WEG MediaWiki

Chapter 15: Special-Forces and Commandos

From WEG MediaWiki
Revision as of 16:57, 27 April 2017 by Wegman (talk | contribs)$7

The OPFOR includes both special-purpose forces (SPF) and commandos, each of which are discussed in their respective sections in this chapter. The chapter also clarifies the relationships between the two types of units in terms of command and control (C2), organization for combat, and tactical capabilities.

Section I. Special-Purpose Forces

The OPFOR maintains a broad array of SPF as means to carry the battle to the enemy’s depth. SPF missions may support national-, theater-, operational-, or tactical-level objectives. They are conducted across the spectrum of military operations either independently or in coordination with regular and/or irregular forces. This section describes the nature of SPF, the roles they can play at various levels of command, and how they reach the tactical level via task-organizing.

Command and Control

SPF structure and C2 relationships are significantly different than those normally associated with regular maneuver units. The SPF structure depends primarily on the posture and missions of the OPFOR at any given time.

Administrative Force Structure

In the OPFOR’s peacetime administrative force structure (AFS), some SPF are national-level forces controlled by the General Staff. Under the General Staff, SPF are subordinate either to the SPF Command or to the service headquarters of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Internal Security Forces, which have their own SPF. The General Staff can use them against strategic objectives or for power projection in the region. However, some SPF are intended for use at the operational level and thus can be subordinate to operational-level administrative commands even in the AFS. For additional information on SPF organizations at operational and strategic level in the AFS, see FM 7-100.4.

In peacetime and in garrisons, all SPF are organized administratively into SPF companies, battalions, and brigades. These organizations facilitate peacetime administrative control and training. However, even these administrative groupings do not have a fixed structure in the AFS, and the AFS structure normally differs from the OPFOR’s go-to-war (fighting) force structure.

Fighting Force Structure

In wartime or in transition to war, some SPF units from the SPF Command or from the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Internal Security Forces SPF may remain under the C2 of their respective service headquarters. However, some SPF units also might be suballocated to operational- or tactical-level commands during the task-organizing process, in order to perform designated missions. Depending on the situation, command and support relationships may be constituent, dedicated, supporting, or affiliated. (See chapter 2 for a full discussion of these relationships.)

SPF units generally reach the tactical battlefield via an operational-strategic command (OSC). The OSC is a task organization and, as such, receives SPF and other units from higher headquarters. The SPF units of the Army are more likely to appear in the task organization of an OSC than any of the SPF organizations of the SPF Command or other services.

In some cases, SPF units may be allocated to an OSC in a supporting relationship, while remaining under the command of their parent SPF organization. Even in a supporting relationship, the commander of the OSC receiving the SPF unit(s) establishes those units’ objectives, priorities, and time of deployment.

In other cases, the OSC commander may receive SPF in a constituent or dedicated status. In that case, he may employ the SPF assets allocated to him as part of his integrated fires command (IFC). However, he may choose to suballocate some or all of them to the task organization of his tactical-level subordinates. The tactical commander may receive these SPF assets in a constituent, dedicated, or supporting relationship. The supporting relationship allows the OSC commander to use the SPF as part of the tactical battle scheme but retain control over these units to ensure that SPF objectives support the overall mission of the OSC.

No SPF assets are permanently subordinate to tactical-level units at division and below either in the AFS or during war. Therefore, it is necessary to understand their command and support relationships when they arrive at, and support the tactical fight. Depending on the situation, various relationships may exist when SPF detachments or teams operate within a tactical commander’s area of responsibility (AOR):

  • An SPF unit may operate in that AOR without the approval or even knowledge of the tactical commander. When this occurs, each SPF team or detachment remains in direct communication with a higher headquarters. The controlling headquarters may be an SPF detachment, SPF company, SPF battalion, SPF brigade, or a higher operational or tactical headquarters.
  • The SPF may be allocated to the maneuver commander in a constituent, dedicated, or supporting relationship.
  • The local maneuver commanders may find themselves in a supporting role to the SPF unit.

However, there are no firm rules governing the C2 of SPF assets. These relationships are determined solely by the situation and mission and what best serves OPFOR interests. See chapter 2 for more detail on command and support relationships. For additional information on the SPF structure and command relationships see FMs 7-100.1 and 7-100.4.

Affiliations With Paramilitary or Nonmilitary Actors

Due primarily to the nature of SPF missions, the relationships between SPF and other paramilitary or nonmilitary personnel or groups are not as quite as firm as SPF relationships with the more regular maneuver units. Any relationship of the SPF unit may be one of affiliation rather than a command relationship. This affiliation may be dependent upon only a single shared or similar goal. These relationships are generally fluctuating and may be fleeting, mission-dependent, or event- or agenda- oriented.

The nature of the shared goal or interest determines the tenure and type of relationship and the degree of affiliation. For example, the affiliation of an SPF detachment with criminal (or guerrilla) organizations is dependent only on the needs of the criminal (or guerrilla) organization or on the needs of the SPF at a particular time. The relational dynamics of SPF units are very fluid and apt to change from one day to the next. Shifts in affiliations may in turn cause adjustments in the SPF task organization to accommodate these changes. (See chapter 2 for additional information on command and support relationships, including affiliation.)

Missions

SPF play an important role in support of both the offense and defense. They may perform their missions separately, in support of strategic objectives, or in support of a theater-level campaign, an OSC- level operation, or any tactical-level action. Regardless of the level of command for which they perform the missions, the SPF always conduct these missions as small SPF teams or detachments. They perform the same basic forms of tactical action at any level, although the purpose of the action may be dissimilar at different echelons. This chapter focuses on SPF missions at the tactical level. (See FM 7-100.1 for information on strategic- and operational-level missions.)

Not all specific missions of the SPF can be forecast. Their missions, like their tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP) and activities, are adaptable and unpredictable, and lend themselves to improvisation. The SPF do whatever they feel will work.

SPF allocated to an OSC or division tactical group (DTG) often become part of the disruption force, frequently operating in enemy-held territory before the beginning of an operation or battle. At OSC level and sometimes at DTG level, they may become part of an IFC, to assist in locating and destroying key enemy formations or systems (see chapter 2 and chapter 9).

SPF are not always employed against military targets for purely military objectives. They will also be used against political, economic, or population centers or tangible targets whose destruction affects intangible centers of gravity. These efforts often place noncombatants at risk and aim to apply diplomatic- political, economic, and psychological pressure. Tactical targets include not only enemy military forces and equipment, but also government agency heads, contractors, private firms, and nongovernmental organizations, and/or personnel involved in transporting troops and materiel into the region or supporting enemy forces in any manner. The goal is to present the enemy with a nonlinear, simultaneous battlefield. Striking such targets will not only deny the enemy sanctuary, but also weaken his national will, particularly if the SPF or affiliated forces can strike targets in the enemy’s homeland.

Depending on the circumstances the OPFOR will completely deny any relationship or affiliation with SPF assets deployed outside the State. This plausible deniability greatly extends the employment options available to the OPFOR and its use of SPF.

Basic Missions

SPF actions increase the depth of the battle area. The SPF’s simultaneous attack of both forward and rear areas to disrupt or destroy enemy forces includes the following basic missions:

  • Conduct strategic and operational reconnaissance.
  • Conduct actions in the enemy’s tactical, operational, and strategic depth to undermine his morale and to spread panic among the civilian population and the political leadership.
  • Conduct surgical strikes and raids.
  • Neutralize weapons of mass destruction and precision weapons.
  • Attack air defense facilities and airfields. Destroy critical air defense systems and associated radars (especially early warning radars).
  • Disrupt lines of communications (LOCs).
  • Attack C2 and reconnaissance, intelligence, surveillance,  and  target acquisition (RISTA) facilities.
  • Exploit surprise to disrupt defensive actions.
  • Influence the population.
  • Support follow-on conventional military actions.
  • Support the information warfare (INFOWAR) plan.
  • Conduct actions that will cause a flow of refugees, which can hamper enemy deployment, defensive maneuver, and logistics.
  • Disrupt enemy power supplies and transportation networks (power utilities, POL transfer and storage sites, and internal transportation).
  • Sabotage enemy mobilization and deployment.
  • Train agents (affiliated forces or civilians) to operate as political agitators, human intelligence (HUMINT) collectors, and saboteurs.
  • Organize local irregular forces (insurgents or guerrillas) or sympathizers.
  • Provide communications, liaison, training, and support to stay-behind activities in the defense.
  • Serve as part of the disruption force. SPF allocated to an OSC or a tactical-level command often become part of the disruption force, frequently operating in enemy-held territory before the beginning of an operation or battle.
  • Serve as part of an IFC at OSC level and sometimes at DTG level.
  • Provide terminal guidance for attacks by aircraft, missiles, and precision weapons.
Retrieved from "http://odin.ttysg.us/mediawiki/index.php?title=Chapter_15:_Special-Forces_and_Commandos&oldid=2954"