US Special Forces Detail New AI Technology Needs

In a significant move reflecting a broader Pentagon modernization effort, U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has officially updated its technology wish list to include a range of advanced artificial intelligence and autonomy capabilities.

This update, part of an amended broad agency announcement (BAA), signals a clear intent to equip special ops forces with the next generation of digital tools and robotic platforms, ensuring they remain at the forefront of technological warfare.

SOCOMs High Tech Wish List A Closer Look

Under a new subsection titled “Advanced Autonomy and Artificial Intelligence,” the amended BAA details SOCOM's interest in the “modular, open integration” of cutting-edge AI and machine learning. The goal is to achieve enhanced autonomy in unmanned systems.

Specific areas of interest outlined by officials include:

• Agentic AI and Vision Language Action (VLA) models: To create more sophisticated autonomous behaviors and adaptive learning.
• Neural Radiance Fields (NeRFs): For advanced 3D scene representation and navigation.
• Generative AI: To be used for creating realistic simulations and for data augmentation.
• Advanced Automatic Target Recognition (ATR): Featuring algorithms with edge node refinement and the ability for autonomous model retraining.
• Advanced Machine Learning Operations (MLOps): To support the entire lifecycle of data management, model training, validation, and monitoring.

A key requirement is that all proposed solutions must be built with well-defined interfaces and adhere to open standards to ensure they can be easily integrated into SOCOM's existing architectures.

Aligning with the SOF Renaissance Vision

This technological push aligns directly with the command's “SOF Renaissance” strategic vision, which was re-released earlier this year. The strategy emphasizes that innovations in AI, autonomous systems, and cyber tools are fundamentally reshaping warfare by enhancing targeting and strike capabilities.

The document positions commando forces as necessary early adopters of these technologies, a role SOCOM has played before as an early user of the DoD's Maven Smart System.

“The distinction between optimizing and generative AI is crucial and will be a game changer,” the strategy states. “Swarms of low-cost drones and remote explosive devices, using AI and autonomy, blur traditional human-machine boundaries on the battlefield. SOF must also use these systems to improve decisionmaking and situational awareness.”

Leadership Perspectives on the AI Revolution

Vice Adm. Frank Bradley, commander of Joint Special Operations Command and President Donald Trump's nominee to lead SOCOM, highlighted the transformative impact of these technologies. Speaking at his recent Senate confirmation hearing, he described the innovative use of drones in Ukraine and the Middle East as a “revolution in military affairs.”

“The changing, accelerating pace of technology, the ubiquitous information environment, and the advent of man-machine teamed autonomy on the battlefields of the world today are absolutely changing the character of warfare … in our very eyes,” Bradley stated.

He also stressed the importance of legislative initiatives like the FORGED and SPEED Acts, which aim to reform DOD acquisitions and accelerate the fielding of new tech to the warfighter.

Broader Pentagon Push for Frontier AI

SOCOM’s announcement follows closely on the heels of a major move by the Pentagon’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO), which recently awarded hundreds of millions in contracts to multiple vendors for “frontier AI” projects.

CDAO Doug Matty commented on the department-wide effort, saying, “The adoption of AI is transforming the Department’s ability to support our warfighters and maintain strategic advantage over our adversaries.”