Journal on Baltic Security logo


  • Help
Login Register

  1. Home
  2. Issues
  3. Volume 8, Issue 1 (2022)
  4. Resistance Operations : Challenges and O ...

Journal on Baltic Security

Submit your article Information Become a Peer-reviewer
  • Article info
  • Full article
  • Related articles
  • More
    Article info Full article Related articles

Resistance Operations : Challenges and Opportunities for Special Operations Forces
Volume 8, Issue 1 (2022), pp. 77–94
Hans Ilis-Alm   Ulrica Pettersson  

Authors

 
Placeholder
Pub. online: 9 August 2022      Type: Research Article      Open accessOpen Access

Received
20 April 2022
Accepted
25 May 2022
Published
9 August 2022

Abstract

This article aims to discuss how a state could best use its resources in resisting an aggressor when joint operations have failed. Focusing on the potential role of special operations forces (SOF) in resistance operations, the article examines scenarios where small states are attacked by a superior opponent. Based on the example of Sweden, currently still a militarily non-aligned country that nevertheless has adopted a security policy based on cooperation with other states, we explore how a small state not belonging to NATO might plan and prepare for alternative scenarios. Not being covered by Article 5, Sweden needs to be prepared to fight the war on its own. A better, but less likely, scenario would be fighting together with partners, at home, or in the near abroad. Since Ukraine shares similarities with Sweden in terms of its status as an enhanced NATO-partner, it will serve as an additional, and highly relevant, point of reference in the discussion. The developments in this war indicates that for a non-NATO member the primary alternative will be to conduct the fight on its own. Based on the above, the article will go on to investigate a number of old truths from the late 20th century as well as flipped lessons learned from twenty years of counter insurgency, primarily in the Middle East, South Sahel and South East Asia. Small states tend to have very limited size SOF which indicates that mission prioritization will be a key factor for the utility of SOF in resistance operations. There are, however, ways of finding other relevant roles, than the traditional ones, for SOF in resistance operations.

References

References

 
Arreguin-Toft, Ivan. (2001) ‘How the Weak Win Wars: A Theory of Asymmetric Conflict’, International Security, 26(1): 93–128.
 
Bērziņš, Jānis. (2014) ‘Russia’s New Generation Warfare in Ukraine: Implications for Latvian Defense Policy’, Policy Paper, no. 2. National Defence Academy of Latvia, Center for Security and Strategic Research.
 
Borger, William. (2022) ‘The drone operators who halted Russian armored vehicles heading for Kyiv’, The Guardian. [Online] 28th of March. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/28/the-drone-operators-who-halted-the-russian-armoured-vehicles-heading-for-kyiv . retrieved 20/04/22. (Accessed: 20 May 2022).
 
Che Guevara, Ernesto. (2009) Guerilla Warfare. Progressive Printers.
 
Collins, Liam. (2021) Rapid and Radical adaptation in Counterinsurgency: task Force 714 in Iraq. Modern War Institute. [Online] 28 September 2021. Available at: https://mwi.usma.edu/rapid-and-radical-adaptation-in-counterinsurgency-task-force-714-in-iraq. retrieved. 19/04/22 (Accessed: 20 May 2022).
 
Eriksson, Gunilla, Pettersson, Ulrica and Molin, Urban. (2017) ‘Introduction’ in Eriksson and Pettersson Operations from a Small State Perspective: Future Security Challenges. Palgrave Macmillan.
 
European Union. (2012) ‘Consolidated Version of the Treaty on European Union’, Official Journal of the European Union. C326/13.
 
Fiala, Otto and Pettersson, Ulrica. (2021) ‘ROC(K) Solid Preparedness - Resistance Operations Concept in the Shadow of Russia’, PRISM 8(4):17-28.
 
Fiala, Otto. (2019) Resistance Operating Concept. Swedish Defence University, Arkitektkopia.
 
Fussell, Chris. (2017) One mission. Penguin Random House.
 
Gyllensporre, Dennis. (2017) ‘Contemporary Hybrid Warfare and the Evolution of Special Operations Theory’, in Eriksson and Pettersson. Operations from a Small State Perspective: Future Security Challenges. Palgrave Macmillan.
 
Harris, Jr, William D. (2013) ‘Special Operations, Irregular Warfare and Operational Art: A Theory of Special Operation’, [Student report]. Fort Leavenworth: School for Advanced Military.
 
Ilis-Alm, Hans. (2017) ‘Swedish Special Operations Forces: How It All Started’, in Eriksson and Pettersson. Operations from a Small State Perspective: Future Security Challenges. Palgrave Macmillan.
 
Kilcullen, David. (2009) The Accidental Guerilla, Fighting small wars in the midst of a big one. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
 
Klein, Robert M., Lundqvist, Stefan, Sumangil, Ed and Pettersson, Ulrica. (2019) ‘Baltics Left of Bang: The Role of NATO with Partners in Denial-Based Deterrence’, SF No. 301. Institute for National Strategic Studies, Strategic Forum, National Defence University.
 
Lundqvist, Axel. (2021) ‘The US elite soldiers train the Home Guard on Gotland’ [USA:s elitsoldater tränar Hemvärnet på Gotland), Expressen. (6th of January).
 
Maskaliūnaitė, Asta. (2021) ‘Exploring Resistance Operating Concept. Promises and pitfalls of (violent) underground resistance’, Journal on Baltic Security, 6(1): 27-38.
 
Pettersson, Ulrica. (2013) Improving incident reports in the Swedish armed forces. Doctoral thesis. Lunds University Press.
 
Rice, Cassy. (2013) The Auxiliary Units: Britain’s Last Line of Defence During World War II. History Theses. Paper 1. http://hdl.handle.net/10950/172 (Accessed: 30 April 2022).
 
Searle, Tom. (2017) ‘Outside the Box: A New General Theory of Special Operations’, JSOU Report 17(4), JSOU Press.
 
Stringer, Kevin D. (2022) ‘Special Operations Forces (SOF): The Integrators for Total Defense and Resistance’, Journal on Baltic Security, 8(1).
 
Sun, Zi. (1999) The Art of War [Krigskonst]. Försvarshögskolan Gotab Elander AB.
 
Swedish Armed Forces. (2016) Military Strategic Doctrine [Militärstrategisk doktrin]. Försvarsmakten.
 
Watling, Jack. (2021) ‘Sharpening the dagger, Optimizing Special Forces for Future Conflict’, Whitehall report 1(21). RUSI.

Full article Related articles PDF XML
Full article Related articles PDF XML

Copyright
Open Access. ©
by logo by logo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Keywords
resistance operation special forces total defence innovation

Metrics
since May 2021
922

Article info
views

855

Full article
views

511

PDF
downloads

218

XML
downloads

Export citation

Copy and paste formatted citation
Placeholder

Download citation in file


Share


RSS

Journal on Baltic Security

  • Online ISSN: 2382-9230
  • Print ISSN: 2382-9222
  • Copyright © 2021 Baltic Defence College

About

  • About journal

For contributors

  • Submit
  • OA Policy
  • Become a Peer-reviewer

Contact us

  • Baltic Defence College,
    Riia 12, 51010,
    Tartu, Estonia
Powered by PubliMill  •  Privacy policy