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The Special Air Service and the Concentration of Military Power

University of Exeter, a.c.king{at}exeter.ac.uk

In the past decade, Special Operations Forces have attracted much public attention, and, in the United States, a significant academic literature has developed about them. By contrast, few scholars have analyzed 22 Special Air Service Regiment (SAS), Britain's prime Special Operations Forces unit. This is unfortunate. From a peripheral position during the cold war, the SAS has attained a central position in British defense posture. This article analyzes the rise of the SAS as an example of organizational transformation in the armed forces today. The SAS's new prominence may also illustrate the contemporary dynamics of military change more widely.

Key Words: Britain • Special Operations Forces • expertise • networks

This version was published on July 1, 2009

Armed Forces & Society, Vol. 35, No. 4, 646-666 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0095327X08316149


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