Special Forces’ Structure, Budget Need Revamping to Counter China, Russia, Experts Testify

Navy SEALs perform Advanced Cold Weather training to experience the physical stress of the environment and how their equipment will operate, or even sound, in adverse conditions in Kodiak, Alaska, on Dec. 14, 2003. Photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Eric S. Logsdon/U.S. Navy via Getty Images

For more than 20 years after 9/11, U.S. special operations forces (SOF) were primarily engaged in counterinsurgency campaigns and operations against terrorist organizations, mostly in the Middle East.

But now, the special ops units are engaged in a “great power competition” against China and Russia, a transition that’s exposing deficiencies in force structure and resources, witnesses told a Senate panel on May 17.