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House subcommittee hears warnings that U.S. Special Operations faces rising demand, flat funding
Summary
Witnesses told a House Armed Services subcommittee that Special Operations Command faces surging global demand while buying power has fallen, and urged predictable funding, rapid acquisition authorities, and investments in people and modernization for FY2027.
A House Armed Services subcommittee heard testimony that U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is straining under rising global demand while its purchasing power has declined, prompting members to press for predictable funding and accelerated acquisition authorities ahead of fiscal 2027.
“Special operators have adapted to meet the challenges of an evolving landscape,” Chairman Jackson said in opening remarks, adding that SOCOM’s purchasing power has been “reduced by 14% since 2019.” Jackson said he wants SOCOM on “a path that increases to get them to a steady state of at least $20 billion annually in their budget.”
Assistant Secretary Derek Anderson and Admiral Frank Bradley, SOCOM’s commander, told the subcommittee that the command delivers disproportionate strategic value while representing roughly 3% of the joint force and less than 2% of the Department of Defense budget. Anderson described SOLEC’s new, service-like authorities (the 907 authorities in recent NDAAs) that let the Secretariat coordinate modernization and resourcing across the services.
“SOLEC’s oversight and advocacy provide the analytic, disciplined mechanisms to shape force structure, guide budgetary and planning processes, and force the future of SOF,” Anderson said, urging sustained partnership and modernization investments.
Admiral Bradley said SOCOM’s near-term modernization priorities include: projecting force into increasingly contested environments; exploiting the information environment (cyber and the virtual domain) as an operational advantage; and standing up capabilities to incorporate advanced autonomy while retaining legal and policy constraints on lethal force. Bradley said readiness and personnel remain the foundation of those efforts.
Members repeatedly tied shortfalls to operational risk. Rep. Trone cited the command’s footprint — more than 6,500 SOF personnel and persistent engagements in roughly 80 countries — and asked whether authorities and resources are sufficient to counter proxy actors and malign influence below the threshold of armed conflict. Bradley pointed to specialized authorities, such as programs under Section 127, as critical enablers but acknowledged demand “exceeds sustainable levels.”
Witnesses also discussed Section 863 of the FY26 NDAA, which funds a SOCOM urgent-innovation initiative. Anderson and Bradley said the authority and funding from that provision, together with broader acquisition reforms (the Speed Act and related initiatives), will let SOCOM accelerate fielding of technologies identified through its rapid acquisition pathways.
Members signaled bipartisan concern about diverting modernization funds to current operations. The chair and others warned that using modernization funding to fund day-to-day operations will degrade future capability. Bradley said that has already required eating into modernization to cash-flow operations and that predictable resourcing is essential to sustain both present operations and future capabilities.
The committee recessed the open session and moved to a classified meeting to continue detailed questioning about operations and implementation plans. The subcommittee said it will continue oversight of SOCOM’s FY2027 request and the implementation of new authorities.
