Coast Guard
Rescue Swimmer

Overt Operation

Overt Operation is something it does not appear to what it seems, a mission covering another mission. The player are all there, they are not concealed nor covered. You know they were there and they are doing something, it's the something that separate Overt to Covert Operation.

Overt Operation usually intelligence related, but sometime it can range from tactics and doctrine training or personnel and intelligence recovery.

An overt operation can downgrade into a simple Special Operation or can upgrade into a full blown covert operation. In Vietnam, MACV (Military Advisor Command, Vietnam) was an Military Operation directly transferred from it's Overt Counterpart (MAAG, Military Assistance Advisor Group) which included US Special Operation Command personnel to train, harass and intelligence gathering capacity. As it's capacity and work become more and more apparent, The USSOCOM decided to drop the overt operation and instead conduct a full blown Special Operation in support of US Combat Operation in Vietnam.

On the other hand, the Iranian Contra affair is an overt operation that gone covert, it started out with US supported Iranian by sending weapon via Israel to secure American Hostage in Lebannon, but progress into a full blown covert operation to supply Iranian weapon and ammunition to fight Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war in 1980s.

A typical special force unit can be tasked to perform overt operation, it may or may not need special or outside assistance.

Covert Operation

Under USC, the only department allowed to conduct covert operation are the National Security Agency (NSA) and conducted under the CIA banner. President can appoint Groups outside NSA/CIA circle to led a covert operation.

The different between covert op and overt ops and also denied ops are covert ops have a plausible denialibility, while a overt op cannot offer that (as the member still wearing uniform for that country) while a denied ops have absolutely denialibility.

A covert ops must be led by CIA so when a SOF member attached to the covert ops, they are working for NSA/CIA instead of their parental organisation.

Perhaps the major difference between a covert ops and overt ops are on the support level. While the overt op would and could use all Operational Support from Civilian to Government support, covert ops have to operate under concealed support network to cover the sponsors involvement. Usually thru a shell/cover organisation.

Mission wise, they could be the same with any type of mission, it can be a personnel recovery op or an intels ops, but the atmospheric the operator operate on are quite different. The potential discovery of a covert operation would harm or damage national image.

Traditionally, member of Special Force community known as Tier One Operator would conduct covert operation overseas, while a covert operation conduct within its own national boundary are known as undercover. Tier One Organisation such as

Delta Force (1SFOD-D)
SEALs Team-6 (Devgru)
CIA Special Activities Division
Special Air Service

Denied Operation

The last category is denied operations. Just as the name suggested, not much is know with Denied Ops. Parameter is that it must have a total denialibility and that anyone conducting denied op are not longer a national employee but working as a private individual.

The different between covert ops and denial ops are the line, which blur the mission parameter, as ironically, they are usually absent. (ie no mission parameter)

Another thing about denied op is, they are usually open ended ops, which means the operator will only be extracted when the mission is complete, and there are no time frame to complete a mission. The mission parameter are often sandbox type mission, which offer no structural conformity and lineage that can be traced.

The term total denialibility means there are absolutely no way could an operator, if captured, either it could mean there are a "no-capture" order to the operator (the operator take his/her own life before getting captured) or an operator that operate under a deep cover.

Not much is known as to who or which organisation currently conduct these type of mission, most mission would have been performed by individual organisation as to totally denial responsibility. Both rumour has it there are 2 group that operate these kind of mission since WW2, ironically, both were mentioned or referenced on mainstream TV

British Section XX (Which traced back to WW2 under the double cross system, discover and turn German spy in France and Britain) referenced by UK TV series Strike Back as Section 20.

American Team 8 ( Taken from the name section 8, the clause of discharge due to mentally unfit, referring to as a crazy bunch) referenced by the movie "The Basic"
 
Whatever be the kind of operation Special forces garner a lot of attention. :)

Overt Operation is something it does not appear to what it seems, a mission covering another mission.
Your definition confuses me, asfaik overt operation means that which is conducted without concealment.

So in which category would you bracket operation Red Wings ?

Btw I liked the pic of SF soldier shaking hands with an Afghan boy, why did you choose it?
I like the Special forces guys wear battle dress uniform to blend in with Afghan soldiers, it makes them look like Asians. :lol:
 
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Whatever be the kind of operation Special forces garner a lot of attention. :)


Your definition confuses me, asfaik overt operation means that which is conducted without concealment.

So in which category would you bracket operation Red Wings ?

Btw I liked the pic of SF soldier shaking hands with an Afghan boy, why did you choose it?
I like the Special forces guys wear battle dress uniform to blend in with Afghan soldiers, it makes them look like Asians. :lol:

Overt Operation is basically a deceptive operation, where using the Special Force to perform something (Say an Assault Mission) but in fact that Assault Mission is serving as a diversion to say a covert rescue/personnel recovery ops to secure the principle. If that happened and/or the ultimately is known, then the SF mission will become an overt mission, otherwise it would be a simple Special Force mission.

In your case, Operation Red Wings is a simple Special Operation
 
Overt Operation is basically a deceptive operation, where using the Special Force to perform something (Say an Assault Mission) but in fact that Assault Mission is serving as a diversion to say a covert rescue/personnel recovery ops to secure the principle. If that happened and/or the ultimately is known, then the SF mission will become an overt mission, otherwise it would be a simple Special Force mission.
I still dont get it.
Lets take example of Operation Steal Secret Files which was an overt operation according to President Obama.
The US agents had loudly informed locals of Turkmenistan that they were CIA agents in city square, asked if any of 'em happened to be informants, and had requested info on government’s most sensitive internal documents. They were not in Turkmenistan to carry out any undercover operations or to divert the attention of authorities. About 231 agents were killed in that operation.
 
I still dont get it.
Lets take example of Operation Steal Secret Files which was an overt operation according to President Obama.
The US agents had loudly informed locals of Turkmenistan that they were CIA agents in city square, asked if any of 'em happened to be informants, and had requested info on government’s most sensitive internal documents. They were not in Turkmenistan to carry out any undercover operations or to divert the attention of authorities. About 231 agents were killed in that operation.

lol, then yeah, that would be the overt operation, a mission for those CIA agent to purposely announce their intention in order to be martyr

IN effect, they used the intelligence gathering mission as a ruse to get themselves kill
 
lol, then yeah, that would be the overt operation, a mission for those CIA agent to purposely announce their intention in order to be martyr

IN effect, they used the intelligence gathering mission as a ruse to get themselves kill
Explain in detail pls... it whooshed over my head. :(
now why would they turn themselves into scapegoats???
And how does Operation Steal Secret Files fit into your definition of overt ops when they had made their sole purpose for entering Turkmenistan crystal clear???
 
@jhungary
Well written and seriously informative.I am quite interested about denied ops.Would you kindly elucidate it further with examples?
Regards
 
Explain in detail pls... it whooshed over my head. :(
now why would they turn themselves into scapegoats???
And how does Operation Steal Secret Files fit into your definition of overt ops when they had made their sole purpose for entering Turkmenistan crystal clear???

lol, that was a joke as is Operation Steal Secret Files
 
@jhungary a good read and must read for some folks on PDF.Also tell them about CIA SAD and it's ops in Afghanistan.
 
@jhungary
Well written and seriously informative.I am quite interested about denied ops.Would you kindly elucidate it further with examples?
Regards

Everybody was interested in denied or black ops, every since that game came out...Which is soon coming into third instalment.

Well, I am afraid not much else to tell you beside the stuff that I have already told you, as I too, not knowing too much. Bear in mind black ops are the one that happened but you will never heard about it, sometime it off the book so far that it was never even were on the book.

All those information with black/denied ops are highly classified, they are mostly directly related to director or even president directly, even when I have TSI clearance, there are still something I cannot know, and even if I do know I can't actually tell you due to OpSec.

All I can tell you is this, black ops usually performed individually and there are no known support network, in term of covert operation, you will usually have a cover and a "ghost" to support your operation need, such as weapon requisition or financial incentive. But in black op, you got nothing, everything you do, you have to build with your own hand, every connection you made, you have to make it yourselves, Simply because support and connection can be traced, and the only way you can shake the tail is that if you build it yourselves, then everything is just going to trace back to you, but not your actual sponsor.

Do remember black ops relies on deep cover, usually to confuse to misled (If the ops are a false flag op) the origin of your sponsorship. That is the single biggest different between Black Ops and a normal Clandestine Op.

About example, well, I can't give you any since they never exist :)

Still operation steal secret files doesnt fit your definition, give me a better example pls. :)

First of all, you do know Operation Steal Secret Files is a satire right? We need to clear this first....

Secondly, overt op is just an ops with an ulterior motive, literally you use a standard operation as a clean skin to cover your real, overt operation. So while it does not conceal your element (Your operative) but the real objective and the method remain a secret. Hence, overt.

Say back in WW2, you want to steal an enigma machine, now, if the German know you stole one, then they will simply change the code, but since the machine is inside a submarine, you can't or don't have enough time to sneak a covert operative in and stole one that way. So, you can only do it overtly

You launch an attack to the submarine, then board it with a Special Force team, since it's too big to conceal an attack of a sub, so you attack it as if nothing happen, as if you don't have a motive in mind to steal the enigma machine, then you use the same resource to board the sub and steal the machine and sink the sub, in effect, you use the sub hunting op to conceal the enigma ops.

@jhungary a good read and must read for some folks on PDF.Also tell them about CIA SAD and it's ops in Afghanistan.

lol thanks,

CIA have 2 paramilitary division. one is SAD (Special Activities Division) which is the head of the Paramilitary force and the other is a lesser known Private Contractor that mainly responsible for Wetwork.


Within the SAD, there are 2 divisions itself, one is called Special Operation Group (SOG or SAD/SOG) and the other is Political Action Group (PAG or SAD/PAG), the are the face of CIA and they are actually not that covert (If you ask me, any organisation having 2 page in Wikipedia can hardly be called a covert organisation...)

CIA Ops usually involve 3 types of operation. Intelligence gathering, Political Affluence and Data/Information Security. All 3 types of operation could involve one or more of the division mentioned above. Depending on mission parameter, they can be used interchangeably. Say the CIA is to topple a local government of some foreign country, they may be inserting PAG agent in that foreign country and influence it from within and then using SOG to train the local rebel or gather intelligence and then maybe use the contractor to assassinate some of the political figure of that foreign country to speed up the coup.

While the private sector remain largely unheard of, which someone even in the intelligence circle even doubt if they actually did exist. The wall of star in the CIA entrance can sometime said to be overtly admitting that those people exist, as there are 103 stars in the wall, but only 77 names were associated with it. The other are still unknown even after their dead.

CIA Ops in Afghanistan are mostly intelligence gathering, my intel team (I have a LRS background) are tasked sometime to provide intel work for SAD team on ground. Can't tell you much about what they actually do, but it's a common understanding that the SAD on site are using intel from EPW or HVT to obtain more intel on people higher up.
 
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