Cyber Warfighting and Special Operations Forces (SOF)

In future conflicts, the advantage will go to the side that can sense, understand, make decisions, act, and assess outcomes faster and more effectively. Now more than ever, U.S. and partner forces need to synchronize and integrate kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities to generate concurrent effects across all domains faster and more effectively than the enemy. This is what the U.S. Army calls “convergence”—and achieving it will be a critical differentiator for U.S. and allied forces in future conflict. Cyber forces will play a vital role in achieving convergence for national defense.

What’s more, to ensure joint forces prevail in any competition, crisis, or conflict, the Department of War (DOW) will need to increasingly integrate and synchronize capabilities for U.S. special operations forces (SOF), cyber, and space. The readiness of the U.S. military to deter and defeat future threats will depend on the training that SOF cyber operators receive to support the full range of SOF missions.