UNITED STATES ARMY

SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND

USASOC Strategy-2035
April 2016
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Introduction
USASOC Strategy-2035 represents guidance for the development of future ARSOF operational and institutional capabilities. It is a docu-
ment derived from our national strategies, SOCOM-2035, and the Army Operating Concept. USASOC Strategy-2035 initiates our Strategic
Planning Process and serves as the foundation for the USASOC Guidance for Employment of the Force.
A more detailed campaign plan will follow this strategy. It will explain how USASOC will accomplish the objectives contained in this
strategy. It will direct and synchronize supporting actions designed to enable ARSOF to provide the balanced portfolio of capabilities that
the future requires. USASOC Strategy -2035 reflects current guidance and fiscal realities and will be updated in response to new guidance
as changes occur into the future.

Where Army Special Operations Forces Stand Today The State of ARSOF 2022
The ARSOF mission, vision, state of ARSOF 2022, and core ARSOF 2022 restructured specific Army Special Operations
competencies are included below. Collectively, these subjects formations to optimize existing capabilities and to fill capability
represent where ARSOF stands today and serve as the starting gaps for sensitive activities in complex operational environments.
point from which capabilities and focuses must evolve. The restructure provided USASOC with an organic ability to
conduct advanced analysis of resistance potential in target areas and
USASOC Mission Statement created small highly trained units of action capable of developing
The United States Army Special Operations Command mans, unique options for decision makers and joint force commanders in
trains, equips, educates, organizes, sustains, and supports forces to contested environments. The restructure also created planning
conduct special warfare and surgical strike across the full range of detachments capable of augmenting TSOC campaign planning
military operations and spectrum of conflict in support of joint efforts, with emphasis on special warfare.
force commanders and interagency partners, to meet theater and
The ARSOF 2022 restructure established 1st Special Forces
national objectives.
Command (Airborne) (Provisional) as an Army Division-like
USASOC Commander’s Vision headquarters tasked with operational missions and force provider
USASOC provides the Nation’s premier Special Operations responsibilities. The restructure also established an organic Military
Forces, delivering appropriate and effective capabilities to Intelligence Battalion and two new staff directorates (Influence and
joint force commanders and interagency leaders across the the Office of Special Warfare) within 1st SFC (A)(P). These
entire spectrum of conflict and under any operating conditions. changes allow 1st SFC (A)(P) to field a deployable and scalable
USASOC invests in new ideas and capabilities to anticipate SOJTF headquarters to synchronize SOF effects for joint force
changing environments and new demands in order to maintain commanders. Additionally, each of the five Active Duty Special
a competitive edge over our Nation’s adversaries. Forces groups restructured their existing 4th Battalions, creating
units of action designed to assist in understanding, defining, and
preparing the operating environment. The capabilities established
through ARSOF 2022 place emphasis on operations outside, or
preceding, major combat theaters. Ultimately, these capabilities add
options to the USASOC portfolio of forces designed to address
trans-regional threats. ARSOF 2022 also established the Strategic
Planning Process (SPP) as the command’s single process to develop
the future force and its capabilities.

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Army Special Operations Forces Core Competencies The Strategic Context

Core competencies are the operational and institutional capabilities Overview: The future operating environment will be populated
of an organization that create competitive advantages. Including with state and non-state adversaries that employ hybrid forms of
the USASOC core competencies in this strategy furthers our conflict to challenge U.S. influence internationally. Although the
collective understanding of what makes ARSOF unique. The list possibility of overt confrontation remains a persistent aspect of the
also serves as a point of reference as we strive to develop future future environment, adversaries will more likely challenge the
capabilities that maintain advantages over adversaries. stability of regions and U.S. interests through indirect means in the
gray zone between peace and overt war. Adversarial actions in gray
The ARSOF core competencies are:
zones will seek to achieve irreversible gains at the expense of U.S.
 Identifying the right talent through formal assessment and interests. These adversaries will become increasingly enabled as
selection processes, making the entry of high caliber candidates technology that was once only available to large nation-states
the starting point for ARSOF capability development becomes cheaper and within reach. Additionally, the hyper
connected nature of the global environment will enable hostile
 Living among, training, advising, and fighting alongside people entities to influence vulnerable populations and hijack local
of foreign cultures (operating in the human-centric and grievances in ways that threaten regional security. As a result,
personality-dependent domain) threats to stability in gray zones will likely emerge more rapidly in
the future, requiring the U.S. to have more rapidly employable
 Providing precision direct action capabilities, enabled by SOF
options available to counter adversarial actions. Ultimately, these
unique intelligence, technology, and targeting processes in
challenges dictate that the U.S. not orient exclusively against one
support of theater and national objectives
type of threat or a single form of conflict.
 Providing joint force commanders with culturally astute
professionals who are agile, adaptive, flexible, bold, innovative,
and possess a high degree of advanced training

 Providing scalable and tailorable special operations options to

address threats and exploit opportunities in peacetime
environments, gray zones where hostile entities threaten stability
short of war, and areas in overt conflict

 Developing and sustaining rapidly deployable forces with

worldwide reach

 Maintaining agile and adaptive learning institutions that support Future Adversaries and Competitors: The future operating
career-long skill development from basic special operations
environment will continue to be dominated by nation-states, with
capabilities to the most advanced individual and collective skills
technologically enabled non-state groups with trans-regional reach
wielding more influence than seen in decades past. In the future
environment, state and non-state adversaries will attempt to erode
U.S. and allied influence internationally. Competing nations such as
Iran, Russia, the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea, and
the People’s Republic of China will challenge the current
international security dynamic as they seek greater influence over
regional neighbors. Additionally, a variety of violent extremist and
criminal organizations will seek to advance their agendas trans-
regionally at the expense of populations and established forms of
governance. These state and non-state actors will likely exploit
opportunities to diminish U.S. military, economic, and/or political
dominance until internal conditions or exterior deterrence changes
their course.

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Forms of Future Conflict: The chosen forms of conflict for adver- technology and the potential for destabilized governments to lose
saries of the future are expected to be hybrid in nature, blending control of weapons will challenge security and interests of nations
conventional, irregular, informational, and cyber capabilities to around the world to an unprecedented degree.
advance state and non-state agendas. The cyber environment will be
Decision Space in Gray Zones: The first, and possibly most im-
central to many adversarial actions as hostile state and non-state
portant, step to preventing and mitigating
actors attempt to influence populations.
threats is detecting emerging threats be-
Hostile entities will continue to challenge Hybrid forms of conflict that fore they irreversibly erode U.S. influ-
stability in the security environment challenge U.S. dominance and ence and destabilize regions. Early under-
through actions short of maneuver war-
influence through indirect standing of emerging threats will be es-
fare and approaches that may be indirect
sential in the future operating environ-
in nature. Hybrid forms of conflict offer approaches are the likely choice ment for national leaders to have ade-
cost effective means to challenge U.S.
for adversaries of the future. quate decision space necessary to develop
influence internationally. Indirect ap-
policies and plans that counter adversarial
proaches allow adversaries to avoid confronting U.S. power or pro-
actions. The U.S. will require the means to obtain early understand-
voking an international response while seeking irreversible gains in
ing of threats (especially in gray zones). The U.S will also need the
the regional balance of power. As a result, hybrid forms of conflict
capability to control escalation of crisis to deter threats from devel-
that challenge U.S. dominance and influence through indirect ap-
oping into greater challenges that require a large commitment of
proaches are the likely choice for adversaries of the future.
national resources.
Globalization, Technology, and Speed of Threat Development:
In a world shaped by globalization, unpredictable and rapid techno- Implications
logical change will force shifts in political, military, and economic Implications of the future operating environment that must be con-
power. The barriers for adversaries to acquire and develop ad- sidered while developing ARSOF capabilities are contained in this
vanced technology, to include cyber and access denial systems, will section.
diminish. The future will also see greater hyper connectivity global-
 State actors of the future will likely possess advanced access
ly, enabling hostile entities to influence a wider audience and to
denial and communications detection, denial, and encryption
hijack local grievances within disaffected populations. Adversaries
technology while trans-regional non-state actors will employ
will need minimal investment to employ social media and informa-
evolving technology to conceal communications and deliver
tional technology to influence vulnerable populations, spread their
lethal attacks with minimal personnel. These issues require
ARSOF to:
 Employ targeting processes/systems that maintain advantage
over adversaries
 Avoid or mitigate detection in denied, semi-permissive, and
permissive environments
 Be capable of moving greater distances and with more effi-
ciency (aviation and other mobility capabilities)
 Employ integrated air defense system penetration capabilities
for rotary wing and unmanned aerial systems
ideologies, gather support, fund operations, crowd-source intelli-  Employ advanced unmanned aerial systems and intelligence
gence, and share techniques. Access to advanced technology pro- collection capabilities at the tactical level
vides adversaries with viable alternatives to high intensity warfare.
 Engage hostile threats over greater distances
It provides a means to initiate less-attributable forms of conflict to
offset U.S. strengths, particularly in the gray zone. These aspects of
the future environment will accelerate the speed with which threats
can develop.
Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD): The
proliferation of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, high-
yield explosive weapons, and the means by which they are deliv-
ered will pose an increased threat to U.S. interests and international
security in the future. The diminishing costs associated with WMD

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 Forms of conflict in the future are likely to be hybrid in nature, advanced language, regional expertise, and cultural
blending conventional and irregular capabilities, requiring capabilities
ARSOF to:
 Diminishing costs associated with WMD technology and the
 Advance direct action and hostage rescue capabilities
potential for destabilized governments to lose control of
 Develop and leverage strong joint, interagency, weapons require ARSOF to:
intergovernmental, and multinational (JIIM) partnerships
 Be capable of tracking, monitoring, and countering WMD
 Achieve SOF-CF interdependence, interoperability, and
 Be educated/trained for counter WMD related operations
integration
 Maintain a balanced portfolio of capabilities across the Commander’s Guidance to Ready, Mature, and Invest in
spectrum of special operations the Force
 Fully understand the aspects of hybrid conflict and codify To become the force of tomorrow, this strategy prioritizes
doctrine for operations to counter hybrid threats objectives under three categories. These categories and related
 Evolve intelligence collection, analysis, and synthesis objectives represent the Commanding General’s guidance for
capabilities, particularly with regard to understanding and ARSOF readiness to fulfill the requirements of the current
characterizing the human domain and indicators/warnings for operating environment, to mature the force to meet future
gray zone threats demands under increasingly ambiguous circumstances, and to
invest in the future capabilities of ARSOF.
Ready the Force: Optimize capabilities and processes to better
position the force for the demands of the current operating
environment.
 Objectives:
 Maintain advanced hostage rescue and direct action
capabilities
 Develop and implement new ARSOF Sustainable Readiness
Model
 Improve SOF-CF interdependence, interoperability, and
integration
 Cyber-based technology will become more important in conflict
and activities to influence vulnerable populations and  Improve joint, interagency, intergovernmental, and
governments, while cyber security will become more difficult to multinational (JIIM) partnerships
guarantee. These issues require ARSOF to:  Improve understanding of the full range of ARSOF
 Counter threat communications, influence, and operational capabilities with external audiences
planning/execution in the cyber realm  Identify the right ARSOF Active Component/Reserve
 Protect friendly networks from advanced cyber threats Component balance
 Integrate cyber capabilities into operations (influence  Invest in language, regional expertise, and cultural capability
operations, digital deception, communication disruption, and development
disinformation campaigns)  Identify more responsive mechanisms to deploy forces when
needed (e.g. address the slow nature of RFF process)
 Threats to stability in operating environments are likely to
emerge more rapidly in the future, requiring ARSOF to:  Review unfinished ARSOF 2022 objectives; complete valid
unfinished requirements
 Achieve sustainable full spectrum readiness across the force
 Be rapidly deployable to counter emerging threats Mature the Force: Advance ARSOF capabilities to meet mid-term
demands.
 Quickly detect, analyze, and understand emerging threats
 Objectives:
 Enable swift/sound decision making processes at the tactical/
 Adapt ARSOF hostage rescue and direct action capabilities to
operational levels
incorporate improved technology, processes, and techniques
 Establish strong relationships with host nation partners using

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 Develop capabilities to track, monitor, and counter WMD  Procure mobility systems that are agile enough to quickly
deploy, resilient enough to operate in austere environments,
 Incorporate education/training into ARSOF learning
and require minimal maintenance/logistics
institutions to enable operations that track, monitor, and
counter WMD  Procure C2 and intelligence technology that improve the
speed and ease with which we process/synthesize information
 Empower decentralized Mission Command (COP and
at the tactical and operational levels
situational awareness via handheld data, blue force tracking
systems, and secure communications)  Procure communications and intelligence systems that
facilitate rapid collective understanding of the environment,
 Increase ARSOF clandestine and low visibility technology
adversarial actions, and emerging threats
(mobility platforms, weapons systems, and communications
technology – secure, unsecure, and non-attributable systems)  Develop and integrate systems and processes that enable
operator/leader level decision making
 Improve ARSOF intelligence collection, analysis, and
synthesis capabilities that enable understanding and  Develop and incorporate methods and technology that
characterization of the human domain and provide indicators/ improve our ability to influence populations and to
warnings for gray zone threats understand/address how adversaries and their proxies do the
same (cyber and related capabilities)
 Codify ARSOF doctrine and education for FID, COIN, CT
and support to resistance movements (up to and including  Integrate cyber capabilities into operations to include
UW) influence operations, digital deception, communication
disruption, and disinformation campaigns at the tactical and
operational levels
 Obtain technology to protect friendly networks from advanced
cyber threats
 Obtain next generation unmanned aerial systems that provide
longer operational range, over horizon observation, and can be
launched/recovered by tactical units
 Obtain the next generation of ARSOF rotary wing capabilities
for transport and fire support that have longer range and
greater fuel efficiency

 Invest in education initiatives that prepare operators to

develop effective partnerships in foreign cultures and to build
partner capabilities
 Create and implement education models that train operators to
rapidly integrate into, and excel within, ambiguous
environments
 Invest in hybrid conflict research/education within ARSOF
institutions
 Integrate IT networks across organizational/institutional
 Obtain capabilities for ARSOF rotary wing and unmanned
boundaries
platforms to penetrate integrated air defense systems
 Streamline resourcing/capability development processes to be
 Create the system/opportunities to retain enabler personnel in
more agile/adaptive
ARSOF for their entire careers
Invest in the Future Force: Develop ARSOF capabilities to meet  Implement alternative military/civilian career models that are
challenges of the future operating environment. more attuned to the demands of the future operating
 Objectives: environment

 Procure the technology and weapons systems that keep

ARSOF on the cutting edge

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The future operating environment will present challenges that de-
mand ARSOF to be adaptive, flexible, rapidly responsive, and ca-
pable of succeeding in ambiguous circumstances. Through delib-
erate effort, ARSOF will adapt operationally and institutionally
to ensure the effectiveness of the force remains without equal for
decades into the future. The enterprise will continue to rely upon
our specially selected, uniquely trained, and highly motivated
Soldiers to succeed in the future. Our no fail mission today is to
prepare the right balanced portfolio of capabilities for use by the
Soldiers of tomorrow.
Sine Pari – Without Equal