Sun, 02/12/2023 - 5:58pm
America Needs Special Forces For Open-Source Intelligence
How Hybrid Intelligence Operators Could Fill This Role
By Jeff Giesea
This is the second part of a series developing a concept I’m calling hybrid intelligence. In part 1, I defined hybrid intelligence as an agile and integrative approach to intelligence, positioned as a response to hybrid warfare. In this piece, I explore hybrid warfare as a special forces-like capability.
Imagine this scenario. A coup attempt is gaining steam in a Sub-Saharan African nation. The U.S. government’s level of intelligence about the situation is low… too low given potential ripple effects. The staff at the local embassy has as much of a handle on the situation as they can, drawing from all available agencies, resources, and partner governments. But it is not enough. Officials need to improve the way we monitor the situation as quickly as possible so leaders in Washington can make the smartest decisions possible. Where do they turn?
This is one of the problems that could be solved by building a hybrid intelligence capability. In practice, this could look like having a sort of special forces for intelligence — technical, innovative crack teams that rapidly innovate intelligence solutions drawing from any and all sources, including open sources.
Imagine having access to scores of OSINT-oriented hybrid intelligence operators trained specifically to address this type of situation. Imagine, in turn, a SOCOM-like center dispatching teams to surgically solve these types of challenges.
https://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/america-needs-special-forces-open-source-intelligence
