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TA.5 INTELLIGENCE

TA.5 Negative Trend 1: Reconnaissance and Surveillance plan development

1. Brigade must take the major responsibility for reconnaissance operations and must plan and manage all aspects of a reconnaissance mission.
2. Refer to FM 34-2-1 for an explanation of each staff officers' role in the integration of IPB products, including the R& plan. Development and use of event templates and a decision support template will drive the R& effort designed to focus NAI observation.
3. Train at Home Station to integrate the reconnaissance effort IAW the following command and staff responsibilities:
   TF commander: while ultimately responsible for the entire process, the coordination and staff integration as best executed by the S-2 in conjunction with the S-3. The TF Commander, working with his S-2, must focus his PIR.; the focused PIR should determine subsequent R& plan development.
   S-2:
   - identification of collection requirements derived from the IPB process.
   - identification of reconnaissance and surveillance assets available.
   - integration of R& assets into a collection plan that matches collection requirements against collector capabilities, and is focused on threat course of action determination.
   S-3:
   - tasking assets to support the collection.
   - synchronizing the reconnaissance plan with combat multipliers, i.e., engineers, retrans, fire support, CSS, etc.
   - ensure the R& plan is as well integrated, synchronized, and supported as the operations plan.

   The XO or S-3 should drive the R& plan development, in conjunction with the S-2.

   S-3s must assume an active role in R& planning in order to synchronize the effort and to allow the S-2 time to analyze reconnaissance results. This then allows the S-2 to subsequently redirect, as necessary, collection assets.

   Have the scout platoon leader accompany the TF commander to the brigade OPORD. After the OPORD, the commander gives guidance to his scout platoon leader. The TF staff then places a priority on completing the R& plan before the TF OPORD. This would give the TF scouts time to plan their mission.

   Establish scouting reposition triggers so they can be in place to support branches and sequels of the base plan. This implies at least a map rehearsal for these contingencies.

   Other staff elements must be involved in the detailed planning of R& to provide sufficient support, tactically and logistically, for the scout platoon.

   Develop the plan similarly to an OPORD; this will help foster staff integration. When approached as an order, staff integration becomes more likely because of the procedures inherent in the orders development process.

   - Plan reconnaissance as a combat operation, using the five paragraph orders format; include method(s) for penetrating the enemy's security forces and CSS and C2 for the recon effort.

   - Make prioritization of R& effort a joint process among Commander/S-3/S-2 during planning. Commander should identify 1-2 PIRs for success.

   - Use the R& matrix only for internal command post (CP) planning of R& operations.

   - Include the same level of detail control measures for reconnaissance operations as are afforded any other combat operation.

   Issue the reconnaissance "order" immediately after the brigade commander has issued his planning guidance; use fragmentary orders (FRAGOs) to provide information or modify the reconnaissance order afterwards.

TA.5 Negative Trend 2: The IPB process and application

1. Train at Home Station to develop SITEMPS that will facilitate the Tactical Decision Making Process, including the staff integration between the S-2 section, the S-3 section and all other relevant staff elements at TF/Squadron level.
2. Refer to CALL Newsletter 95-12, Tactical Decision Making: Abbreviated Planning, CALL Newsletter 95-7, Tactical Operations Center (TOC), and CTC Quarterly Bulletin, 2d Quarter, FY 96, "Battalion S-2s: Back to the Basics" for additional techniques and procedures relevant to staff integration.
3. FM 34-130 appendices give an adequate illustration of IPB concepts. These procedures must be followed, and incorporated into unit standing operating procedures (SOP). Incorporate in the SOP specific timelines for the orders process, including products and time limits associated with their completion.
4. Use training exercises without troops (TEWTs) as an effective means of training terrain analysis, and using the results of the analysis to more effectively plan offensive and defensive operations.
5. Using the task force SITEMP, terrain analysis, weather data, intelligence annex, PIRs, etc., the commander further breaks down the terrain and the enemy to determine their collective effects on the company/team mission. This analysis should result in the determination of intervisibility lines, dead space and choke points, etc. These direct the building of viable engagement areas for defensive operations, or help determine the best axis of advance to follow for an offensive mission.
6. Integrating engineer companies into the task force's training plan will increase engineer participation in task force battle staff training. The engineer company XO should be integrated into the maneuver task force battle staff.
7. Company/team commanders should learn more about threat dismounted infantry tactics, and incorporate this into company/team IPB. The concept of operations/scheme of maneuver must include plans to defeat both the mounted and dismounted threat.
8. Integrate MPs into the reconnaissance & surveillance (R& plan for the rear area, so they can focus their reconnaissance effort. The MPs must also be informed of any threat to the rear area.

TA.5 Negative Trend 3: Threat evaluation and Enemy COA development

1. Doctrinal reference: FM 34-130.
2. Use section personnel designated in the unit TSOP for the threat evaluation task. Train at Home Station their ability to complete the identification of threat weapon system capabilities and employment norms. These analysts must also be knowledgeable about threat doctrine, tactics, techniques, procedures and equipment. The key is to have the appropriate information available to the rest of the staff prior to mission analysis.
3. S-2s should develop valid threat models, using Steps 1 - 3 of the IPB process, prior to deployment. S-2s must deploy with threat models that include high-value targets (HVTs), doctrinal templates, and descriptions of tactics and options. If the threat is well-known, then a doctrinal template and historical data will initially suffice. If the threat is new or less well-known, the S-2 may have to develop and update the threat model as information becomes available.
4. An enemy event template will greatly assist in determining when the enemy will be entering our battle space. Event templates should portray all enemy options, and concentrate on the differences. This helps to identify which COA the enemy will adopt. Develop an enemy event template, on a separate overlay, that depicts the following:
   - Time Phase Lines (TPL)
   - Named Areas of Interest (NAI)
   - Avenues of Approach (AA)
   - decision points

   In addition to referencing doctrinal publications for current threat doctrine and TTP, S-2s should also develop a critical events list. This list is actually a flow chart providing a narrative description of enemy tactics and operations for each enemy course of action.

   ECOAs should be well-grounded in military theory and science, not focused on one or two enemy fighting styles or particular national doctrines.

   For enemy COA analysis, be able to answer the following questions:

   - Who? - which element

   - What? - type of operation

   - When? - time the action will begin

   - Where? - the sectors, zones, axis of advance; avenues of approach, objectives

   - How? - the method the enemy will use to employ his assets, i.e., main effort, effort, scheme of maneuver, fires, and support

   - Why? - the objective or end state the enemy expects to achieve

   S-2s/analysts should array options open to friendly units and fight each friendly option from the enemy's point of view.

   Commanders must require detailed analysis of the impact of weather and terrain on friendly and enemy operations and incorporate them into wargaming COA.

   Continue to highlight the importance and goals of weather and terrain analysis into new manuals and circulars.

TA.5 Negative Trend 4: S-2 Situation Template (SITEMP) development

1. S-2s must, at Home Station, practice their wargaming responsibility to serve as a thinking, uncooperative enemy.
2. S-2s should prepare enemy SITEMPs and threat models for the enemy's most dangerous and most probable COAs. FM 34-130 discusses development of a SITEMP, although the manual does not address the level of detail necessary to adequately support the Tactical Decision Making Process (TDMP).
3. Brigade S-2s should produce at least two SITEMPs which show all critical enemy BOSs for every staff planning effort. SITEMPs should depict what the enemy will look like at selected "critical points."
4. Task force S-2s must develop multiple enemy COAs and possible branch plans.
5. S-2 sections should practice IPB as a continuous process. Organize the S-2 section to receive and analyze reports in a timely manner, including implications for the situation template.

TA.5 Negative Trend 5: Terrain analysis

1. S-2s should incorporate in the IPB process sufficient time and analytical methods to produce a modified combined obstacle overlay (MCOO) in a timely fashion.
2. S-2s should work closely with engineers and using TERRA BASE, if available, conduct detailed terrain analysis that meets the commander's needs. The terrain analysis should identify the following, as a minimum:
   - enemy avenues of approach
   - intervisibility lines
   - potential engagement areas
   - enemy fire sacks
   - weapon system firing lines
   - potential lines of communication

   Task force engineers, working with the S-2, can provide additional detailed terrain based information.

   - restrictive terrain analysis (go/no-go)

   - line of sight/intervisibility lines

   - geological analysis (from division/corps) for soil conditions; hydrology; off limits or no dig/restricted dig limitations.

TA.5 Negative Trend 6: S-2 analysis and reporting