southfront--2020-09-19--Views Of US Military Analysts On Use Of Special Operations Forces In Multi-Domain Operations

This text is based on the analysis of Colonel O. Metrov published in Foreign Military Review 2019 # 10 ; Translated by AlexD exclusively for SouthFront The study , the analysis and generalisation of the results of the use of the US Armed Forces ( AF ) , including their Special Operations Forces ( SOF ) , over the past few years – all this formed the basis for the content of the recently released concept for multi-domain operations “ Joint Forces Command of the SOF – 2030 ” .
This document sets out promising direction for the construction and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ account the experience of their actions in Afghanistan , Iraq , Syria , Libya and several other African countries , and also outlines ways to improve their effectiveness in conducting combat operations .
In accordance with the new approaches of the military departments to this issue , the SOF commander was tasked in raising the capability and equipment of the Special Forces as the most popular component of the Armed Forces in the new conditions of the military-political situation .
For these goals , for fiscal year 2020 , the Joint Command ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 13.8 billion .
By 2030 , it is planned to increase the annual allocation to 20 billion dollars .
According to the US Department of Defense ( DoD ) , special operations have already gone beyond combat support and have become an independent part of the actions of the Armed Forces , including at the strategic level in all areas of confrontation .
At the same time , the tasks , forms and methods of their combat application are partially transferred to general forces .
In general , the role of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military security is determined by their increasing importance , which the current leadership of the country uses as a priority in solving international issues , the aggravation of the competition between the world centres of power for expanding their spheres of influence , the possibility of achieving the goals of political and armed confrontation by covertly influencing various critical objects of a likely enemy using modern means of destruction , as well as improving the mechanisms of deterrence of the opposing side and expanding the range of tasks assigned to the forces and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American military analysts , the place of the SOF in the overall system is justified by the following factors : • the increasing dependence of decision-making by the military and political leadership of the enemy state on the potential possibility of hitting its critical facilities ; • the concentration of managerial , financial , scientific , technical and economic potentials of industrialised countries in a limited number of large industrial centres , their dependence on those infrastructure facilities that make the economy of these states vulnerable to enemy influences ; • high dependence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups of troops ( forces ) of the probable enemy on the stability and efficiency of their information and intelligence and support systems ; • accurate selective destruction of objects , including minimising negative consequences for the population and the environment ; • the ability to use the forces and means of the SOF in military conflicts of any scale and intensity , counter-terrorism and peacekeeping operations ; • the use of SOFs both independently and in conjunction with general purpose forces , while improving the effectiveness of the latter .
The total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increasing .
In the future , it is planned to increase it to 100 thousand people .
US interests are global in nature , and SOFs are the most popular component of the Armed Forces .
In particular , about 900 soldiers of the ground forces and Marines are involved in joint ground operations on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic as part of the joint operational formation of the SOF “ Syria ” .
In addition , the operational formation of the SOF of different compositions are deployed in Iraq , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Philippines and a number of other states .
The relevance of developing a new concept is due , according to the American military leadership , to a combination of three factors : • unprecedented in its pace of scientific , and technological progress , miniaturisation and intellectualisation of control systems , intelligence and fire destruction , the widespread use of new algorithms in strategy and tactics , technologies for analysing large amounts of information that provide high-speed decision-making ; • the changing nature of armed conflicts , affecting absolutely all areas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that have a number of advantages over other forces : • the ability to train and equip armed formations , opposition authorities from the local population to conduct non-traditional special actions ; • the availability of opportunities for conducting operations using both selective strikes by means of high-precision fire destruction ( conduct precision operations ) , and subversive actions by non-military means to organise “ colour revolutions ” within countries where US interests are affected and large-scale information actions .
At the same time , the range and technological capabilities of non-military assets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they provide : • None • a reliable assessment of the capabilities of the friendly and hostile local population and influence them accordingly ; • effective combat use of interspecific groups of troops ( forces ) .
But the SOF also has some shortcomings that were identified both in the course of daily activities and the performance of combat missions .
, as noted in the concept referred : • insufficient amount of time provided to military personnel for rehabilitation between missions to advanced zones ; • an increase in the number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and as a result , the presence of problems with the recruitment of units involved in operations in forward zones ; • increased burden on the personnel , despite the overall growth in the number of units and the creation of training brigades ( military instructors ) in ground forces ; • the increase in the number of suicides due to the deterioration of the moral and psychological state of the personnel ; • low level of training of the national guard and reserve SOF formations in the organisation of suppression of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of warfare ; • special purpose units ( SPU ) perform tasks that are not typical for them ( escorting columns , clearing areas of the terrain , ensuring the protection of command posts , military equipment parks and maintaining law and order ) ; • non-compliance of the regulatory framework with the specifics of conducting secret special operations in forward zones ; • lack of mechanisms for interagency cooperation in the post-conflict settlement of the situation in crisis areas of the world , such as in Syria .
The idea of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use in difficult to predict conditions of the military-political situation .
The document states that special attention should be paid to the following five main aspects : • Providing global maneuverability ( Global Deep Maneuver ) , which requires the SOF to the able to transfer the necessary forces and assets in a short time and increase their operational and tactical independence for autonomous actions to a depth of 500 km .
These formations should be able to operate at various stages of a globally integrated campaign and in all areas of confrontation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SOF ’ s actions in globally integrated operations is to establish control over the centres of activity of young people and various social groups , over national and religious movements , and over the process of forming cultural values .
• Creation and use of universal special purpose units ( Hyper-Enabled Teams ) , which must be compatible ( but remain self-sufficient ) with all components of interspecific groups of troops ( forces ) that have integrated capabilities to inflict fire damage to the enemy not only on land , but also in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having a network structure and equipped with advanced weapons , military and special equipment ( armaments and military and special purpose equipment ) , should ensure the actions of united groups in any theater .
• Increasing the functionality , that is , the SOFs must have the necessary flexibility to quickly move to the implementation of tasks in a difficult situation , deploy troops in advanced areas , and promptly apply the necessary forces and means in a specific location .
• Ensuring the ability to adapt to the battlefield in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ formations must learn to perform tasks in the new operational environment through the introduction of advanced technology , advanced training of personnel , conducting war games and experiments .
• Maintaining close cooperation in all operational areas with general forces , federal agencies , allies and partners , which will achieve a synergistic effect .
The concept emphasized that in the future , US adversaries will take advantage of geopolitical , socio-economic and technological changes taking place in the world in order to limit American influence and prohibit access of their Armed Forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Arctic , the South China Sea and the Middle East are regions where competition is growing .
This will happen in all areas of the conflict .
Moreover , the focus should be on outer space and cyberspace , where the opponents will intend to achieve superiority in peacetime .
The document states that , taking into account the forecast of the development of the operational situation in the near future , the weapons systems will operate in areas of restricted ( prohibited ) access to combat areas and in contested areas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tasks : • countering terrorists and preventing them from gaining access to weapons of mass destruction ; • strengthening of special actions at the stage of threat of aggression ; • uncovering threats , reducing risks and creating “ windows of opportunity ” for the use of interspecies groups of troops ( forces ) during an armed conflict .
The first task is traditional for special formations , and the ways to solve it remain mostly the same and has been applied in practice more than once .
Strengthening of special actions at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ achieved through the deployment of advanced groups of troops in different parts of the world .
Using their unique combat capabilities to conduct covert pre-emptive operations , SOF military formations contribute to the expansion of the so-called competitive environment , which is defined as the state between peace and war .
At the same time , the opponents use methods of coercion to achieve strategic goals , without resorting to the outbreak of open armed conflict .
In the course of such tasks , the SOFs train and equip the host country ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unconventional deterrence measures .
A feature of recent military conflicts is the fact that military advisers are directly involved in the organisation and use of resistance forces , and are not only used as instructors .
The rebel detachments created by these forces can be used together with other formations to disable the enemy ’ s missile launchers , air defence facilities and transport communications .
In addition , there is an informational and psychological impact on local target audiences .
The civilian population is mobilised to organise strikes , acts of civil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information about the activities of the enemy .
The third task is solved in the course of an armed conflict .
Special formations will be used in the interests of violating the enemy ’ s plans to restrict ( prohibit ) access of the US Armed Forces to the areas of operation and organise maneuvers in depth of combat formations and directly in the rear .
When entering restricted areas , SOFs perform special actions in them for a specified period of time ( no more than 15 days ) .
To develop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the SOFs , other types of the US Armed Forces , allies and partners will be required .
But this process , as military experts suggest , will be very resource-intensive .
Maneuver in depth of the battle lines and behind enemy lines is a pre-emptive measure that will be used by special units in order to influence the situation and create problematic moments for the opposing side .
It is the ability to influence conditions in areas inaccessible to general forces that will be classified as critical capabilities of the SOF @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes to their structure .
The concept states that they should be based on the need to ensure the adaptability , integration and flexibility of special operations forces .
implies the introduction of high technologies and countering new challenges through the use of new approaches to the application of SOFs .
is the ability to attract the best specialists , implement the most modern systems , and develop concepts developed not only in the ministry of defence , but also in other federal agencies .
enables proactive action and rapid response to crises @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assumed that the plan of the global company will be implemented while meeting the requirements of the regional orientation of training units and divisions .
Interspecific SOF formations designed to perform a specific list of tasks will have the ability to operate in several functional areas .
If necessary , they can be reinforced by general purpose military units attached to them .
The document stresses that the restructuring structure of the groups must be clearer and more specific .
It is planned to create new universal special forces units that should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ environments .
One of the sections of the concept provides a new definition of the concept of “ goal ” in relation to the cognitive domain of confrontation , which implies public consciousness and covers knowledge , information , needs , motives , values , attitudes , interests and other empirical elements of the social world contained in socio-economic , socio-political and socio-cultural areas .
In modern conditions , in order to achieve geopolitical goals , according to the leadership of the US Department of Defense , the relevant units of the SOF @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the views and values of people ’ s worldview and laying false goals of socio-political development in the minds of the population of the opposing states .
Changes in the nature of special events associated with increasing the importance of various methods of remote influence on the enemy are determined by the following : the use of high-tech weapons , the expansion of space warfare ; increasing the depth separation of the forces ; the increased activity of defensive measures ; and the increasing importance of reconnaissance and sabotage actions behind enemy lines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead of creating a dispersed inventory of armaments and military and special purpose equipment and other material resources on-site theater .
All this requires increased intellectualisation and robotization of weapons .
In the traditional sense the goal is defined as an object or a boundary in physical environments .
At the same time , new challenges make it necessary to focus forces and resources on achieving other types of goals – informational and cognitive .
With this in mind , the concept of “ goal ” should be expanded and supplemented not only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ population ) , but also in cyberspace and the radio frequency spectrum .
Goals are currently becoming multi-domain and will continue to be so in the future .
In order to gain advantageous positions in all areas of confrontation , the SOF command will attract a new generation of highly qualified specialists , united as part of universal detachments .
To conduct successful special actions in difficult conditions , the SOF management should be able to form teams of professionals with a wide range of skills and abilities .
For example , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a consolidated unit whose personnel must be able to effectively apply information technologies in cyberspace , use the capabilities of space communications and intelligence , and be able to covertly penetrate deep behind enemy lines .
The system of interaction ( in the American terminology “ networking ” ) of universal special forces units provides for the organisation of interaction between these units , with general forces and various departments , paying special attention to the possibilities of establishing contacts with formations that have similar deployment areas , which will allow for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be supplemented with information training courses , which will allow simulating complex conditions of the likely situation and improve the effectiveness of contact between different formations .
One of the important aspects is to ensure the compatibility of educational programmes with the educational process of various types of the US and allied armed forces .
War games and experimental activities also play an important role in the SOF construction process .
In this regard , it is planned to create an experimental formation within the central command , which will solve the problems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of conducting special operations , as well as issues of testing a promising armaments and military and special purpose equipment .
The concept states that pilot activities to raise awareness among troops will focus on the following main areas : • improving management and communications at the operational and tactical levels to support global special operations ; • prevention and disruption of the enemy ’ s actions to create zones of restriction ( prohibition ) of access to areas of operations to ensure the transfer of troops from their permanent locations and organise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as the creation of “ windows of opportunity ” for joint groups of troops ( forces ) in the course of an armed conflict ; • performing a maneuver in the depth of the enemy ’ s battle lines in order to penetrate to its vulnerable places in both peacetime and wartime ; • gain in-depth knowledge of likely areas of operation ( combat operations ) through the use of non-traditional , non-military , information , intelligence and other sources ; • concealment of unmasking signs of troops in physical environments , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under conditions of active use of detection tools by the enemy .
The final section of the document under review is “ Risk Reduction ” .
It states that the main risks of implementing this concept are related to the following areas : combat readiness ; sudden use of new technologies by the enemy ; bureaucratic obstacles and vulnerability of military families .
To continuously analyse and reduce such risks , the SOF will continue to work together with the US Armed Forces and the leadership of civil organisation .
Interspecific groups of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sufficient number of combat-ready formations to respond and resolve crisis situations .
In this case , attempts to compensate for the shortfall by the SOF , allies , partners , or controlled formations ( irregular formations of the host country ) will not be sufficient .
In order to eliminate this risk , the US Armed Forces must maintain a high level of combat readiness of troops , paying attention to the process of upgrading primarily vehicles and the supply system in the theater .
The operational compatibility of the SOF with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Armed Forces , federal agencies , intergovernmental organisations and multinational formations will also help reduce the possible danger .
In order to mitigate the possible risk of sudden introduction of new technologies by the enemy , the joint command headquarters should pay special attention to ensuring the adaptability of special operations forces , allowing them to train and innovate in the organisation of special operations , maintain situational awareness and take advantageous positions in the conduct of combat operations .
The SOF central command is organised on the basis of a hierarchical structure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ functions , and control over budget allocation .
The new strategic environment , which requires a higher degree of interaction between formations in the conduct of combat operations , forces the reduction of bureaucratic risks and overcome obstacles to the creation of universal special forces .
In conclusion , the developers of the concept conclude that the SOF will continue to be an integral part of the unified forces that ensure the use of their combat power during military operations .
They will continue to play a leading role in the fight against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must also offer non-standard solutions to achieve superiority over it .
The SOFs will be a key component in resolving many problematic issues .
It is likely , military analysts say , that they will be the first and , in some cases , the only means of responding immediately to new challenges .
According to the developers of the document , in order to prepare for the conditions of a promising operational situation , the SOF command should make the necessary administrative changes , increase the effectiveness of special formations in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ability to interact ) and ensure the creation of universal SOF units .
They will include highly qualified specialists who are able to establish contacts at the local , regional and global levels , have the necessary powers and skills , and are equipped with new armaments and military and special purpose equipment , including for independent performance of special tasks against any opponents .
Thus , the concept of “ Joint Forces Command of the SOF – 2030 ” for the development and use of special operations forces of the US Armed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the problems of organising SOF activities in complex operational conditions and a set of fundamental principles governing their training and support .
It serves as the basis for the development of SOF manuals and statutes and plans for their construction .
It provides for a large-scale re-equipment of the formations of these forces with promising models of armaments and military and special purpose equipment , created on the basis of high technologies and capable of use in all areas of confrontation , including cognitive ( socio-cultural ) and cyberspace .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significantly increase the level of technical and functional compatibility of the armaments and military and special purpose equipment SOFs and general forces involved in joint operations as part of interspecies formations , as well as to improve the quality of the system of comprehensive support for special operations forces .
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This text is based on the analysis of Colonel O. Metrov published in Foreign Military Review 2019 #10; Translated by AlexD exclusively for SouthFront
The study, the analysis and generalisation of the results of the use of the US Armed Forces (AF), including their Special Operations Forces (SOF), over the past few years – all this formed the basis for the content of the recently released concept for multi-domain operations “Joint Forces Command of the SOF – 2030”. This document sets out promising direction for the construction and application of the SOF, taking into account the experience of their actions in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya and several other African countries, and also outlines ways to improve their effectiveness in conducting combat operations.
In accordance with the new approaches of the military departments to this issue, the SOF commander was tasked in raising the capability and equipment of the Special Forces as the most popular component of the Armed Forces in the new conditions of the military-political situation.
For these goals, for fiscal year 2020, the Joint Command (JC) of the SOF is allocated $13.8 billion. By 2030, it is planned to increase the annual allocation to 20 billion dollars.
According to the US Department of Defense (DoD), special operations have already gone beyond combat support and have become an independent part of the actions of the Armed Forces, including at the strategic level in all areas of confrontation. At the same time, the tasks, forms and methods of their combat application are partially transferred to general forces.
In general, the role of the SOF in the system of ensuring US military security is determined by their increasing importance, which the current leadership of the country uses as a priority in solving international issues, the aggravation of the competition between the world centres of power for expanding their spheres of influence, the possibility of achieving the goals of political and armed confrontation by covertly influencing various critical objects of a likely enemy using modern means of destruction, as well as improving the mechanisms of deterrence of the opposing side and expanding the range of tasks assigned to the forces and means of special operations.
According to American military analysts, the place of the SOF in the overall system is justified by the following factors:
the increasing dependence of decision-making by the military and political leadership of the enemy state on the potential possibility of hitting its critical facilities;
the concentration of managerial, financial, scientific, technical and economic potentials of industrialised countries in a limited number of large industrial centres, their dependence on those infrastructure facilities that make the economy of these states vulnerable to enemy influences;
high dependence of the effectiveness of special actions of groups of troops (forces) of the probable enemy on the stability and efficiency of their information and intelligence and support systems;
accurate selective destruction of objects, including minimising negative consequences for the population and the environment;
the ability to use the forces and means of the SOF in military conflicts of any scale and intensity, counter-terrorism and peacekeeping operations;
the use of SOFs both independently and in conjunction with general purpose forces, while improving the effectiveness of the latter.
The total number of Special Operations units is constantly increasing. In the future, it is planned to increase it to 100 thousand people. US interests are global in nature, and SOFs are the most popular component of the Armed Forces. In particular, about 900 soldiers of the ground forces and Marines are involved in joint ground operations on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic as part of the joint operational formation of the SOF “Syria”.
In addition, the operational formation of the SOF of different compositions are deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan, Jordan, Colombia, Djibouti, the Philippines and a number of other states.
The relevance of developing a new concept is due, according to the American military leadership, to a combination of three factors:
unprecedented in its pace of scientific, and technological progress, miniaturisation and intellectualisation of control systems, intelligence and fire destruction, the widespread use of new algorithms in strategy and tactics, technologies for analysing large amounts of information that provide high-speed decision-making;
the presence of diverse geopolitical challenges;
the changing nature of armed conflicts, affecting absolutely all areas of confrontation.
It is these forces that have a number of advantages over other forces:
the ability to train and equip armed formations, opposition authorities from the local population to conduct non-traditional special actions;
the availability of opportunities for conducting operations using both selective strikes by means of high-precision fire destruction (conduct precision operations), and subversive actions by non-military means to organise “colour revolutions” within countries where US interests are affected and large-scale information actions. At the same time, the range and technological capabilities of non-military assets have significantly increased. In particular, they provide:
timely response to crisis situations; a reliable assessment of the capabilities of the friendly and hostile local population and influence them accordingly; effective combat use of interspecific groups of troops (forces).
But the SOF also has some shortcomings that were identified both in the course of daily activities and the performance of combat missions.
The main outstanding issues, as noted in the concept referred:
insufficient amount of time provided to military personnel for rehabilitation between missions to advanced zones;
an increase in the number of retired specialists who returned from combat zones, and as a result, the presence of problems with the recruitment of units involved in operations in forward zones;
increased burden on the personnel, despite the overall growth in the number of units and the creation of training brigades (military instructors) in ground forces;
the increase in the number of suicides due to the deterioration of the moral and psychological state of the personnel;
low level of training of the national guard and reserve SOF formations in the organisation of suppression of terrorist groups using non-traditional forms and methods of warfare;
special purpose units (SPU) perform tasks that are not typical for them (escorting columns, clearing areas of the terrain, ensuring the protection of command posts, military equipment parks and maintaining law and order);
non-compliance of the regulatory framework with the specifics of conducting secret special operations in forward zones;
lack of mechanisms for interagency cooperation in the post-conflict settlement of the situation in crisis areas of the world, such as in Syria.
The idea of the concept is to target the SOF for use in difficult to predict conditions of the military-political situation. The document states that special attention should be paid to the following five main aspects:
Providing global maneuverability (Global Deep Maneuver), which requires the SOF to the able to transfer the necessary forces and assets in a short time and increase their operational and tactical independence for autonomous actions to a depth of 500 km. These formations should be able to operate at various stages of a globally integrated campaign and in all areas of confrontation. One of the goals of the SOF’s actions in globally integrated operations is to establish control over the centres of activity of young people and various social groups, over national and religious movements, and over the process of forming cultural values. Creation and use of universal special purpose units (Hyper-Enabled Teams), which must be compatible (but remain self-sufficient) with all components of interspecific groups of troops (forces) that have integrated capabilities to inflict fire damage to the enemy not only on land, but also in other operational areas. These detachments, having a network structure and equipped with advanced weapons, military and special equipment (armaments and military and special purpose equipment), should ensure the actions of united groups in any theater. Increasing the functionality, that is, the SOFs must have the necessary flexibility to quickly move to the implementation of tasks in a difficult situation, deploy troops in advanced areas, and promptly apply the necessary forces and means in a specific location. Ensuring the ability to adapt to the battlefield in a timely manner, that is, special formations must learn to perform tasks in the new operational environment through the introduction of advanced technology, advanced training of personnel, conducting war games and experiments. Maintaining close cooperation in all operational areas with general forces, federal agencies, allies and partners, which will achieve a synergistic effect.
The concept emphasized that in the future, US adversaries will take advantage of geopolitical, socio-economic and technological changes taking place in the world in order to limit American influence and prohibit access of their Armed Forces to certain areas.
In particular, the Arctic, the South China Sea and the Middle East are regions where competition is growing. This will happen in all areas of the conflict. Moreover, the focus should be on outer space and cyberspace, where the opponents will intend to achieve superiority in peacetime.
The document states that, taking into account the forecast of the development of the operational situation in the near future, the weapons systems will operate in areas of restricted (prohibited) access to combat areas and in contested areas of confrontation, while solving the following tasks:
countering terrorists and preventing them from gaining access to weapons of mass destruction;
strengthening of special actions at the stage of threat of aggression;
uncovering threats, reducing risks and creating “windows of opportunity” for the use of interspecies groups of troops (forces) during an armed conflict.
The first task is traditional for special formations, and the ways to solve it remain mostly the same and has been applied in practice more than once.
Strengthening of special actions at the stage of threat of aggression is achieved through the deployment of advanced groups of troops in different parts of the world. Using their unique combat capabilities to conduct covert pre-emptive operations, SOF military formations contribute to the expansion of the so-called competitive environment, which is defined as the state between peace and war. At the same time, the opponents use methods of coercion to achieve strategic goals, without resorting to the outbreak of open armed conflict.
In the course of such tasks, the SOFs train and equip the host country’s armed resistance forces as part of unconventional deterrence measures. A feature of recent military conflicts is the fact that military advisers are directly involved in the organisation and use of resistance forces, and are not only used as instructors.
The rebel detachments created by these forces can be used together with other formations to disable the enemy’s missile launchers, air defence facilities and transport communications.
In addition, there is an informational and psychological impact on local target audiences. The civilian population is mobilised to organise strikes, acts of civil disobedience, as well as to collect information about the activities of the enemy.
The third task is solved in the course of an armed conflict. Special formations will be used in the interests of violating the enemy’s plans to restrict (prohibit) access of the US Armed Forces to the areas of operation and organise maneuvers in depth of combat formations and directly in the rear.
When entering restricted areas, SOFs perform special actions in them for a specified period of time (no more than 15 days). To develop success in these territories, joint efforts of the SOFs, other types of the US Armed Forces, allies and partners will be required. But this process, as military experts suggest, will be very resource-intensive.
Maneuver in depth of the battle lines and behind enemy lines is a pre-emptive measure that will be used by special units in order to influence the situation and create problematic moments for the opposing side. It is the ability to influence conditions in areas inaccessible to general forces that will be classified as critical capabilities of the SOF. Egos will require administrative and operational changes to their structure. The concept states that they should be based on the need to ensure the adaptability, integration and flexibility of special operations forces.
Adaptability implies the introduction of high technologies and countering new challenges through the use of new approaches to the application of SOFs.
Unity is the ability to attract the best specialists, implement the most modern systems, and develop concepts developed not only in the ministry of defence, but also in other federal agencies.
Flexibility enables proactive action and rapid response to crises on a global scale. It is assumed that the plan of the global company will be implemented while meeting the requirements of the regional orientation of training units and divisions. Interspecific SOF formations designed to perform a specific list of tasks will have the ability to operate in several functional areas. If necessary, they can be reinforced by general purpose military units attached to them.
The document stresses that the restructuring structure of the groups must be clearer and more specific. It is planned to create new universal special forces units that should be authorised to conduct operations in all operating environments.
One of the sections of the concept provides a new definition of the concept of “goal” in relation to the cognitive domain of confrontation, which implies public consciousness and covers knowledge, information, needs, motives, values, attitudes, interests and other empirical elements of the social world contained in socio-economic, socio-political and socio-cultural areas.
In modern conditions, in order to achieve geopolitical goals, according to the leadership of the US Department of Defense, the relevant units of the SOF are faced with the task of undermining the views and values of people’s worldview and laying false goals of socio-political development in the minds of the population of the opposing states.
Changes in the nature of special events associated with increasing the importance of various methods of remote influence on the enemy are determined by the following: the use of high-tech weapons, the expansion of space warfare; increasing the depth separation of the forces; the increased activity of defensive measures; and the increasing importance of reconnaissance and sabotage actions behind enemy lines; the implementation of a concentrated supply instead of creating a dispersed inventory of armaments and military and special purpose equipment and other material resources on-site theater. All this requires increased intellectualisation and robotization of weapons.
In the traditional sense the goal is defined as an object or a boundary in physical environments. At the same time, new challenges make it necessary to focus forces and resources on achieving other types of goals – informational and cognitive. With this in mind, the concept of “goal” should be expanded and supplemented not only by objects in the cognitive domain (population), but also in cyberspace and the radio frequency spectrum. Goals are currently becoming multi-domain and will continue to be so in the future.
In order to gain advantageous positions in all areas of confrontation, the SOF command will attract a new generation of highly qualified specialists, united as part of universal detachments. To conduct successful special actions in difficult conditions, the SOF management should be able to form teams of professionals with a wide range of skills and abilities.
For example, a combat mission may require the creation of a consolidated unit whose personnel must be able to effectively apply information technologies in cyberspace, use the capabilities of space communications and intelligence, and be able to covertly penetrate deep behind enemy lines.
The system of interaction (in the American terminology “networking”) of universal special forces units provides for the organisation of interaction between these units, with general forces and various departments, paying special attention to the possibilities of establishing contacts with formations that have similar deployment areas, which will allow for a synergistic effect.
Traditional training programmes will be supplemented with information training courses, which will allow simulating complex conditions of the likely situation and improve the effectiveness of contact between different formations. One of the important aspects is to ensure the compatibility of educational programmes with the educational process of various types of the US and allied armed forces. War games and experimental activities also play an important role in the SOF construction process. In this regard, it is planned to create an experimental formation within the central command, which will solve the problems of testing new tactical techniques and methods of conducting special operations, as well as issues of testing a promising armaments and military and special purpose equipment.
The concept states that pilot activities to raise awareness among troops will focus on the following main areas:
improving management and communications at the operational and tactical levels to support global special operations;
prevention and disruption of the enemy’s actions to create zones of restriction (prohibition) of access to areas of operations to ensure the transfer of troops from their permanent locations and organise their access to advanced zones, as well as the creation of “windows of opportunity” for joint groups of troops (forces) in the course of an armed conflict;
performing a maneuver in the depth of the enemy’s battle lines in order to penetrate to its vulnerable places in both peacetime and wartime;
gain in-depth knowledge of likely areas of operation (combat operations) through the use of non-traditional, non-military, information, intelligence and other sources;
concealment of unmasking signs of troops in physical environments, cyberspace, and the radio frequency spectrum under conditions of active use of detection tools by the enemy.
The final section of the document under review is “Risk Reduction”. It states that the main risks of implementing this concept are related to the following areas: combat readiness; sudden use of new technologies by the enemy; bureaucratic obstacles and vulnerability of military families. To continuously analyse and reduce such risks, the SOF will continue to work together with the US Armed Forces and the leadership of civil organisation.
Interspecific groups of troops (forces) may not have a sufficient number of combat-ready formations to respond and resolve crisis situations. In this case, attempts to compensate for the shortfall by the SOF, allies, partners, or controlled formations (irregular formations of the host country) will not be sufficient. In order to eliminate this risk, the US Armed Forces must maintain a high level of combat readiness of troops, paying attention to the process of upgrading primarily vehicles and the supply system in the theater.
The operational compatibility of the SOF with other parts and divisions of the US Armed Forces, federal agencies, intergovernmental organisations and multinational formations will also help reduce the possible danger.
In order to mitigate the possible risk of sudden introduction of new technologies by the enemy, the joint command headquarters should pay special attention to ensuring the adaptability of special operations forces, allowing them to train and innovate in the organisation of special operations, maintain situational awareness and take advantageous positions in the conduct of combat operations.
The SOF central command is organised on the basis of a hierarchical structure with its own rules, division of functions, and control over budget allocation. The new strategic environment, which requires a higher degree of interaction between formations in the conduct of combat operations, forces the reduction of bureaucratic risks and overcome obstacles to the creation of universal special forces.
In conclusion, the developers of the concept conclude that the SOF will continue to be an integral part of the unified forces that ensure the use of their combat power during military operations. They will continue to play a leading role in the fight against any enemy of the state, and must also offer non-standard solutions to achieve superiority over it. The SOFs will be a key component in resolving many problematic issues. It is likely, military analysts say, that they will be the first and, in some cases, the only means of responding immediately to new challenges.
According to the developers of the document, in order to prepare for the conditions of a promising operational situation, the SOF command should make the necessary administrative changes, increase the effectiveness of special formations in the main areas (flexibility, adaptability, ability to interact) and ensure the creation of universal SOF units. They will include highly qualified specialists who are able to establish contacts at the local, regional and global levels, have the necessary powers and skills, and are equipped with new armaments and military and special purpose equipment, including for independent performance of special tasks against any opponents.
Thus, the concept of “Joint Forces Command of the SOF – 2030” for the development and use of special operations forces of the US Armed Forces is a system of interrelated views on the problems of organising SOF activities in complex operational conditions and a set of fundamental principles governing their training and support. It serves as the basis for the development of SOF manuals and statutes and plans for their construction. It provides for a large-scale re-equipment of the formations of these forces with promising models of armaments and military and special purpose equipment, created on the basis of high technologies and capable of use in all areas of confrontation, including cognitive (socio-cultural) and cyberspace. In the coming years, it is planned to significantly increase the level of technical and functional compatibility of the armaments and military and special purpose equipment SOFs and general forces involved in joint operations as part of interspecies formations, as well as to improve the quality of the system of comprehensive support for special operations forces.
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southfront--2020-09-19--Erdogan Says Turkey Ready To Negotiate With Greece, As Oruc Reis Seismic Research Vessel Withdrawn

On September 18th , Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey was prepared to meet with Greece ’ s leadership and reach a solution to the escalating tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean .
“ Could there be a meeting with Greek Prime Minister ( Kyriakos ) Mitsotakis ?
What ’ s essential is what we discuss and in what framework , ” Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul .
“ We can meet if there is goodwill .
We can talk via videoconference or meet in a third country , ” Erdogan said .
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the foreign ministry in Ankara over an item in the Dimokratia newspaper .
The controversial headline – telling “ Mr .
Erdogan ” to “ f**k off ” in Turkish , with the insult translated into English with an asterisk below appeared in September 18th ’ s issue .
The headline also prompted a reaction from the Greek Foreign Ministry , which said in an announcement that freedom of the press “ does not negate the obligation to refrain from insulting the personality of any individual , particularly a foreign leader.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was Ankara ’ s deployment last month of a seismic research vessel , the Oruc Reis , and an accompanying fleet of warships near the Greek island of Kastellorizo .
Turkish officials ended the month-long mission and ordered the vessel back to shore over the September 12/13 weekend for maintenance and replenishment .
Erdogan also signalled Oruc Reis would return to its work , while also saying its withdrawal was deliberate .
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias in Prague said Greece believed “ a dialogue should start and that international law should not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area nobody should try to prevail by force ” .
He added Greece was “ always open to a dialogue with Turkey as regards coastal waters in the exclusive economic zone , provided that Turkey stops its provocative acts in the area ” .
The Oruc Reis being pulled back is seen as a positive step by Greece , however , Turkey ’ s Yavuz drillship , meanwhile , will continue its search for oil and gas off Cyprus until October 12 despite international calls to withdraw .
EU leaders are due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meeting on September 24-25 .
“ We would like our partners and friends in the EU to draft a list of sanctions which should not be imposed on Turkey immediately but rather serve as an example of sanctions that could be imposed on Turkey if it doesn ’ t stop its unlawful acts , ” Dendias said .
Speaking at an online panel , Turkish Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said the Oruc Reis ’ return to Antalya was an opportunity to advance talks and this “ should not be squandered , ” adding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reflected positively ” at a European Union summit on September 24-25 .
“ We want to see a new page turned in the relations between Turkey and Greece , but also in relations between Turkey and the EU , ” Kalin said .
“ We are hopeful , we believe the climate is conducive to that at the moment and we have , I think , reached an understanding with regards to which steps we need to be taking over the next few weeks to resume these talks , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Issued New Navigational Telex After Accusing Greece Of Militarizing Eastern Aegean Islands • “ Do Not Mess With The Turks ” .
Greece Steps Up Its Forces In Response To Erdogan ’ s Threats

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On September 18th, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey was prepared to meet with Greece’s leadership and reach a solution to the escalating tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean.
“Could there be a meeting with Greek Prime Minister (Kyriakos) Mitsotakis? What’s essential is what we discuss and in what framework,” Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul. “We can meet if there is goodwill. We can talk via videoconference or meet in a third country,” Erdogan said.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Greek Ambassador Michael-Christos Diamessi had been summoned to the foreign ministry in Ankara over an item in the Dimokratia newspaper.
The controversial headline – telling “Mr. Erdogan” to “f**k off” in Turkish, with the insult translated into English with an asterisk below appeared in September 18th’s issue.
The headline also prompted a reaction from the Greek Foreign Ministry, which said in an announcement that freedom of the press “does not negate the obligation to refrain from insulting the personality of any individual, particularly a foreign leader.”
“The use of offensive language is contrary to our country’s political culture and can only be condemned,” the ministry added.
At the centre of the Greece-Turkey dispute was Ankara’s deployment last month of a seismic research vessel, the Oruc Reis, and an accompanying fleet of warships near the Greek island of Kastellorizo.
Turkish officials ended the month-long mission and ordered the vessel back to shore over the September 12/13 weekend for maintenance and replenishment.
Erdogan also signalled Oruc Reis would return to its work, while also saying its withdrawal was deliberate.
“If we pulled Oruc Reis back to the port for maintenance, it has a meaning,” he said. “It means: ‘Let’s give a chance to diplomacy, let’s show a positive approach.'”
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias in Prague said Greece believed “a dialogue should start and that international law should not be violated. Of course in this area nobody should try to prevail by force”.
He added Greece was “always open to a dialogue with Turkey as regards coastal waters in the exclusive economic zone, provided that Turkey stops its provocative acts in the area”.
The Oruc Reis being pulled back is seen as a positive step by Greece, however, Turkey’s Yavuz drillship, meanwhile, will continue its search for oil and gas off Cyprus until October 12 despite international calls to withdraw.
EU leaders are due to discuss possible sanctions against Ankara at their meeting on September 24-25.
“We would like our partners and friends in the EU to draft a list of sanctions which should not be imposed on Turkey immediately but rather serve as an example of sanctions that could be imposed on Turkey if it doesn’t stop its unlawful acts,” Dendias said.
Speaking at an online panel, Turkish Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said the Oruc Reis’ return to Antalya was an opportunity to advance talks and this “should not be squandered,” adding that Ankara hopes this will be “reflected positively” at a European Union summit on September 24-25.
“We want to see a new page turned in the relations between Turkey and Greece, but also in relations between Turkey and the EU,” Kalin said. “We are hopeful, we believe the climate is conducive to that at the moment and we have, I think, reached an understanding with regards to which steps we need to be taking over the next few weeks to resume these talks,” he said.
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southfront--2020-09-19--U.S. Apache Helicopters Chase After Russian Patrol In Syria, Intercepted By Mi-8 And Mi-35

On September 16th , two US Apache attack helicopters attempted to approach a Russian military police patrol in the Syrian province of Haseka .
This goes against the agreement between the two countries in Syria .
In response , the Mi-35 and Mi-8 helicopters accompanying the Russian patrol stopped the provocation by intercepting the American helicopters .
Initial reports were that the Apache helicopters were chasing after the Russian convoy and that was the entire incident , but then subsequent footage was released showing that they were , in fact , intercepted .
“ Two American AH-64 Apache combat helicopters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the parties , accompanied the convoy of Russian military personnel , ” the channel said .
“ Apparently , the command of the International Coalition , after serious physical and mental trauma to its servicemen , has not abandoned attempts to control the movement of Russian patrols , only now without creating obstacles on the ground , ” they added .
This refers to a previous incident in which a Russian vehicle rammed a US vehicle in Syria , and 4 US troops were injured .
According to reports , the four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concussion-like symptoms after the incident involving Russian and coalition armored vehicles .
The incident occurred on August 25th , when a routine security patrol encountered Russian troops near Dayrick in northeast Syria , US National Security Council spokesperson John Ullyot .
A Russian vehicle struck a coalition vehicle , injuring its crew , he said , adding that the coalition patrol then left the area “ to de-escalate the situation.
” Ullyot condemned the Russian actions in the statement .
“ Unsafe and unprofessional actions like this represent a breach of de-confliction protocols @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Russia in December 2019 , ” Ullyot said .
“ The Coalition and the United States do not seek escalation with any national military forces , but U.S. forces always retain the inherent right and obligation to defend themselves from hostile acts.
” Incidents such as these appear to be happening more frequently , with tensions between Russian and American troops being heightened .
It could also be a result of some US troops being redeployed inside Syria to secure the oil fields that the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces ( SDF ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carrying out work on exploiting them .
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On September 16th, two US Apache attack helicopters attempted to approach a Russian military police patrol in the Syrian province of Haseka.
This goes against the agreement between the two countries in Syria.
In response, the Mi-35 and Mi-8 helicopters accompanying the Russian patrol stopped the provocation by intercepting the American helicopters.
The Americans quickly retreated, flying a long distance away.
Initial reports were that the Apache helicopters were chasing after the Russian convoy and that was the entire incident, but then subsequent footage was released showing that they were, in fact, intercepted.
“Two American AH-64 Apache combat helicopters, violating the agreements on the interaction of the parties, accompanied the convoy of Russian military personnel,” the channel said. “Apparently, the command of the International Coalition, after serious physical and mental trauma to its servicemen, has not abandoned attempts to control the movement of Russian patrols, only now without creating obstacles on the ground,” they added.
This refers to a previous incident in which a Russian vehicle rammed a US vehicle in Syria, and 4 US troops were injured.
According to reports, the four U.S. troops have been diagnosed with mild concussion-like symptoms after the incident involving Russian and coalition armored vehicles.
The incident occurred on August 25th, when a routine security patrol encountered Russian troops near Dayrick in northeast Syria, US National Security Council spokesperson John Ullyot.
A Russian vehicle struck a coalition vehicle, injuring its crew, he said, adding that the coalition patrol then left the area “to de-escalate the situation.”
Ullyot condemned the Russian actions in the statement.
“Unsafe and unprofessional actions like this represent a breach of de-confliction protocols, committed to by the United States and Russia in December 2019,” Ullyot said. “The Coalition and the United States do not seek escalation with any national military forces, but U.S. forces always retain the inherent right and obligation to defend themselves from hostile acts.”
Videos taken by the Russian MoD's Zvezda TV channel of the abandoned US base near Manbij. Russian journalists were escorted to the base by Russian military police.https://t.co/tymCrxk2M0 pic.twitter.com/5N3xolmlXO — Rob Lee (@RALee85) October 19, 2019
Two more videos of Russian forces in Syria. Not sure if this video was also taken on August 24 before the fracas between Russian and American forces. The video shows a US MaxxPro MRAP, and Russian Typhoon-K, Tigr, Mi-8AMTSh, and Mi-35M. 316/https://t.co/H70Iz7dAke pic.twitter.com/BW0VLP324B — Rob Lee (@RALee85) August 26, 2020
A longer video of the confrontation. US forces appear to be blocking a road and then attempt to block the path of the Russian patrol when they drive through the field. An American MaxxPro MRAP appears to collide with a Russian Typhoon-K MRAP. 319/https://t.co/iCliZSYVY9 pic.twitter.com/xZTtN6l0Ib — Rob Lee (@RALee85) August 26, 2020
Incidents such as these appear to be happening more frequently, with tensions between Russian and American troops being heightened.
It could also be a result of some US troops being redeployed inside Syria to secure the oil fields that the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) defend, while a US company begins carrying out work on exploiting them.
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southfront--2020-09-19--Hundreds Of British Troops Paradrop In Ukraine, In Sign Of “Solidarity”

On September 18th , a few hundred British troops carried out their largest parachute drop in several decades to show their “ solidarity ” with Ukraine .
It is , obviously , not as impressive as flying warplanes that could potentially carry nuclear weapons , but it is something .
The British paratroopers have jumped into Ukraine , alongside soldiers from the army ’ s elite Pathfinder unit , for an exercise close to the border with Crimea .
The soldiers are from the UK ’ s global response force 16 Air Assault Brigade .
Pathfinders are trained to parachute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high altitude to glide across borders or opening their chutes below radar .
They operate in secret and many also serve in the SAS , so one senior Pathfinders Commander spoke to Sky , but anonymously .
“ Our role is to deploy ahead of the main body in order to conduct reconnaissance of likely drop zones , helicopter landing sites and tactical landing zones and then report that information back , ” Sky News cited the anonymous commander .
“ What we ’ re really there to do is provide that ground @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you can ’ t get from anything other than having a man on the ground.
” “ We covertly insert , most likely at night , to remain undetected by the enemy.
” “ Our selection process ( finds ) mentally robust individuals that can keep going when situations become difficult but what really sets us apart from normal infantry is our ability to operate at reach.
” Ukraine needs support more than ever , with the conflict in Eastern Ukraine presumably at a standstill due to the ceasefire that appears to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undermine it .
Ukrainian General Yevhan Moysiuk said that support was needed now more than ever , since “ the threat from Russia was growing.
” “ It ’ s becoming stronger now that Russia is trying to deploy large battle groups along the Ukraine border on a permanent basis , ” General Moysiuk said .
“ The main message for Russia is that the UK is our true and reliable partner who help us in our hardship .
The UK is ready to stand up to Russian aggression with us.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t specifically aimed at being provocative , but rather to simply show solidarity .
“ It ’ s always in our DNA to deploy anywhere in the world at short notice , ” the senior British Commander in Ukraine said .
“ We ’ re certainly not here to be provocative , that is not our intent at all .
But we always take into account everything that might be said or interpreted , and it is a calibrated posture I think .
“ It is very much in our interest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sea region .
We want to be clear but we ’ re not being provocative.
” The US Naval Logistics project in Mykolaiv is also moving forward , with work having started in late 2019 and continuing .
It is officially simply a Logistics project , since the US armed forces have no troops deployed in Ukraine .
Regardless , below is a video showing U.S. military attache in Ukraine Paul Schmitt praising the good join work between US and Ukrainian forces in Eastern Ukraine and in deterring “ Russian aggression.
” He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trainings and he appears to not be in a training ground .
Despite all the efforts of the mighty Ukrainian Army and its Western ‘ allies ’ , the ‘ Russian threat ’ is still not repelled in the combat zone .
At the same time , the Kiev government achieved an apparent success in fighting ‘ agents of Russia ’ in the government-controlled area .
In practice , this resulted in the large-scale fight against independent media , political activists and the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church .
However , these extensive ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its foreign puppeteers to really entrench so-called Western values among a larger part of the Ukrainian society , which is in fact in the state of the occupation by the political regime created after the 2014 coup .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • On The Freedom Of Ukrainain Church • U.S. B-52H Strategic Bombers Fly Over Ukraine Again , As Lukashenko And Putin Meet In Sochi • Ukraine Once Again Proves Itself As Hotbed Of Radicalism In Eastern Europe

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On September 18th, a few hundred British troops carried out their largest parachute drop in several decades to show their “solidarity” with Ukraine.
It is, obviously, not as impressive as flying warplanes that could potentially carry nuclear weapons, but it is something.
The British paratroopers have jumped into Ukraine, alongside soldiers from the army’s elite Pathfinder unit, for an exercise close to the border with Crimea.
The soldiers are from the UK’s global response force 16 Air Assault Brigade.
Pathfinders are trained to parachute behind enemy lines, often jumping from high altitude to glide across borders or opening their chutes below radar.
They operate in secret and many also serve in the SAS, so one senior Pathfinders Commander spoke to Sky, but anonymously.
“Our role is to deploy ahead of the main body in order to conduct reconnaissance of likely drop zones, helicopter landing sites and tactical landing zones and then report that information back,” Sky News cited the anonymous commander. “What we’re really there to do is provide that ground truth and a level of detail that you can’t get from anything other than having a man on the ground.” “We covertly insert, most likely at night, to remain undetected by the enemy.” “Our selection process (finds) mentally robust individuals that can keep going when situations become difficult but what really sets us apart from normal infantry is our ability to operate at reach.”
Ukraine needs support more than ever, with the conflict in Eastern Ukraine presumably at a standstill due to the ceasefire that appears to be holding, despite attempts by Kiev to undermine it.
Ukrainian General Yevhan Moysiuk said that support was needed now more than ever, since “the threat from Russia was growing.”
“It’s becoming stronger now that Russia is trying to deploy large battle groups along the Ukraine border on a permanent basis,” General Moysiuk said. “The main message for Russia is that the UK is our true and reliable partner who help us in our hardship. The UK is ready to stand up to Russian aggression with us.”
The unnamed British commander said that the exercise wasn’t specifically aimed at being provocative, but rather to simply show solidarity.
“It’s always in our DNA to deploy anywhere in the world at short notice,” the senior British Commander in Ukraine said. “We’re certainly not here to be provocative, that is not our intent at all. But we always take into account everything that might be said or interpreted, and it is a calibrated posture I think. “It is very much in our interest to maintain the stability of the Black Sea region. We want to be clear but we’re not being provocative.”
The US Naval Logistics project in Mykolaiv is also moving forward, with work having started in late 2019 and continuing. It is officially simply a Logistics project, since the US armed forces have no troops deployed in Ukraine.
Regardless, below is a video showing U.S. military attache in Ukraine Paul Schmitt praising the good join work between US and Ukrainian forces in Eastern Ukraine and in deterring “Russian aggression.” He is also clearly not referring to some trainings and he appears to not be in a training ground.
Despite all the efforts of the mighty Ukrainian Army and its Western ‘allies’, the ‘Russian threat’ is still not repelled in the combat zone. At the same time, the Kiev government achieved an apparent success in fighting ‘agents of Russia’ in the government-controlled area. In practice, this resulted in the large-scale fight against independent media, political activists and the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
However, these extensive ‘democratic efforts’ did not allow Kiev and its foreign puppeteers to really entrench so-called Western values among a larger part of the Ukrainian society, which is in fact in the state of the occupation by the political regime created after the 2014 coup.
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southfront--2020-09-19--NASA To Spark “Lunar Gold Rush” In Move To Break China’s Monopoly On Rare Earth Metals

NASA wants to spark a “ lunar gold rush ” by paying companies to extract rare earth metals ( REM ) from the moon .
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine recently tweeted that the space agency “ is buying lunar soil from a commercial provider !
It ’ s time to establish the regulatory certainty to extract and trade space resources.
” The moon holds hundreds of billions , if not trillions , of dollars of untapped resources , including fifteen lanthanides , as well as scandium and yttrium – used in modern electronics .
There ’ s also an abundance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with the potential to fuel clean nuclear fusion power plants .
This infographic from 911Metallurgist.com explains why NASA has set its eyes on the moon : In a blog post , Bridenstine said NASA ’ s Artemis project “ will lay the foundation for a sustained long-term presence on the lunar surface and use the Moon to validate deep space systems and operations before embarking on the much farther voyage to Mars.
” He said the push to mine moon rocks would fully comply with the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claim to the moon or other celestial bodies .
Bridenstine said , “ we ’ re taking a critical step forward by releasing a solicitation for commercial companies to provide proposals for the collection of space resources.
” Adding that “ when considering such proposals , we will require that all actions be taken in a transparent fashion , in full compliance with the Registration Convention , Article II and other provisions of the Outer Space Treaty , and all of our other international obligations .
We are putting our policies into practice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and discovery that will benefit all of humanity.
” “ This is one small step for space resources , but a giant leap for policy and precedent , ” Mike Gold , NASA ’ s chief of international relations , told Reuters .
“ They are paying the company to sell them a rock that the company owns .
That ’ s the product , ” Joanne Gabrynowicz , former editor-in-chief of the Journal of Space Law , said .
“ A company has to decide for itself if it ’ s worth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do this to sell a rock.
” NASA ’ s attempt to begin mining the moon in 2025 could be an attempt to break China ’ s monopoly on REMs .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Russia And China Weaponized Space With Killer Satellites , Energy Weapons : US Secretary Of Defense • SpaceX : Camel ’ s Nose under the Tent of Space Militarization

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Originally appeared at ZeroHedge
NASA wants to spark a “lunar gold rush” by paying companies to extract rare earth metals (REM) from the moon.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine recently tweeted that the space agency “is buying lunar soil from a commercial provider! It’s time to establish the regulatory certainty to extract and trade space resources.”
The moon holds hundreds of billions, if not trillions, of dollars of untapped resources, including fifteen lanthanides, as well as scandium and yttrium – used in modern electronics. There’s also an abundance of Helium-3, a very rare gas, with the potential to fuel clean nuclear fusion power plants. This infographic from 911Metallurgist.com explains why NASA has set its eyes on the moon:
“Across history, human development has relied upon the finite resources available on Earth. But the moon – a seemingly barren rock – may actually be a treasure trove of rare resources vital to Earth’s future. And now, nations are looking upwards to a potential lunar gold rush,” 911Metallurgist.com states in the infographic’s intro.
In a blog post, Bridenstine said NASA’s Artemis project “will lay the foundation for a sustained long-term presence on the lunar surface and use the Moon to validate deep space systems and operations before embarking on the much farther voyage to Mars.” He said the push to mine moon rocks would fully comply with the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, which outlines no country has a sovereign claim to the moon or other celestial bodies.
Bridenstine said, “we’re taking a critical step forward by releasing a solicitation for commercial companies to provide proposals for the collection of space resources.”
Adding that “when considering such proposals, we will require that all actions be taken in a transparent fashion, in full compliance with the Registration Convention, Article II and other provisions of the Outer Space Treaty, and all of our other international obligations. We are putting our policies into practice to fuel a new era of exploration and discovery that will benefit all of humanity.”
“This is one small step for space resources, but a giant leap for policy and precedent,” Mike Gold, NASA’s chief of international relations, told Reuters.
“They are paying the company to sell them a rock that the company owns. That’s the product,” Joanne Gabrynowicz, former editor-in-chief of the Journal of Space Law, said. “A company has to decide for itself if it’s worth taking the financial and technological risk to do this to sell a rock.”
NASA’s attempt to begin mining the moon in 2025 could be an attempt to break China’s monopoly on REMs.
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southfront--2020-09-19--FBI Declares Manhunt For Two Young Middle-East Hackers

The U.S. has indicted two alleged computer hackers on charges of damaging several American websites in response for the assassination of Iran ’ s Quds Force commander Qassim Soleimani earlier this year .
In a statement released on September 15 , the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office in District of Massachusetts identified the alleged hackers as 19-year old Iranian national Behzad Mohammadzadeh , aka “ Mrb3hz4d , ” and 25-year old Palestinian national Marwan Abusrour , aka “ Mrwn007.
” Mohammadzadeh defaced more than 1,100 websites around the world with pro-Iranian and pro-hacker messages , while Abusrour hacked at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victimized innocent third parties in a campaign to retaliate for the military action that killed Soleimani , a man behind countless acts of terror against Americans and others that the Iranian regime opposed , ” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers .
“ Their misguided , illegal actions in support of a rogue , destabilizing regime will come back to haunt them , as they are now fugitives from justice.
” The two hackers allegedly started working together in December 2019 .
Abusrour reportedly provided Mahammadzadeh with access to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ These hackers are accused of orchestrating a brazen cyber-assault that defaced scores of websites across the country as a way of protesting and retaliating against the United States for killing the leader of a foreign terrorist organization .
Now , they are wanted by the FBI and are no longer free to travel outside Iran or Palestine without risk of arrest , ” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta , Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division .
“ Today ’ s indictment should send a powerful message that we will not hesitate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cyber intrusions against innocent Americans in order to cause chaos , fear , and economic harm.
” Following the January 3 U.S. drone strike that killed Soleimani and Iraqi commander , Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis , Mohammadzadeh and Abusrour launched a cyber-attack on U.S.-hosted websites .
According to the indictment , two men hacked 51 websites , and replaced their content with pictures of the late commander Soleimani against a background of the Iranian flag along with the message , in English , “ Down with America ” .
On September 16 , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Farhadi and Hooman Heidarian .
The two allegedly stole hundreds of terabytes of valuable data .
On September 17 , the Treasury Department sanctioned the Iran-linked group Advanced Persistent Threat 39 ( APT39 ) along with 45 “ associated individuals ” and a front group called Rana Intelligence Computing Co. On September 18 , three other hackers Said Pourkarim Arabi , Mohammad Reza Espargham and Mohammad Bayati were indicated by the U.S .
The charges against Iranian hackers as well as the sanctions on APT-39 are most likely a part of the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign has been so far a total failure .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • Pompeo Vows US Will Never Let Iran Acquire Russian & Chinese Weapons • Iran Allegedly Plotting To Assassinate U.S .
Ambassador To South Africa , Because Why Not ?

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The U.S. has indicted two alleged computer hackers on charges of damaging several American websites in response for the assassination of Iran’s Quds Force commander Qassim Soleimani earlier this year.
In a statement released on September 15, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in District of Massachusetts identified the alleged hackers as 19-year old Iranian national Behzad Mohammadzadeh, aka “Mrb3hz4d,” and 25-year old Palestinian national Marwan Abusrour, aka “Mrwn007.”
Iranian hackers ‘Behzad Mohammadzadeh’ and ‘Marwan Abusrour’ have been indicted on charges that they defaced websites across the U.S. in retaliation to the killing of General Qassem Soleimani.https://t.co/07akXMp4IP pic.twitter.com/pXfmJWjXVP — Cassandra33 (@Cassandra3366) September 16, 2020
Mohammadzadeh defaced more than 1,100 websites around the world with pro-Iranian and pro-hacker messages, while Abusrour hacked at least 337 website worldwide.
“The hackers victimized innocent third parties in a campaign to retaliate for the military action that killed Soleimani, a man behind countless acts of terror against Americans and others that the Iranian regime opposed,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers. “Their misguided, illegal actions in support of a rogue, destabilizing regime will come back to haunt them, as they are now fugitives from justice.”
The two hackers allegedly started working together in December 2019. Abusrour reportedly provided Mahammadzadeh with access to a number of compromised websites.
“These hackers are accused of orchestrating a brazen cyber-assault that defaced scores of websites across the country as a way of protesting and retaliating against the United States for killing the leader of a foreign terrorist organization. Now, they are wanted by the FBI and are no longer free to travel outside Iran or Palestine without risk of arrest,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Today’s indictment should send a powerful message that we will not hesitate to go after anyone who commits malicious cyber intrusions against innocent Americans in order to cause chaos, fear, and economic harm.”
Following the January 3 U.S. drone strike that killed Soleimani and Iraqi commander, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, Mohammadzadeh and Abusrour launched a cyber-attack on U.S.-hosted websites.
According to the indictment, two men hacked 51 websites, and replaced their content with pictures of the late commander Soleimani against a background of the Iranian flag along with the message, in English, “Down with America”.
On September 16, the U.S. indicted two other Iranian hackers Mehdi Farhadi and Hooman Heidarian. The two allegedly stole hundreds of terabytes of valuable data.
Mehdi Farhadi and Hooman Heidarian allegedly stole hundreds of terabytes of data, including confidential communications regarding foreign policy intelligence, intellectual property, national security, and victims’ personal and financial information. https://t.co/chuiKWx97g pic.twitter.com/BuAXngK72n — FBI (@FBI) September 16, 2020
On September 17, the Treasury Department sanctioned the Iran-linked group Advanced Persistent Threat 39 (APT39) along with 45 “associated individuals” and a front group called Rana Intelligence Computing Co.
On September 18, three other hackers Said Pourkarim Arabi, Mohammad Reza Espargham and Mohammad Bayati were indicated by the U.S.
Said Pourkarim Arabi, Mohammad Reza Espargham, and Mohammad Bayati allegedly conspired to commit computer intrusions targeting U.S. aerospace companies. The hackers are wanted on charges related to computer intrusions, identity theft, and wire fraud. https://t.co/3JPjyoBOcK pic.twitter.com/zU2VOtuPUM — FBI (@FBI) September 17, 2020
The charges against Iranian hackers as well as the sanctions on APT-39 are most likely a part of the U.S. maximum pressure campaign against Iran. The campaign has been so far a total failure.
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southfront--2020-09-19--Yemeni Houthis Vow To Fight Israeli Plots As Netanyahu Signs Historic Deal With UAE, Bahrain

The Ansar Allah movement ( also known as the Houthis ) continues pounding Saudi Arabia with drones and missiles .
Late on September 17 , the Yemeni Air Force loyal to the Houthi government struck Abha International Airport in the Saudi province of Asir with Samad 3 combat drones , which can be used as loitering munitions .
The Houthis claimed that the strike hit a military section of the airport causing material damage and casualties among Saudi forces .
The military infrastructure in the Abha airport area and southern Saudi Arabia itself has regularly become a target of Houthi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past month , Abha International Airport was targeted by at least 4 drone and missile strikes .
The Saudi capital of Riyadh and oil infrastructure in the central part of the Kingdom are also not out of danger .
The Houthis demonstrated this several times during the past few years .
The most recent strike on Riyadh took place just a few days ago .
The September 17 attack , together with regular strikes on other targets inside the Kingdom , showed that efforts of the Saudi Air Force to destroy missile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not lead to any notable impact .
Saudi proxies fighting the Houthis on the ground are also in a state of retreat .
During the past few days , they lost even more positions south of the Marib provincial capital retreating from Najd al-Majmaa , Habisah , Ajam al-Sud and al-Atf .
The Maas Camp west of Marib city still remains in the hands of Saudi-backed forces .
However , this stronghold is the last obstacle for the advancing Houthi forces in this part of the province .
If the defense of pro-Saudi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Camp will be fully isolated and captured .
In the southern part of Marib province , Houthis and their local allies captured the area of Rahum .
Here , the mid-term target of the Houthi advance is the town of Hurayb , located on the administrative border between the provinces of Marib and Shabwah .
It is interesting to note that the Houthi leadership recently declared that it stands against the US-promoted normalization with Israel and reaffirmed its support to Palestine .
Abdul-Malik al-Houthi even stated that actions of Saudi Arabia , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Muslim countries .
He claimed that Yemen has become the target of the Saudi-led intervention due to Yemen ’ s alleged resistance to the Israeli agenda in the region .
On September 15 , Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu officially signed historic peace treaties with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in Washington .
The development is a major foreign policy victory for the administration of US President Donald Trump and its Israeli allies .
The event was attended by Trump himself who noted that the courage of the Israeli and Arab @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a major stride toward a future where people of all faiths live together in peace and prosperity.
” On the other hand , the US State Department has already declared that the UAE and Israel could forge an alliance against Iran .
Bahrain and Saudi Arabia , key US regional allies , will likely become a part of this effort .
Therefore , the announced ‘ peace and prosperity ’ plan apparently includes a further strengthening of the pressure on Iran and even increases of chances of a potential military action against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ triggered a new escalation in the Gaza Strip , including the exchange of strikes between Palestinian armed groups and Israel , as well as political instability in Bahrain .
The population of Bahrain appears to be unhappy with the decision of the country ’ s leadership .
The modern Middle East could easily be compared with a powder keg that is ready to explode at any moment .

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The Ansar Allah movement (also known as the Houthis) continues pounding Saudi Arabia with drones and missiles.
Late on September 17, the Yemeni Air Force loyal to the Houthi government struck Abha International Airport in the Saudi province of Asir with Samad 3 combat drones, which can be used as loitering munitions. The Houthis claimed that the strike hit a military section of the airport causing material damage and casualties among Saudi forces.
The military infrastructure in the Abha airport area and southern Saudi Arabia itself has regularly become a target of Houthi missile and drone strikes. Just during the past month, Abha International Airport was targeted by at least 4 drone and missile strikes. The Saudi capital of Riyadh and oil infrastructure in the central part of the Kingdom are also not out of danger. The Houthis demonstrated this several times during the past few years. The most recent strike on Riyadh took place just a few days ago.
The September 17 attack, together with regular strikes on other targets inside the Kingdom, showed that efforts of the Saudi Air Force to destroy missile stockpiles and launching sites in Yemen did not lead to any notable impact.
Saudi proxies fighting the Houthis on the ground are also in a state of retreat. During the past few days, they lost even more positions south of the Marib provincial capital retreating from Najd al-Majmaa, Habisah, Ajam al-Sud and al-Atf.
The Maas Camp west of Marib city still remains in the hands of Saudi-backed forces. However, this stronghold is the last obstacle for the advancing Houthi forces in this part of the province. If the defense of pro-Saudi forces continues to crumble, the Maas Camp will be fully isolated and captured.
In the southern part of Marib province, Houthis and their local allies captured the area of Rahum. Here, the mid-term target of the Houthi advance is the town of Hurayb, located on the administrative border between the provinces of Marib and Shabwah.
It is interesting to note that the Houthi leadership recently declared that it stands against the US-promoted normalization with Israel and reaffirmed its support to Palestine. Abdul-Malik al-Houthi even stated that actions of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain contribute to Israeli plots against Muslim countries. He claimed that Yemen has become the target of the Saudi-led intervention due to Yemen’s alleged resistance to the Israeli agenda in the region.
On September 15, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu officially signed historic peace treaties with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in Washington. The development is a major foreign policy victory for the administration of US President Donald Trump and its Israeli allies. The event was attended by Trump himself who noted that the courage of the Israeli and Arab leaders enabled these countries “to take a major stride toward a future where people of all faiths live together in peace and prosperity.”
On the other hand, the US State Department has already declared that the UAE and Israel could forge an alliance against Iran. Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, key US regional allies, will likely become a part of this effort. Therefore, the announced ‘peace and prosperity’ plan apparently includes a further strengthening of the pressure on Iran and even increases of chances of a potential military action against the republic.
The ongoing normalization campaign also triggered a new escalation in the Gaza Strip, including the exchange of strikes between Palestinian armed groups and Israel, as well as political instability in Bahrain. The population of Bahrain appears to be unhappy with the decision of the country’s leadership.
The modern Middle East could easily be compared with a powder keg that is ready to explode at any moment.
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southfront--2020-09-19--Russia’s Mi-17Sh Storm Military Transport Helicopter

The Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant presented its Mi-171Sh Storm military transport helicopter and announced that it would enter mass production in 2022 .
The Mi-171Sh Storm is , essentially , the export name of the Mi-8AMTSh model .
The Mi-171Sh is the latest updated version of the Mi-17 , which entered service in the Soviet Red Army in the 1970s and which saw use as an armed gunship version .
The Mi-171Sh was introduced to the world market in 2002 and has been widely exported to clients in the Middle East , Southeast Asia , Africa and Eastern Europe .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even by NATO members – some of them were sold to Croatia , as well as the Czech Republic , between 2005 and 2008 .
“ It is known that Russia exports its helicopters to almost any international buyer , including the United States , ” the National Interest reported .
The Mi-171Sh can be deployed on a range of missions , including the airlifting of assault forces , transportation of cargoes , troop fire support , air-to-surface attack , escort of the military columns , medical evacuation and combat search and rescue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Russian Ministry of Defense ordered the Mi-171Sh as part of the modernization programme of the Russian Armed Forces .
UUAP delivered the first batch of ten Mi-171AMTSh ( Russian designation of Mi-171Sh ) helicopters in December 2010 .
The second batch of helicopters was delivered in June 2011 .
The Mi-171Sh was specifically designed for operating in combat missions in local armed conflicts .
The design incorporates a five-bladed main rotor , a tail rotor and non-retractable tricycle nose-wheel landing gear .
The glassed-in cockpit accommodates three crew and cabin houses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 12 casualties on stretchers .
The helicopters are equipped with modern avionics and instrumental equipment , to operate in all weather conditions at any time of the day .
The armor protection provided over the crew cabin and vital units increases the combat survivability of the helicopter .
The helicopter has an IR-decoy dispensing system to counter an infrared homing surface-to-air missile or air-to-air missile .
The fuel tank self-sealing covers and polyurethane foam protection avoid the possibility of fuel explosions and leakage in case of combat damage .
The Mi-171Sh is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system .
The missiles can destroy modern battle tanks protected by explosive reactive armor , fortified points and aerial targets .
The Shturm-V missile complex launches Ataka supersonic missiles equipped with a hollow-charge warhead for defeating armored targets .
The missile can destroy aerial targets with a fragmentation warhead and lightly armored combat materiel by using a high-explosive warhead .
The Mi-171Sh is also provided with hardpoints to carry up to 80 S-8 unguided rockets and GSh-23L 23mm cannons , with an ammunition load of 500 rounds .
Small arms , such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ machine gun and RPK light machine gun , are mounted in the nose and rear fuselage sections .
The multifunctional cargo cabin has a length of 5.34m , width of 2.34m and a height of 1.8m .
It provides enough internal space to carry 4,000kg of payload .
The Mi-171Sh is powered by two Klimov TV3-117VM turboshaft engines mounted on top of the fuselage .
Each engine is rated at 1,641kW .
The helicopter can be optionally fitted with two VK-2500 turboshaft engines , each rated at 2,700hp .
The Mi-171Sh can fly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The maximum speed of the helicopter is 250km/h .
The range ( without auxiliary fuel tanks ) is 580km .
The helicopter has a maximum take-off weight of 13,000kg .
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The Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant presented its Mi-171Sh Storm military transport helicopter and announced that it would enter mass production in 2022.
The Mi-171Sh Storm is, essentially, the export name of the Mi-8AMTSh model.
“The serial production of the modernized Mi-171Sh helicopter will begin in 2022,” Mikhail Karpushkin, a deputy head of the marketing, sales and maintenance department of the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant told Tass during last week’s Army-2020 International Military and Technical Forum.
The Mi-171Sh is the latest updated version of the Mi-17, which entered service in the Soviet Red Army in the 1970s and which saw use as an armed gunship version.
The Mi-171Sh was introduced to the world market in 2002 and has been widely exported to clients in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe.
It is unique in that it was ordered even by NATO members – some of them were sold to Croatia, as well as the Czech Republic, between 2005 and 2008. “It is known that Russia exports its helicopters to almost any international buyer, including the United States,” the National Interest reported.
The Mi-171Sh can be deployed on a range of missions, including the airlifting of assault forces, transportation of cargoes, troop fire support, air-to-surface attack, escort of the military columns, medical evacuation and combat search and rescue (CSAR) operations.
In 2009, the Russian Ministry of Defense ordered the Mi-171Sh as part of the modernization programme of the Russian Armed Forces.
UUAP delivered the first batch of ten Mi-171AMTSh (Russian designation of Mi-171Sh) helicopters in December 2010. The second batch of helicopters was delivered in June 2011.
The Mi-171Sh was specifically designed for operating in combat missions in local armed conflicts. The design incorporates a five-bladed main rotor, a tail rotor and non-retractable tricycle nose-wheel landing gear.
The glassed-in cockpit accommodates three crew and cabin houses up to 36 troops, or up to 12 casualties on stretchers.
The helicopters are equipped with modern avionics and instrumental equipment, to operate in all weather conditions at any time of the day.
The armor protection provided over the crew cabin and vital units increases the combat survivability of the helicopter.
The helicopter has an IR-decoy dispensing system to counter an infrared homing surface-to-air missile or air-to-air missile.
The fuel tank self-sealing covers and polyurethane foam protection avoid the possibility of fuel explosions and leakage in case of combat damage.
The Mi-171Sh is armed with a Shturm-V high-precision guided missile system.
The missiles can destroy modern battle tanks protected by explosive reactive armor, fortified points and aerial targets.
The Shturm-V missile complex launches Ataka supersonic missiles equipped with a hollow-charge warhead for defeating armored targets. The missile can destroy aerial targets with a fragmentation warhead and lightly armored combat materiel by using a high-explosive warhead.
The Mi-171Sh is also provided with hardpoints to carry up to 80 S-8 unguided rockets and GSh-23L 23mm cannons, with an ammunition load of 500 rounds.
Small arms, such as the 7.62mm PKT machine gun, PK machine gun and RPK light machine gun, are mounted in the nose and rear fuselage sections.
The multifunctional cargo cabin has a length of 5.34m, width of 2.34m and a height of 1.8m. It provides enough internal space to carry 4,000kg of payload.
“The Mi-171Sh was specifically designed for operating in combat missions in local armed conflicts.”
The Mi-171Sh is powered by two Klimov TV3-117VM turboshaft engines mounted on top of the fuselage. Each engine is rated at 1,641kW. The helicopter can be optionally fitted with two VK-2500 turboshaft engines, each rated at 2,700hp.
The Mi-171Sh can fly at a maximum altitude of 6,000m. The maximum speed of the helicopter is 250km/h. The range (without auxiliary fuel tanks) is 580km.
The helicopter has a maximum take-off weight of 13,000kg.
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southfront--2020-09-19--SDF Fighters Attacked Civilian Ferry In Euphrates. Casualties Reported

On September 18 , fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces ( SDF ) attacked a ferry transporting civilians across the Euphrates River in Deir Ezzor , according to Syrian Observatory for Human Rights ( SOHR ) .
The eastern part of Deir Ezzor is held by the SDF , while the western part is under the control of Damascus government forces .
According to the London-based monitoring group , a woman was killed and five other civilians were injured in the SDF ’ s attack .
In response to the attack , local gunmen attacked several positions of the SDF @ @ @ @ @ @ @ River in al-Shheel .
No losses were reported , however .
The motives behind the SDF ’ s attack remain unclear .
The group ’ s fighters may have mistaken the ferry for a smuggling boat .
Smugglers are known to be active in this part of the Euphrates River .
The unprovoked attack will lead serious tension between the Arab population of Deir Ezzor and the SDF .
In the last few months , the locals clashed with the Kurdish-led group on several occasions .
The group was even accused of plotting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • Four Murdered In Cold Blood By ISIS Wives In Al-Hawl Camp

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On September 18, fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) attacked a ferry transporting civilians across the Euphrates River in Deir Ezzor, according to Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
The eastern part of Deir Ezzor is held by the SDF, while the western part is under the control of Damascus government forces.
“SDF fighters opened fire from their machine guns on a ferry transporting passengers between the two banks of the Euphrates in the town of al-Shheell,” the SOHR said in a report.
According to the London-based monitoring group, a woman was killed and five other civilians were injured in the SDF’s attack.
In response to the attack, local gunmen attacked several positions of the SDF along the eastern bank of the Euphrates River in al-Shheel. No losses were reported, however.
The motives behind the SDF’s attack remain unclear. The group’s fighters may have mistaken the ferry for a smuggling boat. Smugglers are known to be active in this part of the Euphrates River.
The unprovoked attack will lead serious tension between the Arab population of Deir Ezzor and the SDF. In the last few months, the locals clashed with the Kurdish-led group on several occasions. The group was even accused of plotting a number of attacks on local tribal leaders.
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