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## Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield |
## MARCH 2019
DISTRIBUTION RESTRICTION: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
This publication supersedes ATP 2-01.3 /MCRP 2-3A , dated 10 November 2014. |
## Headquarters, Department of the Army
This publication is available at the Army Publishing Directorate site (https://armypubs.army.mil), and the Central Army Registry site (https://atiam.train.army.mil/catalog/dashboard).
Headquarters Department of the Army Washington, DC 1 March 2019 |
## Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield |
## Contents
| Page | ... |
## Figures
| Introductory figure. Products of the IPB process ....................................................................... xi |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------... |
## Preface
ATP 2-01.3 constitutes current doctrine on how to systematically evaluate the effects of significant characteristics of the operational environment (OE) for specific missions. This publication-
- Describes how the commander and staff examine mission variables to understand how th... |
## Acknowledgement
The term Cyber Kill Chain, including Cyber Kill Chain methodology, in paragraphs D-33 through D-37, has been used with permission from Lockheed Martin Corporation, www.lockheedmartin.com, Gaining the Advantage: Applying Cyber Kill Chain® Methodology to Network Defense, 2015 . The copyright ... |
## Introduction
IPB is a collaborative staff effort led by the J-2/G-2/S-2 and the intelligence staff. IPB products developed and continuously updated facilitate situational understanding and assist commanders and staffs in identifying relevant aspects within the area of operations and area of interest that can affect... |
## This publication-
- Introduces acronyms at their first use in the front matter of this publication (preface and introduction), and again in the body of the publication (chapters and appendixes).
- Introduces GX and SX (such as G-2 and S-2) acronyms at their first use without defining them as it hi... |
## PART ONE |
## Fundamental Principles, Process Activities, and Relationships |
## Chapter 1 |
## Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield Fundamentals |
## INTELLIGENCE PREPARATION OF THE BATTLEFIELD (IPB) DEFINED
- 1-1. Intelligence preparation of the battlefield is the systematic process of analyzing the mission variables of enemy, terrain, weather, and civil considerations in an area of interest to determine their effect on operations. IPB allows com... |
## IPB PROCESS ACTIVITIES
- 1-13. The IPB process consists of the following four steps:
- Define the OE.
- Describe environmental effects on operations.
- Evaluate the threat.
- Determine threat COAs.
Note. Although there are four steps to the IPB process, it is important to note that IPB is ... |
## STEP 1-DEFINE THE OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT
- 1-14. An operational environment is a composite of the conditions, circumstances, and influences that affect the employment of capabilities and bear on the decisions of the commander (JP 3-0). An OE for any specific operation comprises more than the interacting variables ... |
## STEP 2-DESCRIBE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS ON OPERATIONS
- 1-19. During step 2 of the IPB process, the intelligence staff describes how significant characteristics affect friendly operations. The intelligence staff also describes how terrain, weather, civil considerations, and friendly forces affect threat f... |
## STEP 3-EVALUATE THE THREAT
- 1-21. The purpose of evaluating the threat is to understand how a threat can affect friendly operations. Although threat forces may conform to some of the fundamental principles of warfare that guide Army operations, these forces will have obvious, as well as subtle, di... |
## STEP 4-DETERMINE THREAT COURSES OF ACTION
- 1-24. During step 4, the intelligence staff identifies and develops possible threat COAs that can affect accomplishing the friendly mission. The staff uses the products associated with determining threat COAs to assist in developing and selecting friend... |
## STAFF COLLABORATION
- 1-27. Precise intelligence is critical to targeting threat capabilities at the right time and place to open windows of opportunity across domains. Commanders and staffs receive effective intelligence when they direct and participate in intelligence warfighting function activities. Close intera... |
## RELATIONSHIPS
- 1-34. As one of the integrating processes, IPB is integral to targeting, risk management, information collection, planning, and decision making. (See chapter 2.) IPB is also related to the generate intelligence knowledge and situation development tasks. |
## TARGETING
- 1-35. Targeting is the process of selecting and prioritizing targets and matching the appropriate response to them, considering operational requirements and capabilities (JP 3-0). During steps 3 and 4 of IPB, the intelligence staff identifies HVTs associated with each threat capability or... |
## RISK MANAGEMENT
1-40. Risk management is the process to identify, assess, and control risks and make decisions that balance risk cost with mission benefits (JP 3-0). IPB assists in identifying, quantifying, and mitigating risks. For example, a commander may consider attacking a target on the protected target list. ... |
## INFORMATION COLLECTION
1-41. Information collection relies on IPB results. The staff's continuous input to IPB provides an analysis of the OE and the options it presents to friendly and threat forces. It also provides the following information required to plan information collection activities:
- Characteristics... |
## NAI Example
Instead of focusing on an area surrounding a hilltop named 1631 where the enemy may have placed an air defense unit, analysts should focus NAIs on the enemy's unit or functional capability. For example, analysts should focus on the suspected locations where the enemy may place its combined arms reserve ... |
## GENERATE INTELLIGENCE KNOWLEDGE
1-48. Not all information required to conduct IPB will be readily available to intelligence staffs upon receipt of mission. Generate intelligence knowledge is critical for G-2/S-2s to maintain analytical proficiency and situational awareness of possible impending missions and conting... |
## SITUATION DEVELOPMENT
- 1-51. Situation development is a process for analyzing information and producing current intelligence concerning the relevant aspects of the OE (the mission variables of enemy, terrain and weather, and civil considerations) within the AO before and during operations. The ... |
## MULTI-DOMAIN UNDERSTANDING OF THE OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT
- 1-54. The interrelationship of the air, land, maritime, space, and cyberspace domains, the information environment (which includes cyberspace), and the EMS requires a multi-domain situational understanding of the OE. (See FM 3-0.) Seeing, under... |
## 1967 Arab-Israeli Six-Day War
Tensions between Israel and the Arab alliance of Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, and Syria were heightened following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Closed to Israeli shipping since 1950 by Egypt, the Straits of Tiran, located in the Red Sea between the Sinai Peninsula and Tiran Island, were critical ... |
## Window of Opportunity
Israeli Air Force superior to the Egyptian Air Force .
IMAGE:
This image depicts the phrase "Exploit the Window" with a curved arrow pointing downwards. The text is in a bold font, and the arrow suggests an action or emphasis related to the concept of exploiting a window of opportunity.
... |
## Position of Relative Advantage
Israeli Air Force destroys mobilized Egyptian tank units. |
## IPB Products to Identify
Threat overlay, threat model, threat template, situation template, threat model, threat template, situation template, and event template and matrix
IMAGE:
This image depicts the icon for the "Enable" function often used in software and digital interfaces. It consists of a line with curved... |
## IMPORTANCE OF DOMAIN INTERDEPENDENCE
- 1-58. Domain interdependence refers to the reliance on one or multiple domains to leverage effects or information. Domains provide a means of viewing the OE based on how capabilities are arrayed and employed. An OE does not comprise a single domain; a capability'... |
## OPERATIONAL FRAMEWORK CONSIDERATIONS
1-60. A thorough IPB effort and intelligence analysis assist each echelon in focusing operations on all significant aspects of the OE in time and space across multiple domains. This prevents each echelon from focusing only on the close fight and current operations.... |
## HOLISTIC VIEW OF THE OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT
1-61. During IPB, each staff section and supporting element provide input. This ensures a holistic view of the OE. Subsequently, the IPB effort assists in identifying domain windows of opportunity to exploit threat vulnerabilities. A holistic view of the OE assists the c... |
## Physical Areas and Factors
1-63. Within the OE, physical areas include the assigned operational area and the associated AOI and area of influence necessary to conduct operations within the air, land, maritime, space, and cyberspace domains and the information environment. Factors, including but not limited to terra... |
## Systems Perspective
1-64. A systems perspective focuses on a multitude of systems in the OE and their associated functions. The identification of which systems are associated with specific functions and their interdependence with other systems is critical to understanding when and where threats may decide to use th... |
## IPB AND THE ARMY'S STRATEGIC ROLES
1-65. Operations to shape, prevent, conduct large-scale ground combat, and consolidate gains summarize the Army's strategic roles as part of a joint force. Each strategic role presents a unique set of intelligence requirements discussed fully in FM 2-0. Table 1-2 ... |
## Chapter 2 |
## IPB Support to Planning and Decision Making |
## IPB AND PLANNING
- 2-1. Commanders conduct planning to-
- Understand a problem or situation.
- Envision a desired future.
- Develop COAs, with assistance from their staffs, that can bring about that desired future.
- 2-2. During planning, commanders focus their activities on understanding, visualizing, and de... |
## MILITARY DECISION-MAKING PROCESS
- 2-3. The military decision-making process is an interactive planning methodology to understand the situation and mission, develop a course of action, and produce an operation plan or order (ADP 5-0). (See ADRP 5-0 for more information on the MDMP.) The MDMP is a seven-ste... |
## Understand the Situation and Mission
2-6. During the mission analysis step of the MDMP, the staff conducts IPB to understand the situation and mission. The IPB products developed during this step are discussed fully in chapters 3 through 6. The products listed below are critical to developing and co... |
## Develop and Compare Courses of Action
- 2-7. In the COA development step of the MDMP, friendly COAs are broad potential solutions to an identified problem. These solutions are based on conclusions reached during initial IPB and any refinement of those conclusions that occurs between the conclu... |
## Decide on a Course of Action that Best Accomplishes the Mission
- 2-8. In the COA analysis step of the MDMP, deciding on a COA enables commanders and staffs to identify difficulties or coordination problems and probable consequences of planned actions for each COA being considered. The primary IPB products required... |
## Produce an Operation Plan or Operation Order for Execution
- 2-10. At the conclusion of the MDMP, the staff prepares the operation plan or order by turning the selected COA into a clear, concise concept of operations and required supporting material. The results of IPB are included within the base order and appropr... |
## TROOP LEADING PROCEDURES
- 2-11. The troop leading procedures extend the MDMP to the small-unit level. The MDMP and troop leading procedures are similar but not identical. Troop leading procedures is a dynamic process used by small-unit leaders to analyze a mission, develop a plan, and prepare for an operation (ADP... |
## Step 2-Issue a Warning Order
2-15. The battalion intelligence cell provides IPB products to the company commander on what to include in warning orders for areas such as but not limited to-
- Terrain analysis.
- Enemy forces.
- AOs and AOIs.
- Commander's critical information requirements and essential elem... |
## Step 3-Make a Tentative Plan
2-16. When developing a tentative plan, the company commander relies on the battalion intelligence cell to provide IPB tools as the leader conducts mission analysis, COA development, COA analysis, and COA comparison and selection. |
## Mission Analysis
2-17. The battalion intelligence cell provides IPB tools and products on mission analysis by evaluating enemy, terrain and weather, and civil considerations. This includes providing information and analysis on the terrain and friendly and enemy forces that most affect tactical operation... |
## Course of Action Development
- 2-18. IPB products assist the leader in constructing a solid COA. The purpose of COA development is determining one or more ways to accomplish the mission that is consistent with the immediate higher commander's intent. A COA describes how the unit might g... |
## Course of Action Analysis
2-19. The battalion intelligence cell provides IPB tools the leader can use to determine how the enemy will likely react during war gaming. War gaming assists the leader in synchronizing friendly actions while considering the enemy's likely reactions. COA analysis begins with... |
## Course of Action Comparison and Selection
- 2-20. The battalion intelligence cell provides products from IPB to leaders to determine PIRs, friendly force information requirements, and essential elements of friendly information. Although essential elements of friendly information are not part of the commander's crit... |
## Step 4-Initiate Movement
2-21. The battalion intelligence cell provides IPB products to leaders on any movement necessary to continue mission preparation or to posture the unit for the start of the mission. |
## Step 5-Conduct Reconnaissance
- 2-22. If time permits, leaders verify intelligence from higher headquarters by reconnoitering to seek to confirm PIRs that support their tentative plans. These PIRs usually consist of assumptions or critical facts about the enemy (including strength and location). The PI... |
## IPB AND DECISION MAKING
- 2-23. Decision making refers to selecting a COA as the one most favorable to accomplish the mission. Decision making is knowing whether to decide or not, then when and what to decide, and finally understanding the consequences. Commanders make decisions in pa... |
## PART TWO |
## Fundamental Task Techniques |
## Chapter 3 |
## Step 1-Define the Operational Environment |
## WHAT IS IT?
3-1. During step 1 of the IPB process, the intelligence staff identifies for further analysis the significant characteristics of or activities within the OE that may influence friendly and threat COAs and command decisions, as well as the physical space the mission will occupy. Within an OE, Army forces... |
## Example 1
During planning for a foreign humanitarian assistance mission, a brigade S-2 identifies five ethnic groups with armed militias that have attacked each other, as well as host-nation security forces, in the past 12 months. In the last month, a rocket-propelled grenade shot down a host-nation ... |
## Example 2
During planning for an attack, a brigade S-2 identifies the enemy has an attack helicopter
squadron that could threaten the friendly mission. When developing the threat situation template, the brigade S-2 includes the reported location of the attack helicopter battalion, air attack corridor... |
## SO WHAT?
- 3-2. The 'so what' of step 1 is to clearly define for commanders the relevant characteristics of their AOIs:
- Outcome of success: Success results in time and effort saved by focusing only on those characteristics that influence friendly COAs and command decisions.
- Consequences of fail... |
## HOW TO DO IT: THE PROCESS
- 3-3. Defining the OE consists of the substeps and outputs shown in figure 3-1.
Figure 3-1. Substeps and outputs of step 1 of the IPB process
IMAGE:
This image depicts a flowchart related to military operations, specifically focusing on intelligence preparation of the battlefield (IPB)... |
## IDENTIFY THE LIMITS OF THE COMMANDER'S AREA OF OPERATIONS
- 3-4. Area of operations is an operational area defined by a commander for land and maritime forces that should be large enough to accomplish their missions and protect their forces (JP 3-0). The AO comprises an external boundary that delineates adjacent un... |
## IDENTIFY THE LIMITS OF THE COMMANDER'S AREA OF INTEREST
- 3-6. An area of interest is that area of concern to the commander, including the area of influence, areas adjacent thereto, and extending into enemy territory (JP 3-0). The AOI also includes areas occupied by threat forces who could jeopardize mission accomp... |
## Analyzing the AO Based on the AOI Effects
By analyzing the AO, as well as identifying and establishing an AOI, the commander and staff can determine how the relevant aspects of the AOI may impact the conduct of operations in the AO. This assists the commander in determining the required capabilities for ... |
## IDENTIFY SIGNIFICANT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE AREA OF OPERATIONS AND AREA OF INTEREST FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS
3-10. In order to focus IPB and what is important to the commander, the staff identifies and defines the characteristics of the enemy, terrain and weather, and civil considerations of the OE to de... |
## ENEMY
3-14. Analysis of the enemy includes not only the known enemy but also other threats to mission success, such as multiple threats posing with a wide array of political, economic, religious, and personal motivations. Additionally, threats may wear uniforms and be easily identifiable, blend into the population,... |
## TERRAIN AND WEATHER
3-15. It is important to identify the types of environments in which a unit will conduct operations. Terrain and weather are natural conditions of the environment that profoundly influence operations and the type of information collected. Terrain and weather favor neither the friendly nor the th... |
## Terrain
- 3-16. Terrain includes natural features (such as rivers, caves, valleys, and mountains) and man-made features (such as cities, subway tunnels, bunkers, airfields, and bridges). Terrain directly affects how commanders select objectives and locate, move, and control forces. Terrain also influences protectiv... |
## Weather
- 3-18. Climate refers to the average weather conditions of a location, area, or region for a specific time of the year as recorded for a period of years. Operational climatology is used to assess effects on weapon systems, collection systems, ground forces, tactics and procedures, threat TTP, and other cap... |
## CIVIL CONSIDERATIONS
- 3-19. Civil considerations is the influence of manmade infrastructure, civilian institutions, and activities of civilian leaders, populations, and organizations within an area of operations on the conduct of military operations (ADRP 5-0). Commanders and staffs analyze civil con... |
## SIGNIFICANT CHARACTERISTICS BRIEFING EXAMPLE
- 3-23. During step 1, the intelligence staff briefs the commander on the AO's significant characteristics. This brief should be concise and provide all significant characteristics pertaining to step 1 only; it should not include specifics, such as the MCOO and th... |
## Example Briefing: Identifying Significant Characteristics |
## Terrain:
- Wooded areas are primarily composed of pine trees.
- Most creeks require an armored vehicle-launched bridge to cross if there is no ford or road crossing.
- Major roadways can support four lanes of traffic.
- Marshes within the AO are restrictive most of the year; during heavy rains, they can bec... |
## Weather:
- The weather during this time of year consists of light rain with mild thunderstorms.
- The average rainfall is three to four inches.
- Precipitation affects potential river crossing sites.
- Strong gusts usually occur in early mornings and midafternoons, which can affect some aerial assets.
- T... |
## Civil considerations:
- Two major groups occupy the AO-the Regional Military Force and the National Liberation Group. A small group of the Russian-speaking population supports the National Liberation Group by providing sustainment and cache locations. The Russian-speaking population is sporadic through the AO and... |
## Enemy:
- Based on recent reporting and historical information, the staff expects to encounter a brigade- to division-sized element in the AO.
- The enemy likely has simple battle positions that are covered for dismounts and uncovered for vehicle fighting positions.
- Rudimentary tunnels link battl... |
## EVALUATE CURRENT OPERATIONS AND INTELLIGENCE HOLDINGS TO DETERMINE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION NEEDED TO COMPLETE IPB
3-24. Not all information needed to complete IPB will be in the command's or higher headquarters' data files and databases. Information gaps should be identified early and prioritized based on the comman... |
## INITIATE PROCESSES TO ACQUIRE THE INFORMATION NEEDED TO COMPLETE IPB
3-25. After determining that the information necessary to complete IPB is not contained within local and searchable external data files and databases, staff sections submit requests for information or requests for collection to obtain the informat... |
## Chapter 4 |
## Step 2-Describe Environmental Effects on Operations |
## WHAT IS IT?
- 4-1. Step 2 of the IPB process determines how significant characteristics of the OE can affect friendly and threat operations. The staff begins evaluation by analyzing existing and projected conditions in the AO and AOI, and then determining effects on both friendly and threat operations. The example ... |
## Example
A brigade S-2 informs the commander that the terrain the brigade must attack through will canalize friendly forces into platoon-sized mobility corridors that will prevent the friendly forces from supporting each other. The brigade S-2 also informs the commander that the terrain favors enemy use o... |
## SO WHAT?
- 4-2. The 'so what' of step 2 is to identify how relevant characteristics of the AOI affect friendly and threat operations:
- Outcome of success: Success results in the commander being able to quickly choose and exploit terrain, weather, and civil considerations to best support the mission during decisi... |
## HOW TO DO IT: THE PROCESS
- 4-3. Describing environmental effects on operations consists of the substeps and outputs shown in figure 4-1.
Figure 4-1. Substeps and outputs of step 2 of the IPB process
IMAGE:
This image depicts a workflow diagram designed to assess various operational factors in military contexts.... |
## DESCRIBE HOW THE THREAT CAN AFFECT FRIENDLY OPERATIONS
- 4-4. Threats are part of the OE; therefore, commanders need to understand all threats that can potentially affect operations within the AO and AOI. They may face one unified threat force or several disparate threat forces that must be engaged to accomplish th... |
## THREAT OVERLAY
- 4-6. The threat overlay depicts the current physical location of all potential threats in the AO and the AOI. The overlay includes the identity, size, location, strength, and AO for each known threat location. The datetime group of the threat activity should be annotated on the threat o... |
## THREAT DESCRIPTION TABLE
4-7. The threat description table supports the threat overlay by classifying the types of threats identified on the overlay and describing the broad capabilities of each threat. Table 4-1 exemplifies a threat description table.
Table 4-1. Threat description table example
| Identity ... |
## DESCRIBE HOW TERRAIN CAN AFFECT FRIENDLY AND THREAT OPERATIONS
4-8. Terrain analysis is the collection, analysis, evaluation, and interpretation of geographic information on the natural and man-made features of the terrain, combined with other relevant factors, to predict the effect of the terrain on military opera... |
## ANALYZE THE MILITARY ASPECTS OF TERRAIN
4-10. Geospatial intelligence cells generally conduct detailed terrain analysis. These cells are assigned to theater army, corps, and division headquarters and to brigade combat teams based on priorities established by the S-2. These cells have digital mapping tools and acces... |
## Observation and Fields of Fire
4-12. Observation is the condition of weather and terrain that permits a force to see the friendly, enemy, and neutral personnel and systems, and key aspects of the environment (ADP 1-02). Commanders evaluate their observation capabilities for electronic and optical LOS surveillance s... |
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