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Appendix F

Deception

DECEPTION ON THE BATTLEFIELD

LOGISTICS AND HSS PLANNING

DECEPTION MEANS FOR DISCOM ELEMENTS

SAMPLE TECHNIQUES IN TACTICAL OPERATIONS

DECEPTION ON THE BATTLEFIELD

Battlefield deception enhances a LID's ability to fight. For example, deception allows the commander to mass forces without the enemy noticing. He can then take the initiative by acting in a manner unexpected by the enemy. The key is to synchronize operations with the overall combat mission.

Commanders conduct deception operations mislead or confuse enemy decision makers. They seek to distort, conceal, or falsify friendly intentions or capabilities. Successful deception causes the enemy to act favorably to friendly plans.

Deception depends on denying true dispositions unexpectedly and intentions to the enemy. This involves effective OPSEC. In the planning stage, personnel identify friendly profiles. They use them to advantage. OPSEC is also essential during the execution and evaluation phases. Personnel also require intelligence on enemy collection capabilities and decision making. Planners also understand enemy deception doctrine.

LOGISTICS AND HSS PLANNING

Planners integrate logistics and HSS elements into deception plans. They consider whether the resources to execute a deception story are available. They also consider the risks involved in committing limited resources to the deception story. This is especially true in the LID. Commanders determine whether the potential gain of a deception is worth the resources required.

A division battlefield deception cell is under the staff supervision of the G3. It plans the division's role in a corps deception. It also plans independent division deception operations. The G4 prepares logistics estimates. He dots this by analyzing logistics factors affecting deception operations. He advises the deception cell on the supportability of various courses of action. The G1 advises the cell on personnel available for deception operations. The G4 coordinates with the G3 and his deception element. Together they integrate deception tasks into the logistics annex to the OPLAN.

DECEPTION MEANS FOR DISCOM ELEMENTS

Deception plans may require DISCOM elements to employ deception means. Deception means are methods, resources, and techniques used to convey or deny information to the enemy. There are four kinds of deception means. These are visual, olfactory, sonic, and electronic. DISCOM units use any combination of the four to meet two deception goals. These goals are to hide the real and display the false.

Concealing logistics activities tics in with overall OPSEC measures. The following are specific deception means:

• Using civilian vehicles for support operations.
• Storing supplies in train cars, houses, factories, subway tunnels, caves, or bunkers. DISCOM personnel also conduct maintenance and medical operations in such areas.
• Setting up activities in partially destroyed installations.
• Disguising packages and containers to look like ones used by local civilians.
• Sending DISCOM personnel forward with deploying forms. They find and camouflage suitable locations before supplies arrive.
• Setting up in unusual positions.
• Using secondary supply routes.
• Moving vehicles randomly, rather than in convoys. They also move in reduced visibility.
• Screening activity with smoke.
• Changing movement patterns and moving at irregular intervals.

DISPLAY THE FALSE

DISCOM units use deception means to lead the enemy to believe activities exist where there are none. These activities include logistics installations, supply points, motor pools, and airfields. DISCOM units play a role in such specific deception means as --

• Spraying surplus oil or tar on the ground. This creates false runways.
• Arranging empty ammunition containers and fuel drums to portray logistics bases.
• Using smoke to simulate activity or obscure a dummy base.
• Setting up fake supply routes to a dummy base.
• Portraying all indicators associated with base activity. These include latrines, trash, concertina wire, buried cable, and foot and vehicle tracks.
• Using any available logistics base decoy packages. Several devices are under development.

DISCOM units use means other than visual deception. The smell of sprayed surplus POL products enhances the idea that there are vehicles or fuel supply points in the area. (Note: Spraying POL products can create health and fire hazards for friendly troops. Spray high flash products if this deception is used.) Similarly, cooking odors lead an enemy to believe a large unit large is near. Noises, either real or simulated, convince the enemy that logistics activities are near. Finally, DISCOM elements send false reports and orders on radio nets. They coordinate this with the C-E and electronic warfare staff officer.

SAMPLE TECHNIQUES IN TACTICAL OPERATIONS

The following are examples of how DISCOM elements can use deception measures. They support various tactical situations. These are only examples; there are many others. The deception means to use depends on METT-T. DISCOM techniques are integrated into the overall deception and operations plans. FM 90-2 gives deception tactics, tools, and techniques.

OFFENSE

If the deception story is that the 1st Brigade will conduct the main attack, when in reality 2d Brigade will, DISCOM units have a role. They help stimulate noise and light patterns in 1st Brigade's notional assembly area. They also appear to close logistics activities in the old area. DISCOM units in support of 2d Brigade move vehicles at the last possible moment. Even then they restrict movement to that which appears normal for a defensive or supporting attack.

DEFENSE

In the defense, deception leads the enemy to believe the division is withdrawing. DISCOM elements conduct rearward movement of convoys with dummy loads. Units also simulate evacuation, abandonment, or destruction of assets.

RETROGRADE

The DISCOM uses several techniques to make the enemy believe the LID is defending its present position when it is withdrawing. Personnel show stockpiles of supplies in the present position. They continue normal patterns of activity in the current location. They conceal movement of DISCOM elements to the rear. They use infiltration and night movement.