Into the Void: Special Operations Forces after the War on Terror

James D. Kiras; Martijn Kitzen

ISBN 10: 1911723154 / ISBN 13: 9781911723158

Published by C. Hurst & Co. Publishers Ltd., 2024

About this Item

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Seller Inventory # 013947

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Into the Void: Special Operations Forces after the War on Terror
• Publisher: C. Hurst & Co. Publishers Ltd.
• Publication Date: 2024
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1911723154
• ISBN 13: 9781911723158
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Good
• Dust Jacket Condition: Good
• Seller catalogs:
  • War

About this title

Synopsis

The moment in the sun for special operations sometimes appears to have passed, seemingly eclipsed by preparations for potential conflict under the guise of ‘great power’ competition, combined with failure in Afghanistan. Yet the war in Ukraine serves as a reminder that special operations play an even greater role today―before, during and presumably after conflict. The challenge remains dealing with current irregular and hybrid threats, at the same time as preparing for an uncertain future, as threats and technologies evolve at a dizzying pace.

Focusing too much on the future of conventional warfare creates a void in national security discussions related to special operations. This book seeks to fill that gap, drawing on the expertise of scholars and practitioners in the field, from the Indo-Pacific, Europe and the United States, to answer what, if anything, special operations can or should seek to do, and how. The contributors explore such topics as proxies, non-state special forces, capabilities, innovation and transformation, artificial intelligence, and special operations in space and cyberspace. These chapters are united by their analysis that special operations will have future strategic and operational value, for allies and adversaries alike, provided that difficult choices are made in the present.