Special Operations Success: Balancing Capabilities and Control

Special Operations Success establishes a new benchmark in military theory in this deeply analytic and innovative work. It answers several pressing questions: How successful have American special operations been over the past quarter-century? Are special forces fated to cycles of expansion and misuse? Will special forces invariably exceed the authorities granted to them because of they are? Is a general theory of special operations feasible given the range of activities and conditions that fall under the category? Kiras' work is based on two decades of practical, teaching, and consulting experience within different special operations communities, and its analysis and conclusions are designed to inform practitioners, policymakers, educators, and the general public. The book develops a framework, in the form of a theory comprising capabilities and control, for the comprehensively evaluating special operations success, and is divided into three parts: Part I lays the foundation for a general theory of special operations, Part II explores the two component parts of theory, capabilities and control, and Part III uses various aspects of the theory, depending on available information, to assess the success of special operations over a twenty-year period in the United Kingdom, South Africa, and the United States.

Table of Contents:
List of Figures List of Table List of Maps List of Abbreviations Part I 1: Introduction 2: Special Operations Precedents Part II 3: Special Operations Capabilities 4: Control of Special Operations and Vertical Integration 5: The Theory of Special Operations Coherence Part III 6: Stretched beyond Footholds: The United Kingdom, 1971-1991 7: System within a System: South African Special Forces, 1972-1992 8: Redefining the System: US Special Operations, 1996-2016 9: Conclusion Bibliography Index

About the Author :
James D. Kiras has taught at the US Air Force's school of strategy for 20 years. He has published numerous works on irregular warfare, including special operations, terrorism, and insurgency, and serves on the board of special operations organizations in the US and Sweden. He co-founded the Special Operations Research Association and co-edits Inter Populum: The Journal of Special Operations and Irregular Warfare. Professor Kiras served in the Pentagon following the 9/11 attacks and he routinely consults with various special operations units and planning and strategy staffs.

Review :
In the aftermath of the use - and at times, misuse - of special operations forces in Iraq and Afghanistan in particular, a fresh examination of the theory underlying special operations is very germane. At least in the US and likely elsewhere, some of the core aspects of special operations seem to be in doubt. In many ways, a thorough re-examination of underlying principles and desired capabilities has become increasingly important. Although some readers in the policy world might find some of the theoretical background in this book rather heavy going, it is highly recommended for both policy makers and analysts to develop fresh approaches to the strategic use and control of special operations forces.