US Navy SEALs’ role in Taiwan conflict may be limited

• Chen Cheng-liang and William Hetherington / Staff Writers

A former member of the U.S. Navy Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU), formerly known as SEAL Team 6, told Business Insider that the elite unit’s role in the Taiwan Strait conflict will be more limited than some might have expected.

The report followed an earlier Financial Times report in September that said a “clandestine US Navy commando unit” was preparing to carry out missions to assist Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion.

“You can’t use a scalpel to do the job that a hammer can do,” a former Navy SEAL told Business Insider on condition of anonymity.

Photo: RITCHIE B. TONGO, EPA-EFE

“DEVGRU will certainly play a role in the broader conflict with China, but it will likely pursue strategic objectives to enable the Grand Navy and broader conventional forces to achieve their missions,” he added.

Beijing has repeatedly said it would not rule out using force to achieve unification with Taiwan, raising concerns in Washington, Business Insider said, adding that the US military was conducting war games and planning a military response to such a contingency.

This response will likely include some role for DEVGRU, like other U.S. military operations in recent years, but the role will be in a supporting role, assisting other U.S. forces by conducting precision operations, it said.

“People don’t understand what first-level units are. They are not designed to handle every available mission, especially if another special operations unit is better suited for it,” the former Navy SEAL said.

A large-scale invasion of Taiwan would primarily involve conventional military action by the US Navy and Air Force, while DEVGRU would be directed to destroy “strategic targets such as air bases, ports, and anti-access/air denial (A2/AD) facilities.” , which are designed to destroy US aircraft carrier groups or repel air operations,” he said.

Meanwhile, the report says a unit like the U.S. Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment would be more useful in fighting Chinese incursion forces on Taiwanese soil.