SOCOM Leadership Highlights Critical Gap in U.S. Defense Capabilities

In recent Congressional testimony, SOCOM Deputy Commander General Bryan Fenton identified a significant vulnerability in our nation's defense strategy. "My sense is that there is a void. You mentioned misinformation, disinformation by any adversary — there's a void out there that's not being filled by our message," General Fenton told senators during an April 2025 hearing before the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities.

This stark assessment comes at a critical moment in global affairs. While China reportedly spends more than $1 billion annually on information operations, U.S. spending in this domain remains comparatively minimal. When pressed about our capabilities, defense officials acknowledged that the Pentagon spends significantly less and lacks centralized leadership for information operations across Defense, State, and the administration.

The Stakes Are High

Information operations has evolved from a supporting capability to a decisive battlefield factor. As General Fenton noted in his testimony, "There's a sense of you may not win a war with information operations like you could with artillery, [but] you can certainly lose it if you're not a key part of that putting out the messages."

In today's interconnected world, the ability to shape narratives, counter disinformation, and communicate effectively is not merely advantageous—it's essential. Our adversaries understand this reality and have invested accordingly. The void identified by SOCOM leadership represents both a strategic vulnerability and an opportunity for innovative solutions.

StoryForge: Purpose-Built to Fill the Information Operations Void

ZenithFlow developed StoryForge specifically to address this critical capability gap. Our AI-powered platform enables operators to rapidly generate, analyze, and deploy content for information operations at the tactical edge—without requiring constant connectivity or specialized expertise.

StoryForge transforms how defense and intelligence professionals approach information operations through its core capabilities:

Intelligent Content Generation at the Edge

StoryForge uses advanced language models that run entirely on your own hardware—no internet connection needed. This allows operators to create compelling, culturally-relevant messaging even in disconnected, contested environments. Whether drafting intelligence briefs, countering adversarial narratives, or creating targeted communications, StoryForge generates human-quality content in seconds.

Multi-Language Support for Global Operations

The platform seamlessly analyzes foreign language disinformation campaigns and produces summaries instantly, or generates messages in local languages for PSYOPS efforts—all while keeping data local for security. This capability is crucial for operations in linguistically diverse regions where translation resources may be limited.

Advanced Analytics for Rapid Information Assessment

Beyond content creation, StoryForge analyzes large volumes of text to extract key insights, identify emerging threats, and detect sentiment shifts. This gives operators an AI-powered assistant that sifts through data and surfaces what matters most, enabling faster and more informed decision-making.

Complete Offline Capability for Secure Operations

Designed for defense and government use, StoryForge operates entirely within secure networks or even standalone systems. All language models and data processing run locally, allowing users to leverage AI for classified or sensitive projects without risking data leaks. The platform supports deployment on high-security enclaves and laptops for field use, with full offline capability.

Meeting the Challenge Head-On

While our adversaries continue to invest billions in information operations, StoryForge provides a force multiplier that maximizes impact with existing resources. By automating the content creation process while maintaining human strategic control, the platform empowers units to rapidly respond to emerging information threats and proactively shape the narrative environment.

As General Fenton's testimony makes clear, filling the information operations void is not just about matching our adversaries dollar for dollar—it's about developing innovative capabilities that give our operators an asymmetric advantage. StoryForge represents exactly this type of innovation: a purpose-built solution that addresses a critical national security need.

See StoryForge in Action at SOF Week 2025

ZenithFlow is proud to showcase StoryForge at SOF Week 2025 in Tampa, Florida. From May 5-8, our team will be at Booth #4717 in the JW Marriott demonstrating how StoryForge enables information advantage through AI-powered content generation and synthetic testing at the tactical edge.

We invite SOCOM leadership, special operations professionals, and all defense industry partners to visit our booth and see firsthand how StoryForge is helping to fill the information operations void.

Focus on what matters—automate the rest.