US Special Operations Forces (SOF) have been permanently assigned to Taiwan's frontline islands, preparing elite Taiwanese units for possible island defense and guerilla warfare operations against a Chinese invasion.

This month, SOFREP reported that US Army SOFs have been deployed to Taiwan for ongoing training under the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). US troops on Kinmen will be situated just ten kilometers from mainland China.

SOFREP states that the US military advisors will take permanent positions at the Taiwanese Army's amphibious command centers in Kinmen and Penghu, conducting regular training exercises alongside Taiwan's elite forces.

The collaboration includes training Taiwanese counterparts to use the Black Hornet Nano, a compact military unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and creating operational guidelines and training manuals for the drone. The Taiwanese Aviation and Special Forces Command has proposed acquiring the drone directly from the US through military sales avenues.

SOFREP states that the NDAA outlines a framework for deploying US personnel to Taiwan, focusing mainly on military training without immediate plans to station civilian US officials.

It mentions that reports indicate a growing presence of the US Special Operations Forces Liaison Element (SOFLE) in Taiwan, with plans to station small teams from the 1st Special Forces Group's 2nd Battalion, Alpha Company, on the self-governing island.

It says that these three military teams, composed of three US Army Green Berets, will conduct joint training missions at Taiwan's 101st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion and Airborne Special Service Company.