Special Operations Forces Bracing for Arctic Missions SPECIAL OPERATIONS
5/14/2021
Navy Photo by Visual Information Specialist Chris Desmond
For the past two decades, U.S. Special Operations Forces have deployed to some of the most dangerous and inhospitable places on the planet to combat terrorist networks. With the Pentagon increasingly focused on great power competition, they may soon find themselves spending more time in a region that presents a unique set of challenges the Arctic.
In 2019, the Defense Department released its latest Arctic Strategy, which noted the important role for special operators.
“DoD’s desired end-state for the Arctic is a secure and stable region in which U.S. national security interests are safeguarded, the U.S. homeland is defended, and nations work cooperatively to address shared challenges,” the document said. “The agile and expeditionary nature of SOF, combined with established allied and partner
Sweden isn t the only Baltic Sea nation getting increasingly nervous about Russian agression.
Here s What You Need to Remember: The Swedish Armed Forces regularly conduct qualified exercises together with partners to strengthen its defense capabilities across multiple domains. These recent exercises integrated both partner nations’ SOF capabilities with conventional force missions to improve upon overall collaborative initiatives.
Sweden has never been a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), but for more than twenty-five years the Scandinavian nation has worked closely with the United States and its allies to maintain military readiness in Europe. This dates back to the Partnership for Peace in 1994 and, since the Wales Summit in 2014, Sweden has increasingly cooperated with NATO in the wake of increased Russian aggression in the Baltic region.
Russia is Pushing Swedish and NATO Special Forces Closer Together
The bilateral exercise with the Scandinavian nation was just the latest push by SOCEUR into the Baltic Sea region, where coastal nations including NATO partners have been concerned by Russian aggression.
Here s What You Need to Remember: The Swedish Armed Forces regularly conduct qualified exercises together with partners to strengthen its defense capabilities across multiple domains. These recent exercises integrated both partner nations’ SOF capabilities with conventional force missions to improve upon overall collaborative initiatives.
Sweden has never been a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), but for more than twenty-five years the Scandinavian nation has worked closely with the United States and its allies to maintain military readiness in Europe. This dates back to the Partnership for Peace in 1994 and, since the Wales Summit in 2014, Sweden has increasingly cooperated with NATO in the