Special operators seeking a technological advantage.

The U.S. Special Operations Command is looking for "leap-ahead" technologies that can give its troops a decided advantage over their adversaries in wars such as those in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld announced in January that the command--made up of elite, unconventional warfare units from the Army, Navy and Air Force and headquartered at Florida's MacDill Air Force Base--is being strengthened so that it can play a bigger role in U.S. military operations.

Currently, SOCOM consists of about 47,000 personnel, including Army Special Forces, Rangers and specialized helicopter, psychological operations and civil affairs units; Navy SEAL (sea, air and land), special boat and SEAL delivery teams, and Air Force Special Operations Squadrons.

As part of the expansion, the Pentagon has requested that special operations funding be increased by more than 50 percent, from about $4 billion in fiscal year 2003 to $6.7 billion in 2004.

The increase would help SOCOM develop and acquire not only "the tools necessary to fight not only the most committed industrial-age power, but also the means to fight entities that would and could wield influence through terror by any means," Holland said.

Nearly $2 billion of that amount would go to procurement, according to the SOCOM commander, Air Force Gen. Charles R. Holland. That's more than double the figure appropriated for that purpose in 2003, he told the House Armed Services Committee.

"The current state of special operations forces' capabilities is strong, but to meet the evolving capabilities of potential adversaries, we must invest now to ensure reliable support for the defense strategy," he said.

To enhance SOCOM's force projection capabilities, "we must continue to invest in programs to improve strategic mobility, force protection, research and development and information dominance," Holland said.

The '04 budget provides for "critical improvements" to the command's aging Army special operations helicopters, he said. SOCOM's inventory of MH-47 Chinook helicopters--reduced in recent military operations--will be increased by 16 aircraft by diverting CH-47D versions of the Chinook from the Army's service life extension program. The MH-60 Blackhawk fleet will begin a major SLEP during the year.

Meanwhile, the general said, Air Force Special Operations is working to maintain the airworthiness and defensive capabilities of its MH-53 Pave Lows. Four additional AC-130U gunships will join the USSOCOM inventory, he said. MC130H Combat Talon II aerial refueling modifications are being accelerated. Aiso, the Air Force is providing 10 more C-l30Hs to be converted to MC-30Hs.

This summer, the command's first Advanced SEAL Delivery System--a small submarine designed to provide clandestine undersea transportation for special operators--will become operational, Holland said. In '04, the command will focus on procuring long-lead items for the second ASDS, he said.

A report by the General Accounting Office, however, warned in late March that the ASDS is six years behind schedule, its costs have more than tripled and the system's final design will remain uncertain until technical problems are solved. "For example," the report noted, "the Navy has not yet been able to develop an adequate propulsion battery.

The special operations research and development budget request for '04 is $440.4 million, lower than the $512.5 million provided for 2003. This reflects the command's preference, during a war, to buy equipment that is already on the market and can be put quickly to use, without waiting years for technology to be developed.

The R&D money will go to "an array of improvements across our mission areas, including improved body armor and chemical protection, advances in gunship armaments, developing and leveraging information operations tools," said Holland.

SOCOM's "primary success has always been ensuring we select the right people and train them for innovation," he said. "We equip the warrior, nor man the equipment."

SOCOM's aim in pursuing technological transformation is "to guarantee our forces remain relevant to any fight and ensure we minimize risk to our nation's viral interests," Holland said.

Finding the latest tools for special operators is the job of SOCOM's Directorate of Advanced Technology, said the program's director, Frank Wattenbarger. "We're sort of the technological scout for the command," he told an NDIA-sponsored symposium, held recently in Washington, D.C. "We're the ones out there, looking for the technological advantage, seeing what we can leverage.

"The main thrust of the program is to find technology that we can transition quickly into the operators' hands," Wattenbarger noted. "People look at special operators as being masters of low technology, but they have to be able to use high technology to perform their missions."

SOCOM doesn't expect new technologies to perform perfectly right away, Wattenbarger explained. "We're looking for the 80-percent solution--something that's better than what the operators have in their hands right now."

SOCOM doesn't do any basic research, the director said. "Usually, we rely on the services, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the national laboratories and others to do that," he explained. "We do try to leverage, influence and sponsor certain projects, but there is little direct investment." In general, Wattenbarger said, special operations seeks to:

* Leverage those critical technologies that provide "a decided advantage" to special operators.

* Look for "leap-ahead technologies" that will result in "revolutionary systems.

* Capitalize on "leading-edge" systems that will "enhance the human dimension."

The command is focusing on "thrust areas," which address significant technological gaps within the SOF arena and offer the greatest payoff for the future, Wattenbarger said. These thrust areas include projects with "difficult, but achievable" goals.

For such projects, SOCOM "is a willing financial partner with industry, labs and academia," Wattenbarger said. "The bottom line," he told the symposium, "is that these are areas where there are opportunities for partnerships." The thrust areas include:

Signature reduction. Technologies must enable significant reductions in the signatures of the special operator and his equipment, including air, land and sea-based platforms, Wattenbarger said.

Signatures are distinctive patterns or characteristics by which something can be recognized. They can involve visual, aural, olfactory, seismic, electromagnetic, laser, infrared or radio frequency signals. Projects underway include a vehicle camouflage system; a small, versatile, maritime mobility craft, and active noise cancellation.

High bandwidth and reachback communications. Special operations mission requirements place a premium on communications capability that offers high bandwidth, low probability of interception and low probability of detection, Wattenbarger noted. These assets must be able to transmit voice, data and fill-motion video images in real time or near real time.

Communication systems must have maximum reachback capability. In other words, the operator must be able to access all worldwide databases. Current projects include antenna enhancements, a tactical personal computer and an LPI/LPD imagery link.

Underwater communications. An underwater communications system must be small, waterproof, LPI/LPD capable and able to link into any future underwater system, Wattenbarger explained. Also, it must be able to integrate seamlessly into the entire future naval surface and subsurface communications architecture, he said. Projects include an undersea master communications node and a burst communications and LPD antenna.

Unmanned systems. A family of unmanned, semiautonomous or autonomous robotic systems--air, sea, land and, in the future, space--form the keystone technology for SOF near-term and far-term operating requirements, the director said. These systems, he explained, must possess a reduced logistical footprint and withstand the rigors of various climates and operating environments.

SOCOM wants to use unmanned systems for reconnaissance and surveillance, target designation, destruction and assessment nuclear, biological and chemical warfare activities and targeting deeply buried complexes, Wattenbarger said. Projects include miniaturized robotics, micro unmanned vehicles, the Pointer unmanned aerial vehicle and unmanned reconnaissance and observation riverine craft.

Batteries and fuel cells, Special operations forces need batteries and fuel cells that are small, lightweight and inexpensive, Wattenbarger noted. They also must be long-lasting, high-powered, interchangeable, capable of multiple rechargings over several months and give off little or no signature. Projects include energy scavenging technology, a battery-recharging system and a power source for the Advanced SEAL Delivery System and the SEAL Delivery Vehicle.

Remote sensing. Sensors must be capable of detecting electronic transmission, seismic, acoustical, infrared, electro-optic, electromagnetic and radio frequency signatures--the physical presence--of target individuals and groups, he said.

The devices should operate in all climates and environments. They also must possess reliable, long-lasting power sources and secure data-transmission capability. Projects include an intrusion sensor system, a remote runway survey system and remotely monitored battlefield sensor technology.

Advanced training systems. Special operators are looking for advanced rehearsal systems that are not routinely part of the training program for mainstream military forces, Wattenbarger said. These systems must provide the latest high-fidelity, virtual-reality mission-rehearsal programs for air and boat crews, as well as high-altitude, high-opening and high-altitude, low-opening parachuting programs for airborne units. The systems must have the capability to download map data and imagery and merge real-time information. They also must include language-translation enhancements. Current projects include a tactical simulator for naval special operations, advance special operations planning and rehearsal parachute simulation and cognitive learning strategies for special operations forces.

Bioengineering. Special operations forces need advanced medical techniques and procedures, improved drugs, whole-blood substitutes, bio-compatible material for implants and nano-scale sensors for detection of disease, as well as biological agents and chemicals, Wattenbarger noted. Ongoing projects include combat casualty care, diving medicine, performance enhancements and medical information systems.

Directed-energy weapons. DE applications will allow special operators to deliver a tunable--from non-lethal to lethal--force for varying degrees of effects, he explained.

Directed energy, Wattenbarger noted, can be used to disperse crowds, temporarily incapacitate or kill personnel, or to incapacitate ground vehicles, ships, aircraft, buildings or bunkers. This kind of flexibility is particularly useful in urban warfare, he said. Projects include non-lethal weapons and advanced tactical laser programs.

Psychological operations. Psychological operations units need a secure and interoperable command and control system to facilitate planning and operations among the services, agencies and allies, Wattenbarger said. This, he noted, requires advanced planning tools that support social science and marketing analysis, data mining, collaboration systems and access to multiple security systems. PSYOP also needs effects modeling and assessment; a long-range, multi-dimensional broadcast system; a long-range, three-dimensional holograph imaging system, and long-range, laser-light, text-messaging projection. Current projects include a PSYOP extended-range broadcast system, language-translation technologies and a wind-supported aerial-delivery system.

"Our mission is to equip special operations forces with leading-edge technology, to provide them the winning edge," Wattenbarger said. "We must infiltrate and exfiltrate undetected into denied areas. We must provide survivability enhancements for SOF personnel and their platforms," he said. "We want your ideas and participation in the global war on terrorism." (related story p. 6)