Transformacja sił specjalnych wobec wyzwań współczesnych konfliktów

Historically called „unconventional” operations are not the new phenomena. Guerilla warfare has a long history of operations /actions/ at the tactical level, when the „irregular” forces fought against „regular” one. However, in this context, the strength of „irregular” forces was mostly associated with non-state and quasi-state groups, whereas the „regular” one with the armed forces which are legitimate policy instrument of governments and states. What is the most striking in terms of special operations in the late of twentieth century, it is a remarkable increase in irregular activities conducted by regular forces in unconventional style in order to protect the operational and strategic effects. In the first part of the paper attempted to define the special forces as the kind of forces and operations (actions) especially in terms of their utility at the operational level. Later on an attempt to identify the main changes and emerging trends in the tasks and capabilities of special forces, which in the last decade have become an obvious tool in responding to the crises of the last decade. An attempt was also made to analyze innovative modes of action that have emerged in recent operations in Afganistan and Iraq.