SOF CHALLENGES AS GREAT POWER RIVALRY BUILDS

As Superpower competition expands in Asia, regional special forces are looking to re-equip to meet sub-threshold threats.

- Andrew White

Asia Pacific is home to more than 50 countries all of whom continue to attempt to protect sovereign territory and strategic seaways throughout the theatre. However, the Great Power Competition (GPC) has witnessed the emergence of several high capability adversaries who are threatening to upset the ‘status quo’ through military might.

Examples include the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Russian Federation- all of which have strong interests across the entire strategic region.

As described by Admiral Phil Davidson,Commander, United States Indo-Pacific Command at the Indo-Pacific Landpower Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii on 19 May, the PRC continues to conduct “increased military aggression, malign behaviour and pernicious activity throughout the Indo-Pacific”. Examples include the sinking of a Vietnamese vessel in April by a Chinese Coast Guard cutter; and increased military demonstrations of force near Taiwan.

Considerations regarding the GPC in the Indo-Pacific were also discussed by multiple state actors across the region at the Transregional Resistance Working Group (TRWG) in Monterey, California, which was conducted between 4-6 February.

Organised by the US Special Operations Command- Pacific (SOCPAC), and entitled The Role of SOF and Great Power Competition – Comparative Dialogue of Russia and China event was designed to enhance resiliency to ‘revisionist states and renewed Great Power Competition’, providing SOF partners with the ability to discuss common challenges and best practices in order to meet shared security challenges.