Special Operations Success

Balancing Capabilities and Control

Inbunden, Engelska, 2024

Av James D. Kiras, Air University) Kiras, James D. (Dean of Academics & Professor of Strategy & Security Studies, Dean of Academics & Professor of Strategy & Security Studies, School of Advanced Air & Space Studies, James D Kiras

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Special Operations Success establishes a new benchmark in military theory in this deeply analytic and innovative work. It answers several pressing questions: How successful have American special operations been over the past quarter-century? Are special forces fated to cycles of expansion and misuse? Will special forces invariably exceed the authorities granted to them because of they are? Is a general theory of special operations feasible given the range of activities and conditions that fall under the category? Kiras' work is based on two decades of practical, teaching, and consulting experience within different special operations communities, and its analysis and conclusions are designed to inform practitioners, policymakers, educators, and the general public. The book develops a framework, in the form of a theory comprising capabilities and control, for the comprehensively evaluating special operations success, and is divided into three parts: Part I lays the foundation for a general theory of special operations, Part II explores the two component parts of theory, capabilities and control, and Part III uses various aspects of the theory, depending on available information, to assess the success of special operations over a twenty-year period in the United Kingdom, South Africa, and the United States.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2024-11-26
Mått163 x 240 x 35 mm
Vikt926 g
FormatInbunden
SpråkEngelska
Antal sidor528
FörlagOUP OXFORD
ISBN9780198902065

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James D. Kiras has taught at the US Air Force's school of strategy for 20 years. He has published numerous works on irregular warfare, including special operations, terrorism, and insurgency, and serves on the board of special operations organizations in the US and Sweden. He co-founded the Special Operations Research Association and co-edits Inter Populum: The Journal of Special Operations and Irregular Warfare. Professor Kiras served in the Pentagon following the 9/11 attacks and he routinely consults with various special operations units and planning and strategy staffs.

List of FiguresList of TableList of MapsList of AbbreviationsPart I1: Introduction2: Special Operations PrecedentsPart II3: Special Operations Capabilities4: Control of Special Operations and Vertical Integration5: The Theory of Special Operations CoherencePart III6: Stretched beyond Footholds: The United Kingdom, 1971-19917: System within a System: South African Special Forces, 1972-19928: Redefining the System: US Special Operations, 1996-20169: ConclusionBibliographyIndex

In the aftermath of the use - and at times, misuse - of special operations forces in Iraq and Afghanistan in particular, a fresh examination of the theory underlying special operations is very germane. At least in the US and likely elsewhere, some of the core aspects of special operations seem to be in doubt. In many ways, a thorough re-examination of underlying principles and desired capabilities has become increasingly important. Although some readers in the policy world might find some of the theoretical background in this book rather heavy going, it is highly recommended for both policy makers and analysts to develop fresh approaches to the strategic use and control of special operations forces.