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In the context of special operations, direct action (DA) consists of: "Short-duration strikes and other small-scale offensive actions conducted as a special operation in hostile, denied, or politically sensitive environments and which employ specialized military capabilities to seize, destroy, capture, exploit, recover, or damage designated targets. Direct action differs from conventional offensive actions in the level of physical and political risk, operational techniques, and the degree of discriminate and precise use of force to achieve specific objectives." The United States and many allied countries consider DA one of the basic special operations missions. Some units specialize in it, such as Rangers of the 75th Ranger Regiment, while other units, such as US Army Special Forces, have DA capabilities but focus more on other operations. Unconventional warfare, special reconnaissance and direct action roles have merged through the decades and are typically performed primarily by the same units. For instance, while American special operations forces were originally created for the unconventional warfare (UW) mission and gradually added other capabilities, the United States Navy SEALs, and the UK Special Air Service (SAS) and Special Boat Service (SBS) continue to perform a primary DA role with special reconnaissance (SR) as original missions. SEALs, SAS, and SBS added additional capabilities over time, responding to the needs of modern conflict. Russian Spetsnaz are DA and SR units. Some countries may have standing units for deniable DA operations, and others may put together ''ad hoc'' volunteer groups for such missions. Under the US Central Intelligence Agency's National Clandestine Service, there is a Special Activities Division that operates without apparent national identification. It is possible that units of the Joint Special Operations Command or the frequently-renamed Intelligence Support Activity may do ''ad hoc'' operations. ==Risk factors== DA, conducted by special operations forces, uses a small ground team, possibly with air and naval support, which maintains a high degree of secrecy about the intended action. It relies on surprise and skill, rather than mass, and has a "hit-and-run" approach: : *clandestine approach to the target : *short, precise, and violent force : *exfiltration as soon as the objective is completed, making the team's exit as hidden as possible. Direct action is not a suicidal attack. If the political situation so requires, the DA team may operate completely or partially out of proper uniform. In some cases, which international law accepts as a legitimate ruse of war, a direct action force may infiltrate to the target area in disguise, but must make some distinguishing insignia visible before taking any combat actions. While the entire mission was not completed due to a lack of helicopters, the DA force, in Operation Eagle Claw, which was to make the actual attack on the occupied American Embassy in Tehran, would wear nondescript clothing until they reached the assembly point for the attack. At that time, before using any weapons, they would remove black coverings over American flags, putting them in compliance with having a proper insignia or uniform. In practice, any military force that operates at least partially out of proper uniform may be considered unlawful combatants. Formally, being out of proper uniform while approaching the target is considered a legitimate ruse of war, rather than spying, according to the language of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. Geneva, 12 August 1949, Article 29 )〕 This continues the language of the Hague Convention of 1907. Countries do not always honor this legal protection, as with the Nazi Commando Order of WWII, which was held illegal at the Nuremberg Trials. The status of guerrillas acting under a distinct chain of command, wearing at least a distinctive armband or other insignia, carrying arms openly while in combat, and complying with the laws and customs of war is that they technically are legal combatants, but this, historically, is respected even less than for regular military personnel making a clandestine approach to the target. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Direct action (military)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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