Draft QDR: major special ops increase
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 (UPI) -- The Pentagon plans to dramatically increase its special forces and psychological operations capabilities, according to a draft of the Quadrennial Defense Review.
The draft QDR was obtained by InsideDefense.com, an independent newsletter covering the military and defense industry.
The document, which will be finalized and released in early February, calls for an increase in the number of special operations forces personnel by 15 percent, and an increase in the number of special forces battalions by a third.
Since 2001, special forces budgets have increased 81 percent, according to the documents, primarily through $5.5 billion in supplemental appropriations for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
In addition to the Marine Corps Special Operations Command that was created in 2005, the QDR calls for an Air Force unmanned aerial vehicle squadron. Once simply reconnaissance vehicles, the newest generations of the flying robots can now be armed. The QDR calls for a doubling of the current fleet of reconnaissance Predator and Global Hawk UAVs.
The QDR also calls for the addition of 3,500 more psychological operations and civil affairs units, an increase of one-third. Those units are necessary both in pre-conflict and post-conflict situations, to avert fighting in the first place or to influence and stabilize areas after battles occur.
The QDR also calls for $1.5 billion to develop medical counter-measures to new genetically engineered biological weapons.
The draft QDR was obtained by InsideDefense.com, an independent newsletter covering the military and defense industry.
The document, which will be finalized and released in early February, calls for an increase in the number of special operations forces personnel by 15 percent, and an increase in the number of special forces battalions by a third.
Since 2001, special forces budgets have increased 81 percent, according to the documents, primarily through $5.5 billion in supplemental appropriations for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
In addition to the Marine Corps Special Operations Command that was created in 2005, the QDR calls for an Air Force unmanned aerial vehicle squadron. Once simply reconnaissance vehicles, the newest generations of the flying robots can now be armed. The QDR calls for a doubling of the current fleet of reconnaissance Predator and Global Hawk UAVs.
The QDR also calls for the addition of 3,500 more psychological operations and civil affairs units, an increase of one-third. Those units are necessary both in pre-conflict and post-conflict situations, to avert fighting in the first place or to influence and stabilize areas after battles occur.
The QDR also calls for $1.5 billion to develop medical counter-measures to new genetically engineered biological weapons.
posted by Marko at 1/24/2006 05:43:00 AM
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