A SOT-A is an element of the United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

 Special Forces. SOT-A teams conduct signals intelligence–electronic warfare

Electronic warfare

Electronic warfare refers to any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults via the spectrum. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponent the advantage of, and ensure friendly...

 operations in support of United States Army Special Operations Command

United States Army Special Operations Command

The United States Army Special Operations Command is the command charged with overseeing the various Special Operations Forces...

 and Joint Special Operations Command missions.

Capabilities

SOT-As detect, monitor, and exploit threat communications through
communications transmission intercept and direction finding. SOT-As also
can deploy with SFODs to provide ER, FP, or MTT support. These functions
may require SOT-As to:

• Deploy with an SFOD.
• Deploy independently and then infiltrate to join a deployed SFOD.
• Operate independently or with other SOT-As.

Insertion/Extraction Techniques

• Patrolling
• Helicopter Touchdown,
• Helocast
  Helocast
  Helocasting is an airborne technique used by small unit, special operations forces to insert into a military area of operations. The small unit is flown, by helicopter, to the insertion point. Once there, the aircraft assumes an altitude just above the water's surface and an airspeed of or less...
  
  
  • Personnel
  • Small Boat (Hard Duck, Soft Duck, Rolled Duck, Limp Duck)
• Rappel
  Abseiling
  Abseiling , rappelling in American English, is the controlled descent down a rock face using a rope; climbers use this technique when a cliff or slope is too steep and/or dangerous to descend without protection.- Slang terms :...
  
  
• Fast Rope
  Fast-roping
  Fast-roping, sometimes known as Fast Rope Insertion Extraction System , is a technique for descending a thick rope. It is useful for deploying troops from a helicopter in places where the helicopter itself cannot touch down. First developed by the British with UK rope manufacturer Marlow Ropes,...
  
  
• Special Patrol Insertion/Extraction
  Special Patrol Insertion/Extraction
  The Special Patrol Insertion/Extraction system was developed as a means to rapidly insert and/or extract a reconnaissance patrol from an area that does not permit a helicopter to land. SPIE has application for rough terrain as well as water inserts/extracts...
  
   (SPIE)
• Parachute
  Parachute
  A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
  
  
  • Static-Line
  • HALO/HAHO

SOT-A team members can operate in remote, denied areas much like
SFODA members. In addition to their linguistic, international Morse code
(IMC) and SIGINT skills, SOT-As are trained in tactical and fieldcraft
techniques and are certified in the same basic skills as SFODAs. However,
SOT-As are rarely certified in advanced SOF skills such as underwater
operations (UWO) or military free-fall (MFF).

SIGINT (Signals Intelligence)

• Foreign languages
  • Arabic
    Arabic language
    Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
    
    
  • Russian
  • Korean
    Korean language
    Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
    
    
  • French
  • Spanish
  • Persian Farsi
  • Chinese
  • Verbal Binary Code
• Morse Code
  Morse code
  Morse code is a method of transmitting textual information as a series of on-off tones, lights, or clicks that can be directly understood by a skilled listener or observer without special equipment...
  
   intercept (>20 GPM)
• Analysis and reporting

Advanced training

Advanced training may include:

• Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat Course
• Survival Evasion Resistance Escape
• Ranger School
  Ranger School
  The United States Army Ranger School is an intense 61-day combat leadership course oriented towards small-unit tactics. It has been called the "toughest combat course in the world" and "is the most physically and mentally demanding leadership school the Army has to offer". The course is conducted...
  
  
• Mountain Survival Course
  Mountain Warfare Training Center
  The Mountain Warfare Training Center is a United States Marine Corps installation located in Pickel Meadows on California State Route 108 in the Toiyabe National Forest, 21 miles northwest of Bridgeport, California...
  
  /Mountain Leader
  Mountain Leader
  A Mountain Leader is a military professional specialising in delivering training for, or leading, operations in high altitude or extremely low temperature environments.-Mountain Leader :...
  
   Course
• Jumpmaster
• Army Reconnaissance and Surveillance Leaders Course
  United States Army Reconnaissance and Surveillance Leaders Course
  United States Army Reconnaissance and Surveillance Leaders Course is an elite five week school offered by 4th Ranger Training Battalion to soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen to train them to expert levels in reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition, battle damage assessment, foreign...
  
  
• Pathfinder Course
  Pathfinder Badge (United States)
  The Pathfinder Badge is a military badge of the United States Army awarded to soldiers who successfully complete the U.S. Army Pathfinder School at Fort Benning, Georgia...
  
  
• Military Freefall/Military Freefall Jumpmaster

Organization

Currently there are three SOT-A sections per battalion of every Special Forces Group. A SOT-A team generally consists of four members.