Under the title "What Are the Elite Forces That Killed Osama Bin Laden Currently Doing?", Emirates Today published a report indicating that ten years after finding and killing al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, the U.S. Navy SEALs are undergoing a massive transformation to develop their leadership and expand the capabilities of elite forces to combat global threats such as China and Russia. This was mentioned by the website of Al-Hurra Channel.
The new plan involves reducing the number of special forces teams by up to 30%, while increasing their size to make the teams more lethal and capable of confronting adversaries above and below the sea. A new and intensive review of the elite forces will take place to search for more efficient leaders, following scandals that shook the force, including charges of murder, sexual assault, and drug use.
U.S. Admiral Hugh Howard, the top commander of the forces, explained his plans in an interview with the Associated Press, noting that the Navy Special Operations Force had been focused on anti-terror operations, but the time has come to evolve beyond those tasks, as many of the force's soldiers have fought in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan over the past two decades. Now, their focus is returning to the sea.
This decision reflects a broader Pentagon strategy to prioritize China and Russia, both of which are rapidly growing their militaries and trying to expand their influence worldwide. U.S. defense leaders believe that two decades of war against insurgents and extremists have drained resources, causing the U.S. to lag behind Moscow and Beijing, according to Al-Hurra.
Howard stated that counter-terrorism had its benefits, allowing the Navy's special forces to hone their skills in developing intelligence networks and identifying and striking targets. He added that "many of these skills are transferable, but we now need to put more effort into confronting the threats posed by our peers." He also noted the recruitment of new personnel into the Navy special forces teams to enhance their capabilities in areas such as electronic warfare, unmanned systems, and sharpening their skills in intelligence gathering and countering and defeating the enemy.
