2018 was a productive year for creating and operationalizing Special Operations Commands (SOCOM). The Dutch SOCOM

At a time when Europe is becoming more and more exposed to several hybrid threats and actions by state or non-state actors that seek to achieve certain goals by exploiting vulnerabilities (see the recent events in the Azov Sea, the violent protests in France possibly fueled from abroad, the consequences of the Brexit, the uncontrolled immigration, the rise of the populist and nationalist phenomenon etc.), it is even more necessary to invest in capabilities designed to contribute, in a comprehensive and an interagency approach, to combat such operations. Most political-military analysts agree that the need for Special Operations Forces (SOF) will increase in the foreseeable future.

After Polish SOF came under a unified command in the beginning of January 2018 and Romania set up its own SOCOM on 1^st of March 2018, as measures of modernization processes of their respective armed forces, it was also the turn of the Netherlands to declare, effective 5^th of December 2018, the establishment of the Dutch Special Operations Command, the third such command and control structure (C2) of the SOF created within NATO SOF Allies in Europe, in 2018. At least from this perspective, we can say that 2018 was a beneficial year for the creation and operationalization of SOF capabilities that are under the coordination of the NATO Special Operations Headquarters (NSHQ).

The Dutch SOCOM

During the ceremony attended by security and defense experts from different NATO and partner countries, including the NSHQ Commander, the Netherlands Chief of Defense (CHOD), Admiral (NLD) Rob Bauer^[i] said: "We live in an era of rapid and unpredictable social, economic and technological changes. All these global changes are having an extensive impact on the character of war and conflict. The boundaries between peace, conflict and war that were once much clearer have morphed into a grey zone."

In the current security environment, the Admiral thinks that SOF will play a key role in resolving hybrid conflict situations, combating terrorism, and executing special operations against irregular forces. "SOF-operations are characterized by flexibility… speed… independence… a small footprint… and a high level of precision.”, added the Netherlands CHOD.

Admitting that the success of special operations always depends on the quality of the human factor and the SOF operator’s characteristics, Admiral Bauer said that "it is up to us to make sure they receive the best possible kit, training, support and command".

So, in order to coordinate and synchronize the efforts, while the capabilities of the Dutch SOF are still dispersed, it was decided the creation of a Special Operations Command, directly subordinated to the Netherlands CHOD, as a necessary measure in the process of modernizing the Netherlands Armed Forces. This command structure will centralize the C2 of all the Dutch Ministry of Defense’s SOF and "will systematically plan, provide for and verify the quality of our special operations. Innovation will play a major role in that.”, concluded Admiral Bauer.

Major General (NLD) Theo ten Haaf was assigned as the Commander of the Dutch SOCOM.

According to the information published on the Dutch Ministry of Defense^[ii] (MoD) website, the new SOCOM is a joint headquarters that will coordinate and synchronize all SOF-related efforts. It will take over all the Dutch land, sea, and air SOF components, it will be manned with staff personnel who will plan, direct, conduct and evaluate all the special operations, and it is scheduled to reach its full operational capacity in 2020.

"The coming decades will see profound social, cultural and technological changes. Near peer adversaries, hybrid warfare, cyber warfare, information warfare and the need for network connectivity are already a reality and will only intensify. As any other organization and in order to remain relevant NLD SOCOM must adapt and stay connected to these and future developments! We do realize this. Almost 25% of NLD SOCOM will be designated to knowledge and innovation.”^[iii], said the commander of this headquarters during the ceremony of its enactment.

However, the Dutch SOCOM is not yet a distinct service within the NLD Armed Forces. The recruitment, training, maintenance, and readiness of the combat systems remain the responsibility of the Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy, and the Royal Netherlands Air Force. When any of the SOF structures will have to be deployed to conduct special operations, they will be transferred under the operational command of the Dutch Special Operations Command during the entire mission. It seems that this C2 model is best suited to the current situation of the Dutch Armed Forces.

In an analysis titled "A Dutch SOCOM"^[iv] published this year on the Dutch Atlantische Commissie website, the author Anne Tjepkema says that this command will be led by a two-star general, will encompass 60 job positions on its roster that will be filled in with personnel from all services, will be located within the Dutch MoD headquarters, and will more likely have its own budget.

Currently, the Dutch SOF lack sufficient support capabilities such as medical teams, intelligence support, aviation support, communications support, etc. This implies that SOF units will still need to rely on conventional forces to provide the necessary support. The SOCOM will play an important role in developing plans to address these national shortfalls.

The Dutch SOF are in the midst of significant organizational changes. With the establishment of the SOCOM, the planning and execution of special operations will be considerably improved and this headquarters will contribute to the development of procurement strategies, policies, plans and processes, ensure the quality of training, and will contribute to the development of innovation.

The Netherlands, which would like to remain aligned with NATO SOF developments, has committed to generate and make available to the Alliance, from 2021, a part of the deployable command capability of special operations, a target capability negotiated and offered in the NATO Defense Planning Process (NDPP).

To that end, at the NATO Defence Ministers meeting last June 2018, the Defence Ministers of Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the creation of a first Composite Special Operations Component Command (C-SOCC)^[v]. This NATO SOF combined command and control capability is planned to reach its initial operational capacity in 2019 and the full one in 2021, when it will be able to participate in the NATO Reaction Force (NRF), for planning and conducting special operations.

And because at NATO level such structures for planning, conducting and evaluating special operations are distinct and very rare capabilities, NATO Secretary General Deputy Rose Gottemoeller praised this initiative as "extremely timely”, adding that “NATO recognized the need for this expertise when establishing our Special Operations Headquarters in Mons, Belgium.”

Lessons learned for the Romanian SOCOM

The command structure model followed by the Dutch SOF in regard to its place and role in the C2 architecture is similar to the former Romanian (ROU) Special Operations Component Command (SOCC), which operated as a joint operational headquarters that has ensured for 10 years the operational command (OPCOM) of the ROU SOF within the ROU Armed Forces (AF) and which has been an important stage for the further development of modern ROU SOF. Instead, the current ROU SOCOM is the command structure by which the ROU CHOD exerts the full command (FULLCOM) over all ROU SOF components, according to the law.

For the success of special operations, the SOF command must be unique, determined, continuous, flexible, appropriate, efficient, secretly exercised, and the chain of command has to be as short as possible. These requirements should also be taken into account when establishing the location of such a C2 structure so that the decision cycle is kept as short as possible and SOF specialists and commanders are allowed to take part, link, and liaise in the strategic and operational planning processes in an interagency and interdepartmental format. The Dutch decision-makers have decided that the most appropriate venue for the Dutch SOCOM was the site of the NLD MoD.

ROU SOCOM was designed as a command structure closer to the characteristics of a service within the military with responsibilities at the operational realm, related to the elaboration of doctrines, policies, planning, directing, conducting and evaluating special operations, as well as in the administrative one, with responsibilities in generating and operationalizing forces, recruiting, educating, training, equipping and paying the ROU SOF personnel. It is the model that provides the highest degree of autonomy and flexibility, but also demands the highest expertise needed to manage the following main subjects:

• The development of a vision and strategy for the long-term development of the SOF domain, in line with the National Defense Strategy, the Defense White Paper, the Military Strategy, as well as the strategies and plans for the development of the National Armed Forces;
• The development of the national doctrine of the joint special operations, but also of the policies from the SOF and their support capabilities;
• Ensuring the SOF advise function for the political and military decision makers;
• Planning, directing, conducting, and evaluating independent and joint special operations;
• Identifying and establishing the mission needs, the operational requirements and the necessary resources;
• The generation of the deployable Special Operations Component Command;
• The defense resources management for ROU SOF;
• The management of the major acquisition programs, equipping the force, the management of the readiness and integrated logistic support for the combat systems life cycle, and the provision of the operational logistics functions, as well;
• Allocating resources, planning, directing, conducting, and evaluating the training and the exercises;
• The management of the standardization, evaluation and certification activities.

The autonomy and flexibility of this specialized, quick reaction, and strategic level force component, with dedicated land, sea, and air SOF capabilities, trained and equipped to conduct special reconnaissance (SR), direct action (DA), military assistance (MA), unconventional warfare, and complementary missions, couldn’t be exercised without SOF dedicated proper funding.

Regional initiatives, such as of the three countries (Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands) and previously mentioned, to jointly create a C-SOCC are examples of smart decisions that seek to achieve a maximum effect at the lowest possible cost, by committing to share limited national defense resources to operationalize and employ expensive SOF capabilities within the NDPP.

Under NATO principles, such target capabilities can be created and operationalized through a unilateral national effort, through a multinational one, or through a collective effort, for example with NATO common funding.

At a time when Europe is becoming more and more exposed to several hybrid threats and actions by state or non-state actors that seek to achieve certain goals by exploiting certain vulnerabilities (see the recent events in the Azov Sea, the violent protests in France possibly fuelled from abroad, the consequences of the Brexit, the uncontrolled immigration, the rise of the populist and nationalist phenomenon etc.), it is even more necessary to invest in capabilities designed to contribute, in a comprehensive and an interagency approach, to combat such operations. Most political-military analysts agree that the need for Special Operations Forces (SOF) will increase in the foreseeable future.