Handbook

A common distinction that is made between special operations forces (SOF) and their conventional counterparts is that SOF are 'strategic' troops. But is this really so? And if so, what does it mean? This course explores the strategic utility of special operations and the forces that carry them out, and explores competing and complementary theories of special operations. Strategic theories addressed in the course focus particularly on approaches that emphasise the notion of introducing 'strategic paralysis', often most closely associated with air-power theorists like Giulio Douhet and Billy Mitchell. These are contrasted with attrition based strategies of special operations such as that proposed by James Kiras. Influential 'kinetic' theories of special operations, like that developed by William McRaven, are compared and contrasted with strategies of influence which emphasise the 'indirect approach' of special operations forces engaged in unconventional warfare.