OPTIMIZING FLEET TACTICS: SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES IN NAVAL WARFARE
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Authors
Walls, Kenneth C., Jr.
Subjects
fleet tactics
Wayne Hughes
firepower
scouting
command and control
attack effectively first
William McRaven
U.S. SOCOM
NSW
SEALS
naval operations
Italian Frogmen
Alexandria
Falklands War
Pebble Island
Tanker Wars
Farsi Island
Wayne Hughes
firepower
scouting
command and control
attack effectively first
William McRaven
U.S. SOCOM
NSW
SEALS
naval operations
Italian Frogmen
Alexandria
Falklands War
Pebble Island
Tanker Wars
Farsi Island
Advisors
Jamison, Thomas
Date of Issue
2024-06
Date
Publisher
Monterey, CA; Naval Postgraduate School
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Abstract
The shift of the U.S. military away from the Global War on Terror (GWOT) to preparation for large-scale combat operations has created tension for Special Operations Command (SOCOM) between the dual imperatives of maintaining a sustained global presence and achieving optimal integration with conventional military units—particularly the Navy. This thesis builds on CAPT (Ret) Wayne Hughes’ seminal work on naval warfare, Fleet Tactics and Naval Operations, to argue that maritime-specialized SOF units can improve the operational capability of a battle fleet and should prioritize integration with the Navy over consistent presence abroad. To demonstrate the impact of SOF in naval combat, this study evaluates the performance of maritime special forces in three major naval campaigns—The Battle for the Mediterranean (1940-45), The South Atlantic Conflict (1982), and the Tanker War (1987-88)—according to Hughes’ concepts of firepower, scouting, and command and control. The analysis finds that maritime SOF excel in littoral environments, where they can leverage flotillas of fast attack craft, conduct sabotage missions, and employ sophisticated reconnaissance capabilities to enhance the lethality of the fleet, provided sufficient doctrinal integration is cultivated ahead of time.
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Thesis
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Distribution Statement
Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited.
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This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.