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☆ How a dysfunctional mission in the Caribbean became 'the pivotal point' for the creation of US Special Operations Command
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Those problems helped spur the creation of US Special Operations Command several years later. According to Maj. Gen. Richard Scholtes, the first commander of Joint Special Operations Command, US military officers involved in the planning soon butted heads. A task force of Delta Force operators, Rangers, and helicopters from the elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment also attacked Fort Rupert and Richmond Hill Prison. Bettmann/Getty Images"The Pentagon was waging a frontal and rear assault in opposition to the creation of a special operations command," William Cohen said in the mid-2000s, according to Kukielski's article. Stavros Atlamazoglou is a defense journalist specializing in special operations, a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), and a Johns Hopkins University graduate.

Persons: —, Peter Carrette, Eagle, JSOC, Reagan, Richard Scholtes, butted, jean, Louis Atlan, Scholtes, Philip Kukielski, frogmen, Fort, Paul Scoon, Bettmann, Formally, William Cohen, Cohen, Nunn, Eric BOUVET, SOCOM, Chance, Stavros Atlamazoglou Organizations: Operations Command, Service, Fury, Pentagon, Delta Force, Soviet Union, Getty, US Atlantic Command, Atlantic Command, US Marine Corps, CIA, State Department, Team, Air Commando, US Defense, Rangers, 2nd Ranger, Porto Salines, Marines, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, Radio Free, US, Dover Air Force Base, Special Warfare, Craft, 160th, American, Hellenic Army, 575th Marine Battalion, Army, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins, School, International Locations: Grenada, Caribbean, Tehran, Cuba, Soviet, Richmond, Porto, Fort Rupert, Rupert, Radio Free Grenada, Grenada's, Point Salinas, Scholtes, Beirut, Grenada —, Persian, Johns

☆ US special operators are tinkering with a low-tech kind of aircraft to overcome high-tech threats in future wars
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

For US special operators, who may have to operate far from friendly forces in those wars, one new effort is the use of a low-tech kind of aircraft to overcome high-tech threats. A special-operations gliderUS Army special operations soldiers load a GD-2000 glider into a C-27J airplane at Yuma Proving Grounds in February. Thoman JohnsonIn February, a US Army Special Forces team tested a prototype aircraft that could ease the logistical challenges faced by special-operations units in contested areas. That long glide distance is equal to what special operators can cover during a High Altitude, High Opening free-fall jump. David Bathgate/Corbis via Getty ImagesDuring the conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, the US military's resupply operations have been largely uncontested.

Persons: —, Thoman Johnson, Yates Electrospace, David Bathgate, Stavros Atlamazoglou Organizations: Special Forces, Service, US Army, US Army Special Forces, Troops, Green Beret, Getty, Hellenic Army, 575th Marine Battalion, Army, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins, School, International Locations: China, Ukraine, Russian, Yuma, Arizona, Afghanistan, Corbis, Iraq, Syria, Russia, Johns

☆ The destruction of a major dam near Kherson could be a game-changer for Ukraine's special operators
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But the flooding altered nearby shorelines and waterways, which may end up aiding Ukrainian forces. "While Russia may now see the terrain south of Kherson as safe, Ukrainian special operators should see opportunity. Alex Babenko/Getty ImagesNew and larger waterways will make it easier for Ukrainian special operators to move men and equipment around by boat. Ukraine's commandos and amphibious operationsThe collapsed Antonovskiy Bridge over Dnieper River in Kherson City, seen after Russian troops withdrew in November. They could also be used to distract Russian forces by launching diversionary raids elsewhere on the battlefield.

Persons: —, Maxym, Timothy Heck, Zachary Griffiths, Alex Babenko, Heck, Griffiths, GENYA SAVILOV, Narciso Contreras, Boyd Belcher, Stavros Atlamazoglou Organizations: Service, Getty, Ukraine, Modern, Institute, Ukraine's 73rd Naval Center of Special, Navy, Anadolu Agency, Getty Images, NATO, White, US Defense Department, Tech, Bradley, Leopard, Hellenic Army, 575th Marine Battalion, Army, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins, School, International Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Soviet, Russian, Kherson, Ukrainian, Kherson oblast, West, Crimea, AFP, Donbas, Kherson City, Germany's, Johns

☆ The US Air Force is finally retiring the aging A-10. Now it plans to get rid of some the specially trained airmen who guide the Warthog to its targets.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The US Air Force has begun retiring the A-10, an aircraft famed for its role in close air support. Indeed, the US Air Force is finally retiring the aging A-10 Warthog ground-attack aircraft, which a top official has said "doesn't scare" China. According to Pentagon's budget request for 2024, the Air Force is looking to cut its TACP force by more than 40% over the next three years. If the plan goes ahead, the Air Force TACP community will have a little over 2,100 positions for officers, enlisted troops, and civilian personnel in 2025, down from the 3,700 slots it has currently, a spokesman told Air Force Times. "I think the military is getting ready for a war where we won't have air dominance," a former Air Force Combat Controller told Insider.

Persons: —, Tyler, Mercedee Wilds, Ryan Conroy, Michael Holzworth, Col, Nathan Colunga, Colunga, Stavros Atlamazoglou Organizations: US Air Force, Tactical Air Control Party, Service, China, US Air National Guard, Staff, Tyler Woodward Tactical Air Control Party, US Army, Marine Corps, Air Force, Air Force Times, Air, National Guard, Air Combat Command, Air Force Combat, Combat, Air Commando, 321st Special Tactics Squadron, Navy, Army Green Berets, Marine Raiders, Air Force Special Operations Command, Air Force Special, Squadron, Tech, Warfare, Hellenic Army, 575th Marine Battalion, Army, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins, School, International Locations: China, Estonian, Kansas, Fort Irwin, California, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Iraq, Estonia, Nevada, Johns

☆ Biden has given Ukraine over 200,000,000 bullets to fight Putin
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The latest package of military aid to Kyiv is all about replenishing their military's dwindling munitions. As such, the U.S. Department of Defense announced another package of military aid to Ukraine worth more than $2 billion. However, the Ukrainian air defense system took out the incoming munitions in short succession. The Ukrainian military continues to rely on its Western air defense systems to fend off incoming Russian missile and drone attacks. Western air defense systems were able to minimize the damage from the incoming Russian munitions.

Persons: —, Jacob Bradford, military's Organizations: Service, Ukrainian, U.S . Department of Defense, Ukraine Worth, Air, Puma, Ukraine's Armed Forces, Pentagon, NATO, European Union, Forces, US Army, Jacob Bradford Military, Russian Locations: U.S, Ukraine, Poland, Russian, Kyiv, Ukrainian

☆ Ukrainian special operators are learning to fight Russia without the 'tethers' other militaries have gotten used to
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ukrainian special operators in particular have been learning to fight without those "tethers." When Russia launched its attack early on February 24, 2022, Ukraine's government was caught off guard — but the Ukrainian military wasn't. Fortunately for Ukrainian special operators, their supply lines are short — they are fighting on their home turf, after all. Insider understands that the Ukrainian special operators often resort to unconventional methods to overcome logistics challenges on the ground. As the war drags on and the Ukrainian forces advance, Ukrainian special operators will continue to face logistical difficulties.

☆ A secretive SEAL-like unit is leading Ukraine's shadowy battle against Russia in a vital corner of the country
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The 73rd Naval Center of Special Operations appears to be leading the effort for Ukraine. For Ukraine, the 73rd Naval Center of Special Operations, a secretive SEAL-like unit, is leading the shadowy battle against Russia. Therese PratsThe 73rd Naval Center of Special Operations was based on the Soviet-era 17th Naval Special Purpose Brigade. The 73rd Naval Center of Special Operations could play a significant role in future large-scale fighting. Roxana DavidovitsLike the 73rd Naval Center of Special Operations, most of the Ukrainian military emerged from the Soviet military.

☆ Russia's scramble to find microchips for its weapons hints at struggles the US and China could face in a future war
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Russia's scramble to find microchips for its weapons hints at struggles the US and China could face in a future war. Russian strikes and microchipsA Ukrainian military official with electronics from a destroyed Russian T-90M tank in Kyiv in March. Oleksii Chumachenko/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesWestern-made microchips and processors power many of Russia's weapon systems, even its most advanced missiles and aircraft. ASML is the only firm that produces extreme ultraviolet, or EUV, lithography machines, which are needed to make advanced microchips. A US-Chinese clash over Taiwan, or some other disruption, like a Chinese blockade, that halts exports of advanced semiconductors would affect numerous other industries.

☆ Ukraine's special operators have been 'taking it to the Russians,' the head of US Special Operations Command says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ukrainian special operators have been putting their US-provided training to use against Russia. Ukrainian special-operations forces will also have a key role in the outcome of those battles. Ukrainian commandos on the jobRomanian, Ukrainian, and US Army Green Berets train in Romania in May 2021. Roxana DavidovitsAs Russian forces poured into the country at the start of the war, Ukrainian special operators went hunting. SOCOM had also incorporated a focus on unconventional warfare, a specialty of US Army Special Forces, into its training.

☆ After 35 years in flight, the US military says it's done buying one of its most unique and controversial aircraft
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Since its first flight in 1989, the V-22 Osprey has provided a unique capability to the US military. One of them is the V-22 Osprey, a unique and controversial aircraft that has carried conventional troops and special operators around the world for two decades. US Navy/Vernon PughIn the three decades since its first flight, the V-22 Osprey has brought a distinct capability to the US military's aviation fleet, despite its troubled development. Conventional and special-ops missionsUS Air Force special tactics operators fast rope from a CV-22B during an exercise in the UK in April 2021. In August 2022, Air Force Special Operations Command grounded its CV-22s over issues with its clutch, which had caused several "safety incidents."

☆ Surprise resort trips and empty hotel rooms reveal how Russia's plan for an easy victory in Ukraine fell apart
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

While Russian intelligence services ramped up operations, the US intelligence community started declassifying intelligence about Russian plans. In an unprecedented move, the US revealed Russia's intentions and informed Kyiv about the Russian intelligence operations inside Ukraine. Once Russia's military secured the city, its special-operations forces would begin what the report calls "repressive operations." The Kremlin even compiled a target deck full of unwanted people to be "liquidated" once the Russian forces were in control of the country. Preparing the battlefieldA member of the Ukrainian military in front of a destroyed Antonov An-225 at the airport in Hostomel in July 2022.

☆ Russia wanted a quick victory in Ukraine, and it sent its spies after Ukrainian nuclear power plant workers to make it happen
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ukraine's nuclear power plants were a central part of Russia's plan to force Kyiv's capitulation. So when Russia started planning its invasion, Ukraine's nuclear energy infrastructure was a top target. According to the RUSI report, Ukraine's nuclear energy infrastructure "played a significant role" in Russia's invasion plan and in the Kremlin's public narratives about the conflict. Moscow's big planRussian military personnel at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in May 2022. Although Russian forces still control the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, that has not won the Kremlin any leverage over Kyiv.

☆ US Special Operations Command's workhorse helicopter is getting upgrades to replace parts that are nearly 50 years old
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

US special operators rely on their variant, the MH-47, for missions at night and behind enemy lines. As such, the US special-operations community's workhorse helicopter is getting upgrades to replace parts that are nearly 50 years old. US Army Special Operations Command has used Chinooks for several decades. Early versions had modifications for special operations. The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, nicknamed "the Night Stalkers," is the cream of the crop when it comes to US military aviation.

☆ Russia's military has been preparing for a drone-filled battlefield, and even its cooks are being trained to shoot them down
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Counter-drone training has also become common throughout the Russian military. Having used drones and seen drones used with increasing frequency, the Russian military has also expanded its counter-drone training. The threat is now considered so widespread that most Russian troops, regardless of military specialty, are getting instruction in spotting and dealing with drones. Ukraine's military has been bolstering its drone defenses throughout the war, as shown in the Western military aid being sent to Kyiv. Despite having kinetic and electronic-warfare countermeasures to take out Russian drones, Ukraine still faces a difficult challenge.

☆ Western countries have scrambled to deliver billions of dollars of military gear to Ukraine. Getting it to the frontlines is a whole other problem.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

For a military at war, it's a challenge to get the right gear to the right troops at the right time. Western countries have scrambled to deliver that gear to Ukraine, overcoming political debates and logistical hurdles, but getting it to the frontlines presents a whole other problem. Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesThe restricted operational environment makes Ukraine's logistics that much harder. Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesFurther complicating the situation is the fact that the Ukrainian military is a dynamic force. Many Ukrainian troops are also rotating through the US and European countries for training.

☆ How the US Army's Best Ranger competition uses days of grueling challenges to find the military's best 2-man team
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

US troops will gather in Georgia in April for the US Army's Best Ranger Competition. The Best Ranger competition is organized and run by the US Army in conjunction with the National Ranger Association. 101st Airborne Division soldiers compete in the Best Ranger Competition at Fort Benning in April 2022. David DumasThe Best Ranger competition typically starts strong with a 10-mile run followed by a swim event and an obstacle course. 10th Mountain Division soldiers complete a casualty evacuation lane during the Best Ranger Competition in April 2022.

☆ Another SEAL parachuting death highlights the inherent danger of US special operators' go-to infiltration method
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Deadly accidentsNaval Special Warfare operators perform a free-fall jump in Alaska in September. The incident, which likely happened during as part of a pre-deployment workup, is still under investigation, according to Naval Special Warfare Command. Despite that danger, however, free-fall parachuting is also extremely valuable as an insertion method for special-operations units. The Navy SEAL community — especially the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, formerly known as SEAL Team 6 — is well-versed in free-fall operations. Most US special-operations units have recognized the value of free-fall parachuting and have incorporated it into their training.

☆ The loser of a rare submarine vs. submarine battle was found 80 years after being sunk
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In July 1941, a British submarine sank an Italian submarine in the Mediterranean Sea. It was against this backdrop that the Royal Navy submarine HMS Torbay and the Italian submarine Jantina squared off in the Aegean Sea near the island of Mykonos. The first two passed in front of the Italian sub, but the next struck it and exploded. The Italian sub sank quickly, and only six of the 48-man crew survived, swimming to a nearby island. By the end of the war, Torbay had sunk more than 40 German, Italian, and Japanese warships, merchant ships, and other vessels.

☆ 18 countries sent sharpshooters to a US military base in Germany to see who has the best sniper team in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The 2022 version of the European Best Sniper Team Competition was one of the largest ever. The European Best Sniper Team CompetitionEstonian troops in a replica of a downed UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter during the European Best Sniper Team Competition on August 6. An Italian sniper team in a replica of a downed helicopter during the European Best Sniper Team Competition on August 6. The winnersCompetitors in the "1917" event during the European Best Sniper Team Competition on August 6. Snipers and modern warfareA Finnish Army sniper team at the European Best Sniper Team Competition on August 7.

☆ Russia can't match the US military's hardware, but it has other ways to keep it from working properly
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But Russian information operations could still affect US forces, a US government watchdog says. Once perceived as a conventional near-peer threat, the Russian military now appears to be more of a paper tiger. While Russia can't match the US military's hardware, it has other ways to keep it from working. Near-peer adversaries, such as China and Russia, know that and have sought ways to counter their more powerful adversary. Doing so could mean that Chinese or Russian intelligence services could not only to influence individual service members but also the performance of specific weapons.

☆ Russia's struggles in Ukraine are showing US special operators that they'll need to fight without their 'tethers' to win future wars
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

For US special operators, the war is a reminder that such a network won't always be available. Ukraine thwarted Russia's initial attack and, with extensive Western support, has driven Russia's forces back. Logistics and special operatorsRomanian, Ukrainian, and US Army Green Berets conduct close quarters battle training in Romania in May 2021. We are trained and mentally prepared to fight without much logistical support," said the Green Beret, who was granted anonymity to discuss potential future operations. "Again, depending on the unit and the mission, we will require some sort of logistical support eventually.

☆ Russia has been able to keep its most effective drone flying over Ukraine thanks to Western-made parts
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ukraine and Russia have employed an array of drones since Moscow attacked in February 2022. Despite sanctions imposed by the US and its allies, Russia has been able to keep its most effective drone flying over Ukraine thanks to Western-made parts. The Orlan-10's specifications and characteristics in a graphic published by the Royal United Services Institute in December 2022. Russian intelligence services are likely involved in sourcing this technology through contacts and front companies around the world. Western-made components found in the Orlan-10, according to the Royal United Services Institute.

☆ Here's what happens when US Navy special operators go up against dolphins trained to keep them out of sensitive bases
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The US Navy has been training dolphins and sea lions to detect undersea threats since the 1960s. "Those mammals were very real and very scary," a former US Navy SEAL officer told Insider. The program tested out a number of animals but found dolphins and sea lions to be the best suited for the mission. The US military wasn't the only one using dolphins and sea lions to protect its warships and ports. BUD/S course instructors "have a sadistic tendency to scare the shit out of students before open-water swims," the former Navy SEAL officer said.

☆ Rare battlefield footage shows how Ukraine's upgraded Soviet-era tanks are outperforming Russia's upgraded Soviet-era tanks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ukraine upgraded many of its tanks before the war, but Russia also had newer, higher-quality tanks. On the outskirts of a destroyed town, the Ukrainian tank is advances down a road, straight toward the Russian tank. Without stopping, the Ukrainian tank fires a round at its adversary. Ukrainian troops perform maintenance on tanks near the frontline in Donbas on January 18. More victories, better weaponsUkrainian troops inspect a destroyed Russian tank near Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region in December.

☆ How US Navy SEALs train new special-operations units to make the seas into 'our playground'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

US Navy SEALs travel around the world to train with other countries' special-operations forces. In 2022, SEALs in Europe trained with Croatia's ZSS, a relatively new special-operations unit. Through these training deployments, US Navy SEALs help new special-operations units to become proficient in new missions and skill sets. When it comes to progression of training, SEALs use the same "crawl, walk, run" approach they employ in their own training. These relationships with foreign special-operations units give US special operators access to almost any region of the world.

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