En prélude à l'ouverture du salon COM en Israël (9-11 juin), le colonel (ER) Ofer Dvir qui fait partie de l'organisation et de Global CST (société dont on avait beaucoup parlé à l'époque de la libération d'Ingrid Bétancourt) s'est prêté au jeu de l'interview. Qui se veut doublement pédagogique, puisque je l'ai laissée dans la langue d'origine, l'anglais (1), pour ne rien perdre de sa pensée. Selon l'organisation, les Français invités à ce salon-séminaire très select sont l'attaché militaire, ainsi que des représentants du COS, de la BFST (notamment du DAOS) et des chasseurs alpins.
What is the ambition of COM, in a field which traditionnally tries to stay in the shadow ?
Col Ofer Dvir.- COM aims at being a platform to the gathering of Special Forces’ members in Israel and across the world in order to conduct professional discourse, acquaintance and update from the point of view of professionals who operate in the field. Precisely since this field is usually in the shadow, there is great importance in creating the opportunity for a professional discourse in the field of special operations. Global CST regards it as a privilege to enable an excellent group of people, who bear some of the burden and heat of the day of the battle against our era’s dire straits (terrorism, drug traffic, severe crime) to conduct a discussion and professional session evolving these highly important issues.
What will the technical trends of the exhibition be ?
Col Ofer Dvir.- The professional exhibition will present means of warfare, technologies, various methods and developments used for the operations of the special units; from sophisticated sight and observation means, pinpointing systems, advanced ranging and navigating, special vehicles, weapons, digital C&C, the future infantry corps, personal protection, break-in and rescue means and others. In addition, the exhibition will host R&D specialists who will take advantage of the gathering for conversations and information gathering as to the needs of the various units’ combatants according to the operational mission and technical requirements.
As part of the exhibition, options will be mulled for the sharing of means and equipment that might be in use of certain units and could serve other units as well; i.e. the idea of networking is also aimed at the field of technologies and means of warfare.
Have the spectrum of the Special Forces and Special Operations Forces actions changed with the arrival of new threats, such as piracy (Gulf of Aden...) ?
Col Ofer Dvir.- The piracy phenomenon is an excellent example for the importance of the special operations and Special Forces’ operations and emphasizes their great importance. We have no doubt in our minds that the piracy phenomenon will soon be on the agenda of the Special Forces and there will be a need for the type of focused intelligence-based operations, with highly advanced operational qualities in order to block and oppress the damaging phenomenon of piracy.
What is the frontier between Special Forces and Special Operations Forces action, and conventionnal forces, in theaters such as Iraq and Afghanistan?
Col Ofer Dvir.- Among the topics that will be discussed in the conference will be this question and we are convinced that a great number of speakers will relate to the joint and combined rather than the frontier. In major operations, such as those in Iraq and Afghanistan in which their conventional forces operate prominently, there is quite an operation of Special Forces combined with the conventional operation. The great diversity of the special operations from operations, which are part of the classical conventional war up to semi-military operations and those which are part of the information-combat field, is that which creates the biggest challenge in the field.
(1) Ce qui vous permettra de mesurer aussi, dans mes questions, toutes les lacunes que l'Education nationale a laissé passer.
