When science fiction meets science fact – In a partnership with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, the Pentagon is aiming to deploy U.S. special ops commandos to any hotspot on earth in just hours via rocket.
This is according to a United States Transportation Command study obtained by The Intercept through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
This type of immediate response could help prevent the next Benghazi, where Americans were killed by Islamist terrorists on the anniversary of 9-11 in 2012 at a diplomatic compound in Libya, partly because of delays in available forces, and partly due to political reasons (e.g.: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton).
“Embassy Support” is one mission scenario assigned to this new sci-fi capability.
Currently, the Army’s 82nd airborne division, which I had the honor to jump with during my time attached to one of its infantry companies while leading a Marine Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO) team, is America’s ‘Immediate Response Force.’
It is able to deploy its lightly armed lead elements virtually anywhere by air in less than a day.
Forward-deployed Marine Corps Marine Expeditionary Units – Special Operations Capable (MEU-SOCs), which I also deployed with, can often launch forces within less time if they are already in the immediate area, and within helicopter range, but likely could need days to arrive, if not already nearby.
But imagine rocketing teams of special operations commandos to an embassy crisis in just hours.
According to Task & Purpose:
The 2021 midterm report on “space transportation capabilities for the joint force” identifies three case studies for “point to point space transportation,” including one dubbed “embassy support.”
According to the documents, soldiers strapped into a rocket would provide “a rapid theater direct delivery capability from the U.S. to an African bare base,” that “would prove extremely important in supporting the Department of State’s mission in Africa.”
The report also notes that “the ability to demonstrate [point to point] space transportation could deter non-state actors from aggressive acts toward the United States.”
In other words, rocket-launched commandos slipping the surly bonds of Earth and being sent around the world in hours to secure a target.
Critics are quick to pounce on the idea however, as The Intercept notes:
“What are they going to do, stop the next Benghazi by sending people into space?” said William Hartung, a senior research fellow at the Quincy Institute who focuses on the U.S. arms industry and defense budget. “It doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense.”
Hartung questioned the extent to which a rocket-based quick reaction force would be meaningful even if it were possible. “If a mob’s attacking an embassy and they dial up their handy SpaceX spaceship, it’s still going to take a while to get there. … It’s almost like someone thinks it would be really neat to do stuff through space but haven’t thought through the practical ramifications.”
Still, USTRANSCOM spokesperson John Ross wrote in an email to The Intercept that “the speed of space transportation promises the potential to offer more options and greater decision space for leaders, and dilemmas for adversaries.”
When asked when USTRANSCOM believes a rocket-deployed quick reaction force might actually be feasible, Ross said the command is “excited for the future and believe it’s possible within the next 5-10 years.”
Get ready to strap-in Space Marines, or will they be Starship Troopers? Only time will tell.
ALD
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
Paul Crespo is the Managing Editor of American Liberty Defense News. As a Marine Corps officer, he led Marines, served aboard ships in the Pacific and jumped from helicopters and airplanes. He was also a military attaché with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) at U.S. embassies worldwide. He later ran for state and federal office, taught political science, wrote for the editorial board of a major newspaper and had his own radio show. A graduate of Georgetown, London and Cambridge universities, he brings decades of experience and insight to the issues that most threaten our American liberty – at home and from abroad. To read more go to: paulcrespo.com.
Wow. That’s a pretty cool thought. Marines are the toughest sons of guns out there and would be up to the job. I bet many would think it neat to be riding rockets. Only problem is recovery. If hanging high in a parachute, a potential enemy would have time to blast the group out of the sky before landing. Perhaps a HALO bailout might be effective but that might lead to dispersion of the forces that would take time to get back together on the ground again to form an effective force. Kurt
No parachutes, these rockets would land vertical just like Spacex. VTOL is the future
Prep the LZ, land the landing force ( always liked that term), secure the perimeter or accomplish the mission…pulling the troops out will take a bit longer than inserting them. Like the idea.
Don’t count on much, if anything, from today’s “Special Forces”. They’ll be dropping like flies from jab side effects. Pity that the whole military couldn’t/wouldn’t stand against illegal, experimental gene therapy.
Granted, I’m not a rocket scientist however I was trained in the financial sciences. That and the MBA in me wonders how many Immediate Response Force teams could be strategically placed and kept in a forward-deployed status for the cost of one “Rocket Man” mission. Surely we already have existing air support tech that can get them from a forward placed Point A to the X with equal or better delivery time. Not as glitzy but infinitely more doable. Just say’n.
Space launched forward targeting drones?
See Philip Bonos 1969 designs for same mission
It will still be about having the political will to USE it. In the 13 hours of the Benghazi attacks, we could have done all kinds of things (much simpler and cheaper than sending special forces in by rocket), but didn’t. If we are sending light infantry by a space capsule, how many can we even send? This sounds like a WONDERFUL SOLUTION to any problem that can be accomplished by about 5 people with an infinite budget.
This gives the Space Patrol another mission and more $.
There were troops available for Benghazi, they just were not sent. Plus fixed wing. As to the Space Marines, I can remember in the late 60s there was a thought that the concept might be viable. Then the space program died off. Not ANGLICO, but I worked with them after returning from the Nam as a arty FO and later headed the Naval Gunfire Section for 1/14th Marines. If done in company strength and supported by the Wing, I can see this as a viable idea. Inserting a platoon of Marines into a hostile environment w/o support would be risky.
3L120
Capt USMC 0802
We are not in Buck Rogers space time yet. I agree with one of the previous commentators. It would take too much time to launch a rocket with Marines to a hot zone if the request is STAT! By the time they got there the situation would be over. And then you might run the risk of “Osprey type results as of late” and mount casualties even before what ever happened might happen. There are too many unknowns in this type of situation.
I still hold true to having a Battalion of Marines on Aircraft Carriers as we do today. We need to move our Aircraft Carriers in potential hotspots patrolling around the Taiwan Straight and the China seas where we don’t infringe in the Chinese 12 mile international boundaries. Something sort of what we did in 1955-57. But we do need a military presence around Taiwan to show deterrence.
I think the Buck Roger’s scenario is still not a go.
Give me a break? The govt, likes to talk out off both sides of their mouth, which is why no one has any respect for this inherently corrupt govt. NATO won’t make a move unless the brain dead leader of the free world, Lying corrupt Quid Pro sends in the troops first, which Corrupt Quid Pro is not going to do, Corrupt quid Pro will not get into a war with Communist China over Taiwan, and communist China knows that America has no leadership, and somehow someone has this bright idea, that America is is going to send in special ops. to hotspots around the globe via rocket ship, and no one sees all the irony in all of this?