FAS

New Doctrine on Joint Special Operations

05.02.07 | 1 min read | Text by Steven Aftergood

The planning and performance of Joint Special Operations are described in some detail in a new publication (pdf) from the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

“Joint special operations (SO) are conducted by SOF [special operations forces] from more than one Service in hostile, denied, or politically sensitive environments to achieve military, diplomatic, informational, and/or economic objectives employing military capabilities for which there is no broad conventional force requirement.”

“These operations may require low visibility, clandestine, or covert capabilities.”

“SO differ from conventional operations in degree of physical and political risk, operational techniques, use of special equipment, modes of employment, independence from friendly support, and dependence on detailed operational intelligence and indigenous assets.”

See “Joint Special Operations Task Force Operations,” Joint Publication 3-05.1, 26 April 2007 (400 pages, 1.8 MB PDF).

publications
See all publications
Emerging Technology
day one project
Policy Memo
The Medicare Advance Healthcare Directive Enrollment (MAHDE) Initiative: Supporting Advance Care Planning for Older Medicare Beneficiaries

At least 40% of Medicare beneficiaries do not have a documented AHCD. In the absence of one, medical professionals may perform major and costly interventions unknowingly against a patient’s wishes. 

12.02.24 | 14 min read
read more
Emerging Technology
day one project
Policy Memo
Driving Equitable Healthcare Innovations through an AI for Medicaid (AIM) Initiative

AI has transformative potential in the public health space, but innovation driven primarily by the private sector today may be exacerbating existing disparities by training models.

12.02.24 | 6 min read
read more
Emerging Technology
day one project
Policy Memo
Strategies to Accelerate and Expand Access to the U.S. Innovation Economy

With targeted policy interventions, we can efficiently and effectively support the U.S. innovation economy through the translation of breakthrough scientific research from the lab to the market.

11.27.24 | 16 min read
read more
Government Capacity
day one project
Policy Memo
Collaborative Intelligence: Harnessing Crowd Forecasting for National Security

Crowd forecasting methods offer a systematic approach to quantifying the U.S. intelligence community’s uncertainty about the future and predicting the impact of interventions, allowing decision-makers to strategize effectively and allocate resources by outlining risks and tradeoffs in a legible format.

11.27.24 | 5 min read
read more