Special Operation Equipment

As the U.S. Military is involved in a number of operations throughout the world, their equipment inventory consists of a wide array of special operations equipment for highly-specific missions in a variety of climates, terrains, and conditions. The military’s special operations equipment comprises specialized submarines, boats, ships, other watercraft, night vision & optical equipment, gunships, attack helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, and more. Among the ships considered special operations capable are the M80 Stiletto, Mark VIII SEAL Delivery Vehicle, Riverine Special Operations Craft, Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat, Mark V Special Operations Craft, and more. These ships are used for a variety of reasons, from stealth operation, troop transport, sea warfare, and other applications. For instance, the M80 Stiletto is a high-speed ship with many of the capabilities of larger, slower ships.

The most commonly used special operations night vision equipment is the PVS-14 Alpha optic. It can be powered by a single AA battery and comprises a built-in infrared illuminator, fully adjustable head mount, and mil-spec optics. Other frequently-used night vision systems are the AVS-6 and PSQ-20. Special operations optical equipment also includes the M150 ACOG scope, M151 Spotting Scope, and the PAS-13 Thermal Weapon Sight.

Gunships such as the AC-130H are a critical part of providing ground troops with aerial support during special operations. Its primary missions are close air support, air interdiction, and armed reconnaissance. A version of the AC-130, the AC-130W Stinger II, is used for armed overwatch. Its primary focus is to perform reconnaissance over friendly positions, but can deliver ordnance to precise targets in support of ground forces.

The primary combat search and rescue rotorcraft of the armed forces is the HH-60 Pave Hawk. It is used in special operations but also has many operations aside from war, including civil search and rescue, medical evacuation, disaster response, humanitarian assistance, NASA space flight support, as well as rescue command and control.

Special operations UAVs include the MQ-1B Predator and the RQ-7B Shadow. The MQ-1B Predator is an armed, multi-mission, medium-altitude aircraft used primarily to collect intelligence and secondarily to attack dynamic targets. Its capabilities make it uniquely suited to conducting irregular warfare operations in support of command objectives. The RQ-7B Shadow is used for reconnaissance, surveillance, targeting, and battlefield assessment. While it is not capable of deploying ordnance, the Shadow is able to assist in target acquisition. The above are just a few of the Armed Forces’ many state-of-the-art technologies, though there are many more continuing to be designed and evolved.