HONOLULU — Army Brig. Gen. Michael Rose warned that U.S. conventional military superiority is driving adversaries to use irregular warfare tactics such as proxies, cyber operations and economic coercion. The newly appointed head of Special Operations Command Pacific delivered the assessment at the Indo-Pacific Irregular Warfare Symposium in Honolulu.

Rose assumed his command earlier this month after Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Van Antwerp transferred leadership of SOCPAC. The general stated that direct confrontation risks have shifted competitive dynamics rather than eliminated them.

Rose stated that organizational speed and cognitive agility are critical for future success. He argued that technological advantages alone are insufficient without proper foundational integration.

"We must be able to outfight and outthink our adversaries," he said. "Our forces must be organized to observe, orient, decide, act, and learn faster than the adversary. Whoever can do that, whoever can adopt that mindset, whoever can adopt those technologies and training fastest will certainly win the day." He added, You can get caught up in trying to get the better technology, but if you don't have the foundational pieces right, it doesn't matter. He also noted, We face an increasingly weaponized cyber domain, a virtual battlefield where threats evolve rapidly and persistently. The Center for Strategic and International Studies states that irregular warfare is becoming more prevalent in strategic competition. The Pentagon—correctly—does not release exact numbers of inventory levels, making public assessments of stockpile sustainability difficult.

Timeline

The war between the United States and Iran began in February 2026. Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Van Antwerp transferred command of SOCPAC to Michael Rose earlier this month.

The Indo-Pacific Irregular Warfare Symposium took place in Honolulu last week. Rose stated, "If an adversary believes that a direct military confrontation with the United States or our allies is likely to end badly for them, that doesn’t necessarily make competition disappear. It changes how the adversaries will compete with us. They look for seams. They operate below thresholds. They exploit ambiguity. They use proxies, information, economic coercion, cyber capabilities, maritime forces, and other asymmetric approaches to achieve objectives without presenting us with a conventional fight for which we are preparing. In other words, our conventional superiority can actually increase the incentive for our adversaries to employ irregular warfare. Also on August 21, he said, We must be able to outfight and outthink our adversaries."

Why It Matters

The shift toward irregular warfare tactics reflects a strategic adaptation by adversaries who seek to avoid direct conventional engagements with U.S. forces. This dynamic places pressure on digital ecosystems, space-based surveillance and electromagnetic spectrum dominance, requiring military organizations to prioritize speed in observation, orientation, decision-making and action.

Simultaneously, the ongoing conflict with Iran has resulted in significant expenditure of key missile inventories, with estimates suggesting more than 1,200 units have been used. As defense industry production ramps up from 350 to 650 units annually, the cost of $4 million per round and multi-year delivery timelines highlight the logistical and financial challenges of sustaining high-intensity conflicts while maintaining deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region.