#183: Defending Eastern Europe - Romanian Special Operations Forces Commander Major General Claudiu Dobocan

Romania is one of America’s key allies in the fight for Eastern Europe. Romanian Special Forces are critical to the success of that mission; and the partnership between United States Special Operations and our Romanian counterparts sits at the center of that strategy.

From the Global Special Operations Symposium in Athens, Greece, Fran Racioppi sat down with Major General Claudiu Dobocan, Commander of the Romanian Special Operations Forces, to discuss how Romanian Special Operations are combatting Russian aggression and holding the line in Europe.

General Dobocan shared his perspective on strengthening SOF partnerships, advancing interoperability, and building modern capabilities that allow allied forces to operate seamlessly together. He spoke about Romania’s place within NATO, the importance of trust and shared mission across borders, and the need for Special Operations units to remain agile and prepared for the full spectrum of emerging threats.

From combating hybrid threats to maintaining readiness alongside allied SOF elements, General Dobocan emphasized that success today depends on relationships, shared understanding, and the willingness to stand together in the face of uncertainty.

Highlights

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:26 Welcome to GSOF Europe 2025
• 3:21 Mission of Romanian Special Operations Forces
• 8:45 Evolution of technology in SOF
• 10:45 Eliminating Human-in-the-Loop?
• 13:35 Changes in military tactics
• 16:57 Romanian Special Forces Mission
• 18:44 Why Join the Romanian Army?
• 20:06 NATO Alliance Importance
• 25:24 Leading against a Global Threat

Quotes

• “We were created by cooperation between Romanian Ministry of Defense and US SOCEUR.” 
• “Interoperability, no one really talks about what that really means.” 
• “Words carrying value carry meaning.”
• “Industry defines the speed of technological development.”
• “The strategic game changer is generative AI.”
• “I’m scared of the moment when everything is passed to AI.”
• “I don’t think swarming is going to be the next way of doing battle.”
• “Our mission is to be a strategic level instrument that helps with reaction to crisis and building partnerships and capabilities in the region.”
• “10th Group and 20th Group came around and showed us what right looks like so I signed up.”
• “It’s a tool that kind of prevents conflict.”
• “NATO is the umbrella under which we share a lot of things that otherwise we cannot discuss about.”
• “When you talk about the good work NATO has done, you have to talk about the standards.”
• “We have to be deterrent on our part, but capable to move from military assistance type of missions into a very kinetic one.”

Special thanks to the Global Special Operations Foundation for hosting us in Athens. 

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