How to Win an Asymmetric War in the Era of Special Forces
Full Article: https://nationalinterest.org/feature/how-win-asymmetric-war-era-special-forces-87601
By Keith Pritchard, Roy Kempf, and Steve Ferenzi
The U.S. Army’s Special Operations Forces (ARSOF) shape the terms and tempo of competition by leveraging irregular warfare capabilities to enable other instruments of statecraft to prevail without resorting to war. ARSOF’s influence creates strategic advantage through behavior modification (compellence and inducement) and behavior reinforcement (deterrence and assurance) in target audiences. These complement traditional forms of deterrence and coercive diplomacy against adversaries that deliberately avoid America’s conventional strengths.