Aiming to punch above their weight: The Belgian Special Forces

Even at a time when the majority of military organizations are downsizing, the professionalization of military organizations involves not so much a reduction of capability but a concentration of military power and greater effectiveness (King, 2011; 2013: 213). At the core of this process of professionalization is the rise of special operations forces (SOF), not only in the United States but in various European countries. In the case of France, The White Paper on Defence and National Security, which defines a comprehensive defence and security strategy, specifically mentioned SOF’s decisive role in current conflicts, and stated the ambition to increase the number of SOF operators from 3000 to 4000 by the end of 2019: Special forces have emerged as the leading capacity in all recent operations. They are particularly adapted to the increased needs in the current crisis response operations, providing flexibility and options against hostile or complex actors. They provide the military commander and political authorities with various options, which are often based on surprise. They have a flat chain of command and require specific recruitment criteria. Their numbers and their command infrastructure will be strengthened, as well as their ability to coordinate with intelligence agencies. The joint dimension of the Special Operations Command will be reinforced.