US commander appeared to suggest UK special forces were operating in Ukraine
US commander appeared to suggest UK special forces were operating in Ukraine
A UK Ministry of Defence spokesperson told BI: "It is the longstanding policy of successive governments not to comment on UK Special Forces."
- A US commander appeared to suggest UK special forces were operating in Ukraine.
- Gen. Bryan Fenton told The AP that the US was "taking a lot of lessons" from UK special forces in Ukraine.
- The UK Ministry of Defence declined to comment on the report.
A US commander has appeared to suggest that UK special forces were operating in Ukraine.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Gen. Bryan Fenton, the Commander of US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), spoke about plans to restructure Green Beret teams based on lessons from British special forces in Ukraine.
"A 12-person detachment might be up-gunned," Fenton said, explaining that as warfare becomes more high-tech, there may be a need for teams to have a cyber expert, an Air Force pilot, or a cryptologist, for example.
US commander needs to keep his gob shut.
Careless talk costs lives.
Loose lips sink ships
Well duh, special forces are one of our specialities.
This should not really be surprising to anyone, given that training others is a part of their mission set. Does anyone doubt MI6 is active there, pursuing the missions they've been trained for?
That said, I'm surprised a Green Beret team doesn't already come with a cyber guy. I mean, yeah, that's probably a good idea to have someone that can monitor and work in the information space when you're doing a long-term deployment overseas. Probably want a drone/EW guy too.
Anybody who is surprised by this is either hugely naive, knows nothing about previous British military tactics or has been under a rock for the last 40 years.
When the invasion kicked off, like day 0, SF assets all over the place were ready to bounce and get in there. I know at least one GROM and UK guy who were training their counterparts in case they got told they could support.
But, as others have said, these are more akin to advisors than "behind the lines" active missions. If you don't think everyone has someone backing up the tax dollars they're sending, you're naive at best.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
"A 12-person detachment might be up-gunned," Fenton said, explaining that as warfare becomes more high-tech, there may be a need for teams to have a cyber expert, an Air Force pilot, or a cryptologist, for example.
Fenton said that British commandos have required Royal Air Force pilots' advice on drone operations and needed navy personnel "to help them understand, more than a SOF (special operations forces) teammate could, the way a ship in the Black Sea navigates."
Indeed, the possibility of Western powers openly sending military units to fight Putin's forces has gained momentum in recent months, with President Emmanuel Macron saying he'd consider dispatching French soldiers.
In a statement to Business Insider, a Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: "It is the long-standing policy of successive governments not to comment on UK Special Forces."
Meanwhile, the radical idea of Western troops being officially sent to Ukraine has been floated by French President Emmanuel Macron.
Macron said he'd consider sending troops "if the Russians were to break through the front lines" or "if there were a Ukrainian request—which is not the case today."
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