Special Operations Forces Week 2026

SOF Week 2026

U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is in the early stages of the search for a replacement for the C-146 Wolfhound cargo plane.
Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC)

Hunt For C-146 Wolfhound Special Ops Transport Plane Replacement Underway

On any given day, C-146s are criss-crossing the globe to far-flung locales, but they are increasingly difficult to sustain.

U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is moving to demonstrate a new, fully integrated extended-range strike capability for the AC-130J Ghostrider gunship.
AC-130

AC-130J Gunship With Mini Cruise Missiles Paired With AESA Radar To Undergo Tests

The plan is to demonstrate a fully integrated, longer-range strike capability that could keep the AC-130 relevant in high-end conflicts.

DZYNE Technologies has shared new details about its recently unveiled lower-cost Blitz drone and the accompanying containerized BlitzBox launch system.
Drones

BlitzBox Packs 100 Weaponized Drones Into An Unassuming Container

DZYNE’s BlitzBox is the kind of containerized drone launcher the U.S. military is now very actively pursuing.

An OA-1K Skyraider II comes in for a landing on a dirt path July 10 on the Eglin Air Force Base, Florida range. The new Air Force Special Operations Command aircraft continues developmental testing with the 96th Test Wing and the U.S. Special Operations Command at Eglin.
U.S. Air Force

Plan To Test OA-1K Skyraider II’s Rapid Deployability Outlined By Air Force Special Ops Command

The Air Force also plans to add laser-guided rockets to the OA-1K’s armament as it works toward operational capability amid relevance concerns.

With new threats emerging at home and abroad, the U.S. Coast Guard has created a new Special Missions Command (SMC) to oversee its "deployable specialized forces."
U.S. Coast Guard

Coast Guard Creates Its Own Special Operations Command

The Coast Guard is putting all of its specialized forces under a single headquarters as demand for their services is at an all-time high.

MAYHEM 10 is an autonomous, multi-role launched effect designed to deliver coordinated non-kinetic and kinetic effects at standoff. Employable from air, ground, and maritime platforms, it combines advanced collaborative autonomy with modular payloads to operate effectively in contested environments.
Loitering Munitions

Super-Adaptable Mayhem 10 Swarming Drone Evolved From The Switchblade

AeroVironment’s Mayhem 10 is highly-modular and can seek and destroy enemy radars, jam comms, reconnoiter, strike armor and more.

The U.S. Army has given us our first glimpse at what the new MV-75A Cheyenne II tiltrotor will look like in its special operations configuration.
FLRAA

First Look At What A Night Stalker MV-75 Cheyenne Will Look Like

A new rendering shows an MV-75 with special operations-specific features like a radar, other sensors, and in-flight refueling capability.

FARP in Iran set up by special tactics squadron airman during WSO rescue.
Iran

How A Dusty Strip Deep In Iran Can Be Turned Into A U.S. Special Operations Base In Hours

An ex-USAF Special Tactics Squadron member tells how the impromptu airfield in Iran would have been rapidly established and defended.

Little birds of the 160th SOAR were destroyed in Iran after the successful rescue of a F-15E WSO
MH-6/AH-6

Night Stalker AH-6 Little Bird Helicopters Destroyed At Forward Landing Site In Iran

At least one burned-out AH/MH-6 Little Bird can be seen in photos of the austere airfield that served as a hub for the rescue of the F-15E WSO.

L3Harris has highlighted the potential benefits of pairing its Red Wolf miniature cruise missile with the U.S. Air Force's OA-1K Skyraider II light attack aircraft.
Light Air Support

Red Wolf Cruise Missile Eyed To Give OA-1K Skyraider II Standoff Strike Capability

Giving the OA-1K a standoff strike capability has been seen as one potential way to expand its relevance in an era focused on high-end foes.

U.S. Army MH-60 Black Hawks assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment approach Marine Corps Outlying Field Atlantic during a forward arming and refueling point exercise, MCOLF Atlantic, May 6, 2025. U.S. Army Soldiers and aircraft from the 160th SOAR utilized MCAS Cherry Point’s training area to conduct a FARP. This training is essential for enhancing the unit’s operational readiness and ensuring efficient support for rapid deployment, as Cherry Point provides the facilities and resources to simulate real world scenarios.
MH-60/AH-60

This Is What The Night Stalkers’ MH-60M Direct Action Penetrator Brought To The Venezuelan Op

The hard-hitting attack version of the special operations MH-60 was clearly among the critical assets used in Operation Absolute Resolve.

The U.S. Army's elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR), better known as the Night Stalkers, has been exploring ways to ensure it can operate in more heavily defended airspace in the future.
U.S. Army

How The Night Stalkers Are Planning To Survive In Future High-End Fights

The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment is having to drastically adapt its playbook in order to be effective in future fights against major foes.

U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) recently awarded a contract for new rifles chambered to fire the 6.5mm Creedmoor round to Lewis Machine & Tool (LMT).
Assault Rifles

New Rifles Chambered In 6.5mm Creedmoor Heading To U.S. Special Operations Armories

The new Mid-Range Gas Gun-Assault will give U.S. special operators a rifle option for greater reach, accuracy, and ballistic performance.