London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

US special ops investing in new technology as warfare evolves

US special ops investing in new technology as warfare evolves

SOCOM commander specifically mentioned cyber attacks and global threats from China and Russia

The U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is investing in new technology as warfare evolves, Gen. Richard Clarke said earlier this week.

The SOCOM commander specifically mentioned cyberthreats, including the Colonial Pipeline hack that led to a significant gas shortage in areas across the East Coast after a Russian ransomware group called DarkSide attacked the company's software, as well as global threats from China and Russian disinformation campaigns.

"We must modernize the [Defense] Department," he said during a Tuesday keynote speech at the annual Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC), hosted by the National Defense Industrial Association. "Even as these threats evolve, why am I still confident we'll rise to this challenge? Because … we've done it before, and we'll do it again."

He added that there are two things he can say about the future of SOCOM: First, the command "will remain an integral part of our nation's solutions to the toughest and most strategic problems." Second, military and industry will come together to "answer the calls to innovate for our nation for the next 20 years and beyond."

What hasn't changed, he said, are SOCOM's four broad mission areas, including crisis response, counterterrorism, competition and conflict. But while competition has always existed between the U.S. and other countries, "new tech has given adversaries new avenues to compete," such as cyber, space and information, Clarke said.

SOCOM Director of Science and Technology Lisa Sanders gave a Tuesday presentation at the SOFIC event showing a $16 million increase from SOCOM's current fiscal year 2021 budget for "next-generation effects," which include high-tech drones and energy weapons, to $36 million in its FY 2022 budget.

"There is one area that we expect to grow," Sanders said during her presentation. "Next-generation effects … in the past, that was more oriented toward precision strike. We are shifting to what effect is going to be required in that future operating environment."

She added that the budget increase will give the SOCOM the opportunity to "see what next-generation looks like," which isn't "a bullet that goes farther" or a "more accurate cyber rifle."

"We think it's going to explore the areas of cyber. It's going to explore the electromagnetic spectrum. It's going to explore information as the means of achieving effect," she explained.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×