Special operations forces (SOFs) were pivotal to the success of the U.S. armed services in Operation Enduring Freedom, and they were highlighted by embedded war correspondents in the initial combat phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom. After 50 years, a love affair with things "special" seems to have developed. Navy leaders now express confidence that naval SOFs know how to accomplish missions efficiently and have something to offer conventional forces-to include operating in the littoral regions that the Navy must be prepared to dominate in the 21st century.
Littoral operations have become increasingly problematic for naval forces since 1980, when floating mines were discovered in the Red Sea. Iran and many other nations have imported surface-to-surface missiles that can endanger naval forces operating in offshore waters, and the threats posed there by quiet diesel submarines and fast-attack boats are growing.
A key factor in determining the proper course for the Navy to take in littoral warfare is the cost of building its warships, which can exceed $1 billion per copy. In Operation Desert Storm, three U.S. ships sustained heavy damage when they struck mines. More important, human casualties compounded the extensive material destruction inflicted by the terrorist attack on the USS Cole (DDG-76) in Yemen. Thus, littoral risks to our naval forces are on the rise in terms of both blood and treasure.
Today, the Naval Special Warfare Command provides the premier SOF capabilities needed to conduct successful littoral operations. While Navy SEAL teams can operate at 10,000-foot elevations, as in Afghanistan, or well inland for hostage recoveries, such as the rescue of Army Private First Class Jessica Lynch, their primary missions are performed on, over, and under the sea. Accessing target areas from the sea will remain as their most important task. And in the maritime domain, they are complemented by special boat teams that have evolved into unique naval assets capable both of supporting SEAL teams and functioning independently in coastal patrols and interdictions.
The SEALs continue to assign contingents to ongoing operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, but the future of naval SOF lies in the world's littoral regions. Their teams, combined with special boat teams and supporting ships and aircraft, offer countless task organizations for dealing with a wide range of littoral threats.
The Naval Special Warfare Command is dedicated to the constant search for better tactics and techniques, advanced technology, and improved equipment. It currently deploys SEALs and special boat teams in squadron configurations that conduct intensive predeployment training and preparatory exercises focused on their assigned geographic region. From all reports, this organizational approach has improved efficiency and readiness.
Innovative platforms currently under development will expand the capabilities of the Navy's special warfare units and will be designed to support other-service SOFs as well. For example, the Littoral Support Craft (Experimental)—called the X-Craft—sponsored by the Office of Naval Research is under construction at Nichols Brothers Shipyard in Seattle, Washington. With its catamaran design and helicopter facilities, this 275-foot craft could prove to be an optimum platform for naval special warfare. The X-Craft is scheduled for launching in mid-2004.
In addition, a replacement for the special boat unit's 80-foot MKV-SOC964 medium-range insertion craft is under study. A radical new hull design may be required to reduce the drastic "G" forces the MKV exerts on crew and passengers at high speeds.
For the near term and foreseeable future, the Navy's special warfare units will be the littoral forces of choice. Their degree of success will be determined in large part by supporting them with the proper mix of platforms—on, under, and over the sea.
The SEALs' leaders and planners must accurately pinpoint SOF requirements for littoral campaigns and reject the compromise positions of the past that emphasized affordability over operational effectiveness. It then remains for the Navy's budgeteers and program sponsors to ensure those requirements are met. The mission is too important to be relegated to second-tier status in the Department of Defense programming and procurement process.
Retired Rear Admiral Worthington, a SEAL, is a special warfare consultant in San Diego, California.