Pentagon wants to prepare Taiwan for new fight with special forces

A Pentagon proposal to Congress in April specifically mentioned Taiwan and the Baltic states, stressing the need to have forces there ready to “resist invasion or occupation by an opposing power” and to protect the country and its people from “subversive acts sponsored by a foreign country that pose a significant threat to the existing government.” per Defense News coverage of the Challenges from China and Russia.

New powers for special operators

In America’s last war Special forces were the preferred option for military commanders and policymakers. Fighting insurgents and terrorists in the conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria was ideal for special operations forces. But in a possible future Large-scale conflict with China In Russia, special forces are likely to once again take on the role of supporting conventional armed forces.

One of the most valuable skills of the US special forces is their ability to train and equip others for combatThe fight can be against an oppressive government or against a rebel group that threatens a legitimate government.

For example, in the early days of the global war on terrorism, US Army Green Berets and CIA paramilitary officers, along with Afghan Northern Alliance fighters, succeeded in driving out the Taliban and al-Qaeda terrorists within a matter of weeks. Similarly, in Central and South America, Green Berets trained local military personnel to fight off communist insurgents.

In the context of Taiwan, which is under enormous pressure and threats from neighbouring China, an extension of the authorities to Training of Taiwan’s conventional and special forces In addition, irregular missions increase their deterrent capabilities and could even make the difference in a potential conflict.

“One of our most important missions is FID, or Foreign Internal Defense,” an Army Special Forces member who serves in a National Guard unit told Business Insider.

“We work with and train partner forces. Expanding our authority beyond the counterterrorism and counternarcotics realm will free up our hands and help us better prepare our partners, whether in Taiwan or Ukraine,” added the Green Beret, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

The Army's Green Berets are ideally suited for such missions. They receive language and cultural training that turns them into warrior diplomats. They can operate alone or in small teams and help train and lead large partner forces into combat.

Taiwan's chances of defending itself against a Chinese invasion could be improved by allowing the Green Berets and Marine Raiders – two American forces specializing in training foreign partners – to cooperate with their Taiwanese counterparts in resistance operations.

Should Beijing decide to forcibly unite with the small but rebellious island nation, it will likely strike fast and hard. It will likely want to avoid getting drawn into a protracted fight like Russia's in Ukraine, or give the U.S. and other Western countries time to react. The Chinese military will use everything it has at its disposal, including special forces and intelligence operatives. However, a Taiwanese military trained in resistance operations will be harder to defeat.

“I understand the limitations that exist. Resistance and FID capabilities can be used by malicious actors to overthrow legitimate governments and cause all kinds of instability in a region. But when used as intended, they are a great way to combat a large force,” the Green Beret told BI.