SOF’s Zone Warfare: A New Way Of Envisioning The Battlespace in Limited War

• In Event: Empire, Great Powers, and Methods of External Control

Abstract

Over the course of the past quarter century, special operations forces (SOF) have mastered the art of ‘zone warfare.’ Enabled by the ability to transfer a real time aerial view to operators on the ground and in command centers through the cyber domain, zone warfare missions are carried out in columns of space referred to as ‘restricted operating zones’ (ROZs). ROZs are ‘opened’ and ‘closed’ at precise times. During that window of time, SOF coordinate all military activity within the ROZ—from troops on the ground to aircraft operating up to 40,000+ feet—enabling precision targeting of ‘high value individuals.’ Zone warfare has been refined through seventeen years of counterinsurgency in Iraq and Afghanistan. In this paper we argue that zone warfare is conceptually distinct from previous tactics for deconflicting air support and ground troops arrayed along a linear front. Zone warfare is not just a tactical innovation; it is a new way of envisioning the battlespace. ROZs exist for the specified operation. Upon mission completion they dissolve. Rather than taking and holding territory, zone warfare enables SOF to “aggregate, operate, and disaggregate” to accomplish missions with limited objectives (i.e. targeted killings or hostage rescue) concurrently and in multiple global locations.

Author

• Anne I. Harrington, Cardiff University