Olson: Special Forces want situational awareness tools

The chief of the U.S. Special Forces Command (SOCOM) believes his troops need sophisticated new tools to locate and share data about targets on the battlefield, reports Defense News.

U.S. special operations troops need situational awareness tools to help them establish “an unblinking eye…to find, analyze and communicate about people and things of interest” in a number of complex environments, said Adm. Eric Olson, chief of SOCOM. Olson made his remarks during the annual SO/LIC Symposium & Exhibition sponsored by the National Defense Industrial Association in Washington.

The command needs platforms that can operate from the ground, air or sea, he said. SOCOM also must find ways to train its special operators to analyze information and “see things through other peoples’ eyes,” Olson said. Other needs include biometrics additional airlift capability.

SOCOM is a unified command that oversees the special operations commands of all U.S. armed forces. It is responsible for fielding capable special operations forces and for planning and synchronizing operations against terrorist networks.