Special (peace) operations: Optimizing SOF for UN missions

2018 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-240
Author(s):  
H. Christian Breede
Keyword(s):  
United Nations ◽  
Recent Literature ◽  
Boundary Spanning ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Peace Operations ◽  
Special Forces ◽  
Special Operations ◽  
Special Operations Forces ◽  
Peacekeeping Missions ◽  
Scholarly Attention

Since the release of the 2015 United Nations Peacekeeping Missions Military Special Forces Manual, there has been surprisingly little scholarly attention devoted to it. Indeed, much of the recent literature on the topic of special operations forces (SOF) is descriptive, sensationalized, or simply boosting the image of SOF as the proverbial “easy button” for decision-makers. This article seeks to critically engage with the 2015 United Nations manual on SOF through the framework of specialized generalists, boundary spanning, and military autonomy. 1 This paper will then continue the argument that SOF has a role in peace operations, albeit a limited one. Finally, it will conclude with some recommendations for how these findings can inform Canada’s employment of SOF in the future. Indeed, given that Canada is a relative newcomer to the “global SOF network,” 2 such critical inquiry is warranted.

scholarly journals RAZVOJ SPECIALNIH SIL SV IN IZKUŠNJE IZ AFGANISTANA

2016 ◽  
pp. 47-62
Author(s):  
KRISTIAN BERŠNAK
Keyword(s):  
Task Force ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Special Forces ◽  
Special Operations ◽  
Peacekeeping Operations ◽  
Basic Task ◽  
International Environment ◽  
History Of ◽  
Special Operations Forces ◽  
The Republic

Slovenska vojska je od osamosvojitve do danes dosegla velik napredek pri razvoju zmogljivosti specialnih sil, kar s svojo vrhunsko usposobljenostjo in pripravljenostjo ter interoperabilnostjo s sorodnimi enotami Nata v praksi nenehno potrjuje njena Enota za specialno delovanje (ESD). Potencial enote se kaže predvsem pri izpolnjevanju obveznosti RS v mednarodnih operacijah in na misijah. Članek na primeru delovanja ESD ponuja razmislek o povezanosti med razvojnim konceptom specialnih sil SV ter njihovo resnično »in field« uporabo. Najvidnejši primer delovanja ESD v mirovnih operacijah in na misijah je bila napotitev v sklopu dvajsetega slovenskega kontingenta v operacijo Isafa. Element ESD je kot del Desete skupne bojne skupine za specialno delovanje pod vodstvom komponentnega poveljstva specialnih sil Isafa prvič v zgodovini SV sodeloval v operacijah specialnih sil Nata, in sicer v smislu nekonvencionalnega delovanja, s temeljno nalogo vojaške pomoči afganistanskim varnostnim silam. SV je z delovanjem elementa ESD v sklopu specialnih sil Isafa potrdila svoje zmogljivosti v praksi in tako v zahtevnem mednarodnem okolju dokazala, da je strateški koncept RS, povezan z razvojem specialnih sil SV, pravilen in predvsem uresničljiv. Since Slovenia’s independence to date, the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) achieved significant progress in developing the capabilities of special forces. This is being continuously confirmed by SAF Special Operations Unit (SOU) in practice with its superior competence and readiness as well as the interoperability with similar NATO units. The unit’s potential is mainly reflected in the fulfilment of the obligations of the Republic of Slovenia in international operations and missions. Using the example of SOU operations, the article provides a reflection on the relationship between the development concept of SAF Special Operations Unit and its actual in field use. The most visible example of SOU activities in peacekeeping operations and missions was the deployment of the 20th Slovenian contingent to the ISAF operation. For the first time in the history of the SAF, the SOU element which was subordinated to the Combined Special Operations Task Force 10 led by Combined Forces Special Operations Component Command - Afghanistan participated in NATO special operations forces in terms of unconventional operations. Its basic task was to provide military assistance to the Afghan security forces. With the engagement of SOU element within ISAF special forces the SAF confirmed its capabilities in practice and proved in the international environment that the strategic concept of the Republic of Slovenia associated with the development of SAF special forces was accurate and fully implementable.

scholarly journals APPROACH TO THE FORMALIZATION OF THE PROCESS OF CONDUCTING SPECIAL ACTIONS BY A SPECIAL FORCES UNIT USING THE ANALYTICAL-STOCHASTIC MODEL.

2021 ◽  
pp. 36-43
Author(s):  
A. Kokoiko
Keyword(s):  
Stochastic Model ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Armed Conflicts ◽  
International Terrorism ◽  
Unified Approach ◽  
Special Forces ◽  
Special Operations ◽  
Arms Trade ◽  
Special Operations Forces ◽  
The Military

The current realities of the military-political situation in the world comprise the emergence of a significant number of new contradictions of various natures between states and entire regions, and in some countries acute territorial, religious and ethnic confrontations that have led to a number of armed conflicts. In addition, international terrorism, drug smuggling, illegal arms trade and organized crime pose serious threats today. The emergence of these threats brings the necessity of drastic changes in approaches to resolving them. A significant share in the settlement of these conflicts belongs to the Special Operations Forces, which is the youngest and most advanced component of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The authors identify one of the main problems that is the lack of a unified approach to the formalization of the process of conducting special actions. The purpose of this article is to form a mathematical model of the process of conducting special actions by the unit of Special Operations Forces during the planning and conducting of special operation. The authors propose an approach to the formalization of the process of conducting special actions by a special forces unit, using an analytical- stochastic model.

scholarly journals VKLJUČEVANJE ŽENSK V SPECIALNE SILE

2020 ◽  
pp. 85-105
Author(s):  
KARMEN POKLUKAR
Keyword(s):  
Selection Criteria ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Primary Concern ◽  
Special Forces ◽  
Gender Integration ◽  
Special Operations ◽  
Special Operations Forces ◽  
The One ◽  
Mixed Gender

Povzetek V prispevku ugotavljamo, da kljub prepoznavanju prednosti žensk pri izvajanju posebnih nalog specialnih sil še vedno ostaja precej vprašanj glede oblikovanja mešanih sestavov. Največje vprašanje predstavlja ohranjanje strogih fizičnih izbirnih meril za oba spola, ki po eni strani pomembno prispevajo k vzdrževanju kohezivnosti enote in njene elitnosti v oboroženih silah ter družbi, po drugi strani pa zmanjšujejo njeno dostopnost fizično šibkejšemu spolu. Premiki k vključevanju žensk v specialne sile so se v nekaterih državah že zgodili, v nobeni izmed teh držav pa s temi pristopi ne želijo oslabiti poslanstva in statusa specialnih sil. Prav to smo na podlagi izvedenih intervjujev ugotovili tudi na primeru Enote za specialno delovanje Slovenske vojske. Ključne besede specialne sile, ženske v specialnih silah, izbirni postopek. Abstract The article notes that although the advantage of gender integration in the conduct of special assignments has been identified, there remains a considerable dilemma with regard to the formation of mixed-gender structures. The primary concern is to maintain strict physical selection criteria for both genders. These, on the one hand, make an important contribution to maintaining the cohesiveness of the unit and enabling members of the Special Forces to preserve their status of elite forces within the armed forces and the society, and, on the other hand, reduce their accessibility for a physically weaker gender. Some states have already accomplished partial shifts in the integration of women into Special Forces. Yet, through such measures, none of these states intend, by no means, to weaken the mission and status of Special Forces. Based on the conducted interviews, the above-stated findings were established in the case of the Special Operations Forces of the Slovenian Armed Forces. Key words Special Forces, women in Special Forces, selection process.

Police as Nation Builders: Distinguishing between Countries that Contribute Police Officers to United Nations Peace Operations

2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 74-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Garth den Heyer
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
United Nations ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Limited Resource ◽  
Developing Nations ◽  
Peace Operations ◽  
Post Conflict ◽  
Military Forces ◽  
Peacekeeping Missions

The involvement of police in post-conflict peacekeeping has experienced exceptional growth. As a result, the countries contributing police officers to United Nations and European Union Missions is increasing. The countries that have contributed police officers to the 24 United Nations Missions that took place between January 2006 and December 2012 are examined and compared with those of military peacekeeping contributing countries. The countries identified as contributing police to peacekeeping missions during this period are different from those contributing military forces and are principally developing nations. These results raise questions in regard to the form of policing being introduced in post-conflict nations and the depriving of the contributing countries of their limited resource.

UN Peacekeeping Operations and Successful Military Diplomacy: A Case Study of Pakistan

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bakare Najimdeen
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Policy ◽  
United Nations ◽  
Security Council ◽  
United Nations Security Council ◽  
Policy Objective ◽  
Peacekeeping Operations ◽  
Un Peacekeeping ◽  
The United Nations ◽  
Peacekeeping Missions ◽  
Military Diplomacy

Few years following its creation, the United Nations (UN) with the blessing of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) decided to establish the UN Peacekeeping Operations (UNPKO), as a multilateral mechanism geared at fulfilling the Chapter VII of the UN Charter which empowered the Security Council to enforce measurement to maintain or restore international peace and security. Since its creation, the multilateral mechanism has recorded several successes and failures to its credit. While it is essentially not like traditional diplomacy, peacekeeping operations have evolved over the years and have emerged as a new form of diplomacy. Besides, theoretically underscoring the differences between diplomacy and foreign policy, which often appear as conflated, the paper demonstrates how diplomacy is an expression of foreign policy. Meanwhile, putting in context the change and transformation in global politics, particularly global conflict, the paper argues that traditional diplomacy has ceased to be the preoccupation and exclusive business of the foreign ministry and career diplomats, it now involves foot soldiers who are not necessarily diplomats but act as diplomats in terms of peacekeeping, negotiating between warring parties, carrying their countries’ emblems and representing the latter in resolving global conflict, and increasingly becoming the representation of their countries’ foreign policy objective, hence peacekeeping military diplomacy. The paper uses decades of Pakistan’s peacekeeping missions as a reference point to establish how a nation’s peacekeeping efforts represent and qualifies as military diplomacy. It also presented the lessons and good practices Pakistan can sell to the rest of the world vis-à-vis peacekeeping and lastly how well Pakistan can consolidate its peacekeeping diplomacy.

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