I attended #SOFIC today, at which GEN Rich Clarke, the commander of @USSOCOM spoke. My notes from his speech (paraphrases, not quotes unless specified) are in this THREAD. 1/n 
- #COVID19 has impacted @USSOCOM's operating culture—caused #SOF to look at where they need to be, how they interact, etc
- The withdrawal from #Afghanistan will bring changes. SOF were first ones in, will be the last ones out. Will spark a new era of opportunity for SOF. 2/n
- The withdrawal from #Afghanistan will bring changes. SOF were first ones in, will be the last ones out. Will spark a new era of opportunity for SOF. 2/n
- #SOF today are almost unrecognizable from SOF that invaded #Afghanistan in 2001. 20 years of the necessity of combat has been the mother of all inventions. SOF have had urgent warfighting needs for 20 years, and will continue to have these going forward. 3/n
- Threats that #SOF address will continue to evolve: cyber threats, malign influence & disinformation from #China/#Russia, etc. SOF have to continue to modernize for purpose. 4/n
- Confident #SOF can do this, based on past performance, strong partnership w/industry & high quality of SOF personnel.
- SOF will remain an integral part of solutions to the most pressing US national security problems. And industry will be right there alongside SOF. 5/n
- SOF will remain an integral part of solutions to the most pressing US national security problems. And industry will be right there alongside SOF. 5/n
. @USSOCOM's four broad mission areas have remained constant (the ‘4Cs’):
1. Crisis response: Traditional SOF mission that will continue.
2. #Counterterrorism operations: Not going away anytime soon. 6/n
1. Crisis response: Traditional SOF mission that will continue.
2. #Counterterrorism operations: Not going away anytime soon. 6/n
3. Competition: Won’t be a victory parade for this. May be an infinite mission, w/no declared winner. New tools & tactics have given adversaries new avenues for competition—cyber & space, info space. Battles in the cognitive space & on the internet have become more important 7/n
Commanders in #Afghanistan today say they spend 60% of their time on non-lethal effects.
4. Conflict: Need to enable the joint force.
8/n
4. Conflict: Need to enable the joint force.
8/n
“The hardest days of the past will be the easiest days of the future.”
- Future environment will challenge #SOF comms, navigation, mobility & signature. 9/n
- Future environment will challenge #SOF comms, navigation, mobility & signature. 9/n
- @USSOCOM has spent ~$9B over the past 5 years to modernize capabilities & force structure. But people are more important than hardware & SOCOM continues to invest in them too. Ex: MIT virtual course for >300 SOCOM personnel on artificial intelligence (AI). 10/n
- #SOF needs people with strong physical & cognitive skills, but also the means to project AI-enabled effects to the edge to improve operator decision-making. All part of @USSOCOM’s “Hyper Enabled Operator” initiative. 11/n
- Will need #SOF teams to be able to rapidly evolve from competition to conflict activities, using the same/similar capabilities. Need the ability to see adversary activities in real time to detect that shift, as well. 12/n
- Gaps that industry can help @USSOCOM with:
1. How to better search through SOCOM’s mountains of data? How to move data from unclassified to classified seamlessly?
2. How to integrate the battle picture & comms across the joint force & w/our allies and partners? 13/n
1. How to better search through SOCOM’s mountains of data? How to move data from unclassified to classified seamlessly?
2. How to integrate the battle picture & comms across the joint force & w/our allies and partners? 13/n
3. How to communicate in a comms-contested or denied environment?
4. How do we move #SOF while maintaining the element of surprise? Especially when an adversary is looking for us?
5. How do we push our data to the edge IOT maintain decision advantage in the tactical fight? 14/n
4. How do we move #SOF while maintaining the element of surprise? Especially when an adversary is looking for us?
5. How do we push our data to the edge IOT maintain decision advantage in the tactical fight? 14/n
- #SOF have been on the leading edge of innovation for #DOD for years—want that to continue.
- The future will be contested, competitive & partnered, every step of the way. Have to innovate to win, across the ‘4Cs’. 15/n
- The future will be contested, competitive & partnered, every step of the way. Have to innovate to win, across the ‘4Cs’. 15/n
Q: How is @USSOCOM adjusting to better address Strategic Competition?
A: #SOF are in about 60 countries right now. Their mere presence—ability to sense & respond to adversary actions—constitutes competition. SOF actions in the info space have increased dramatically... 16/n
A: #SOF are in about 60 countries right now. Their mere presence—ability to sense & respond to adversary actions—constitutes competition. SOF actions in the info space have increased dramatically... 16/n
...for the sake of competition. @USSOCOM's investing more in its people also, for things like AI.
Q: What keeps you up at night?
A: Paraphrasing Mattis: “Nothing keeps me up at night. #SOF keep our adversaries up at night.” Do have concerns about maintaining SOF’s edge... 17/n
Q: What keeps you up at night?
A: Paraphrasing Mattis: “Nothing keeps me up at night. #SOF keep our adversaries up at night.” Do have concerns about maintaining SOF’s edge... 17/n
...& perceptions that #SOF only do crisis response or #counterterrorism. Need to better educate people on what SOF can do for competition and conflict.
Q: What’s you top initiative for FY21?
A: @AFSpecOpsCmd's Armed Overwatch Program. 18/n
Q: What’s you top initiative for FY21?
A: @AFSpecOpsCmd's Armed Overwatch Program. 18/n
Q: How does @USSOCOM see the cont'd rise of space as the high ground & implementation of new tech to use space to our advantage?
A: SOCOM & @SpaceForceDoD have exchanged liaisons & SOCOM recognizes the need for space-based capabilities (eg secure comms). 19/n
A: SOCOM & @SpaceForceDoD have exchanged liaisons & SOCOM recognizes the need for space-based capabilities (eg secure comms). 19/n
Q: How will @USSOCOM position itself to respond effectively & quickly to rapidly changing rules of engagement in the future operating environment?
A: Anywhere #SOF go, they’ll have the ability to defend themselves. ROE will vary from location to location... 20/n
A: Anywhere #SOF go, they’ll have the ability to defend themselves. ROE will vary from location to location... 20/n
...depending on the threat, but @USSOCOM will ensure we provide #SOF the right tools & people to accomplish the mission.
Q: How can industry better support SOCOM's competition in the cognitive space?
A: In the commercial world, competitors can see what others are doing... 21/n
Q: How can industry better support SOCOM's competition in the cognitive space?
A: In the commercial world, competitors can see what others are doing... 21/n
...how customers are responding & they use tools like sentiment analysis to determine how they’re doing in the competition. @USSOCOM should be able to do the same kinds of things in the info space. Need to ensure US messaging is getting amplified... 22/n
...while our adversaries’ messages are not. Need to understand if/how our actions are resonating with local populations.
Q: How can we as industry or as citizens help #SOF on the Hill?
A: Continue to advocate for #SOF & their missions to members of Congress... 23/n
Q: How can we as industry or as citizens help #SOF on the Hill?
A: Continue to advocate for #SOF & their missions to members of Congress... 23/n
...Talk to your constituencies to highlight #SOF requirements, like NextGen ISR or NextGen mobility.
How is @USSOCOM leveraging AI/ML?
A: Ex: 160th SOAR looked at their maintenance, used AI/ML to develop predictive models for Blackhawk maintenance... 24/n
How is @USSOCOM leveraging AI/ML?
A: Ex: 160th SOAR looked at their maintenance, used AI/ML to develop predictive models for Blackhawk maintenance... 24/n
...Saved millions of $ & made them more ready/effective overall. Ex: Project MAVEN. Ex: Some of the info warfare ops @USSOCOM is doing, leveraging publicly-available tools.
Q: Why does SOCOM need a hyper-enabled operator?
A: That concept is as much about the idea... 25/n
Q: Why does SOCOM need a hyper-enabled operator?
A: That concept is as much about the idea... 25/n
...of getting our people as much capability forward as we can—while empowering them to use those tools w/o getting overwhelmed by them—then it is specific systems. Systems are important, but individual operators and the people supporting them are the key to @USSOCOM. #SOFIC 26/26
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
