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Great Power Competition (GPC) is a term coined in the last few years
that recognizes Russia and China as 'near peer threats'. Special
operations forces will play an important role in GPC - both in the
context of general war and below the thresold of war.
U.S. SOF is undergoing a shift in focus from counterterrorism and
counterinsurgency to great power competition. Many people look at GPC as
a 'conventional fight' with large military forces confronting each other
on the battlefield. The adversaries in GPC are usually known as Russia
and China. The National Defense Strategy currently pushes for a large
investment in the weapons systems that will assist the U.S. in meeting
this threat.
However, the GPC will very likely be waged below the threshold of
general war. To some this means a return to or increase in
political warfare.
SOF will play a role in both types of conflict: general war and below
the threshold competition.
Definition of GPC
The world order of today is increasing viewed as
competition between the United States and several major powers. At the
top of the list are Russia and China - two nations with who we compete
for spheres of influence throughout the world.
References on GPC
USASOC, Army Special Operations Forces Strategy, October
2019. This document aligns Army Special Operations Forces (ARSOF) to the
2018 National Defense Strategy focus on GPC.
https://www.soc.mil/AssortedPages/ARSOF_Strategy.pdf
USASOC, SOF Support to Political Warfare White Paper, United
States Army Special Operations Command, March 10, 2015.
www.specialforcestraining.info/docs/SOFSupportPolWarPaperV2.3USASOC10Mar2015.pdf
Papers on GPC
Ferenzi, Steve, "Proxy Warfare on the Roof of the World: Great Power
Competition Lessons from Tibet", Interagency Journal Vol. 11, No. 1,
2020. This case study offers lessons for future proxy engagements
in establishing mechanisms that facilitate proper proxy selection,
mitigate deviation from sponsor goals, and optimize proxy capabilities.
The paper can be applied to ARSOF activities today.
http://thesimonscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/IAJ-11-1-2020-pg94-110.pdf
Meredith, Dr. Spencer, SOF Paradigm in Great Power Competition,
NSI, October 2019, 46 pages. This report features guest articles from
several members of the SOF community who currently work for SOCEUR, NDU,
USASOC, and other organizations.
https://nsiteam.com/social/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/SOF-Paradigm_Invited-Perspective_FINAL3.pdf
Articles on GPC
October 12, 2019.
"How to Win an Asymmetric War in the Era of Special Forces", The
National Interest. This article focuses on ARSOF in competition
below armed conflict.
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