SOCOM Aiming for Big Boost in R&D Rinding.

AuthorHarper, Jon
PositionBUDGET MATTERS

President Donald Trump's fiscal year 2020 budget request would give U.S. Special Operations Command a major increase in research, development, test and evaluation funding, as it pursues new capabilities to take on advanced adversaries.

The fiscal blueprint calls for $820 million in RDT&E investment, a 34 percent bump over the enacted 2019 budget. It would remain at relatively high levels across the future years defense program.

The proposed ramp-up comes as the U.S. military is carrying out the 2018 National Defense Strategy, which prioritizes preparing for great power competition with China and Russia.

Steven Bucci, a national security analyst with the Heritage Foundation and a former Special Forces officer, said the funding request for SOCOM reflects that strategic shift.

"It's totally in line with the larger budget priorities" that Pentagon leaders have set, he said. "While eventually that will lead to procurement [of new systems], right now you've got to figure out what it is you want to buy" by going through the RDT&E process, he added.

During a change-of-command ceremony in March, departing SOCOM Commander Army Gen. Raymond Thomas III emphasized the need to acquire new capabilities. He was especially keen on artificial intelligence and machine learning. "It applies to everything we're doing and everything we could consider doing in the future," he said. "I am an absolute zealot. We are trying to drive SOCOM in that direction."

Targeting, predictive maintenance, logistics and information warfare are just a few examples of areas where AI could be applied to aid special operations forces, he noted.

Bucci expects more investment in new unmanned systems. "You'll see that... [technology] get much more sophisticated," he said.

He also anticipates more spending on offensive cyber weapons. Special operators need the tactical ability to "turn off enemy capabilities or to tap into their intel and their communications, and in some cases to intrude on those things in ways that provide deception and cover for our folks," he explained.

New SOCOM Commander Army Gen. Richard Clarke has said he will prioritize modernization and developing capabilities aimed at threats posed by great power adversaries.

In an email to National Defense, SOCOM Acquisition Executive Jim Smith noted that the command's funding priorities shift dynamically in response to the changing operational environment.

The 2020 proposal "does very clearly allocate resources to address...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT