Category Archives: Special Operations Forces

Limited Coordination Between U.S., NATO Allies in Getting Afghanistan Evacuees to Airport

Limited Coordination Between U.S., NATO Allies in Getting Afghanistan Evacuees to Airport

Marines with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) search luggage during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan on Aug. 18, 2021. US Marine Corps Photo

Troops from NATO member states, including the U.S., U.K. and France, are all working in Kabul to remove citizens and Afghans eligible for resettlement out of the country. But there isn’t a coordinated effort between the allies to communicate with the Taliban or ensure people get to the Hamid Karzai International Airport safely, Pentagon officials acknowledged on Thursday. Read More

French Defense Minister: France Stepping Up Security Spending, Expanding Operations Abroad

French Defense Minister: France Stepping Up Security Spending, Expanding Operations Abroad

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin hosts a meeting with French Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly to the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., July 9, 2021. DoD Photo

France’s message to Europe on how to deter aggressive behavior from great powers and counter terrorists requires investment in security and operating abroad, the French defense minister said on Friday. Read More

Naval Special Warfare in a 'Race for Relevancy' as Mission Shifts to High-end Conflict

Naval Special Warfare in a ‘Race for Relevancy’ as Mission Shifts to High-end Conflict

SEAL candidates participate in “surf immersion” during Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training at Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Center in Coronado, Calif., May 4, 2020. US Navy Photo

The integration of Navy SEALs and special boat teams into carrier strike group and amphibious ready group training exercises reflects naval special warfare’s renewed commitment to support the fleet and joint force and reinforce its own roots as naval commandos, said the top Navy SEAL on Tuesday. Read More

UPDATED: Iranian Warship Thought to be Headed to Venezuela Left Port with 7 High-Speed Missile Boats Aboard

UPDATED: Iranian Warship Thought to be Headed to Venezuela Left Port with 7 High-Speed Missile Boats Aboard

USNI News Photo Illustration. Satellite image ©2021 Maxar Technologies used with permission

This post has been updated with a statement from the Pentagon and the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

An Iranian Navy ship thought to be bound for Venezuela left its port in late April with seven high-speed missile-attack craft strapped to its deck, USNI News has learned. Read More

IKE Carrier Strike Group Commands SEALs, Marine Missile Teams in First-of-a-Kind, Large-Scale Drill

IKE Carrier Strike Group Commands SEALs, Marine Missile Teams in First-of-a-Kind, Large-Scale Drill

Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equipment) 3rd Class Trevor Sollenberger, from Richmond, Va., conducts flight operations aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69). Feb. 11, 2021. US Navy Photo

A Navy carrier strike group got a first glimpse at what future operations could look like, with SEALs providing forward targeting data and Marines on expeditionary bases providing another missile strike option to supplement the strike group’s aircraft- and surface ship-based weapons. Read More