Technology is playing an increasing role in multiple aspects of the security environment, fundamentally altering the U.S. military's ability to identify the need for, assess the potential for, and support resilience and resistance. How might the innovative use of new and emerging technologies enable Special Operations Forces (SOF) efforts to support resilience and resistance (SRR) in developed, underdeveloped, fragile, and/or at-risk countries? Specifically, how can the U.S. Government leverage these tools to influence dissident population groups engaged in civil resistance in foreign countries?
As adversaries increasingly attempt to isolate their populations, how can SOF circumvent foreign government internet blockages or firewalls to communicate with dissident or resistance groups? To enable these efforts, what might be the roles of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) in assessing a population's will to resist, and building or supporting SRR during deterrence, competition, or armed conflict? In contrast, does the integration of "low-tech" solutions provide any advantage in the future operating environment, and if so, where and how? Furthermore, how does the overall level of technological development and saturation within a society—as well as the broader "democratization of technology"—contribute to or detract from the potential for SRR across the spectrum of subversion, coercion, and aggression?
Conducting these activities requires navigating complex new operational spaces. What are the security challenges and risk factors associated with virtual or partially virtual special warfare operations, such as foreign internal defense (FID), unconventional warfare (UW), counterinsurgency (COIN), or military information support operations? To gain this virtual special warfare capability and effectively infuse standard technologies across select allies and partners, what are the necessary doctrinal, organization, training, materiel, leadership and education, personnel, facilities, and policy (DOTMLPF-P) considerations and requirements? Ultimately, what role does the protection of U.S. technological advantage play in successfully enabling SRR against global and transregional threats?