FM 3-55
Field Manual
No. 3-55
Headquarters
Department of the Army

Washington, DC, 3 May 2013

Information Collection

The Army currently has no unified methodology or overall plan to define or establish how it performs or supports information collection activities at all echelons. This publication clarifies how the Army plans, prepares, and executes information collection activities in or between echelons. FM 3-55 emphasizes three themes. First, foundations of information collection that demonstrate information collection activities are a synergistic whole, with emphasis on synchronization and integration of all components and systems. Second, commanders and staff have responsibilities in information collection planning and execution. The emphasis is on the importance of the commander’s role. Finally, the planning requirements and assessing success of information collection is measured by its contributions to the commander’s understanding, visualization, and decisionmaking abilities. With the exception of cyberspace, all operations will be conducted and outcomes measured by effects on populations. This increases the complexity of information collection planning, execution, and assessment and requires more situational understanding from commanders. The staff is part of information collection activities and every Soldier collects and reports information. This field manual cannot provide all the answers. Its purpose is to prompt the user to ask the right questions. This FM complies with Doctrine 2015 guidelines. Chapter 1 provides the Army definition of information collection and its relation to the joint construct of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Chapter 2 examines the roles and actions of the commander and staff in information collection planning and execution. This chapter also discusses the working group for information collection. Chapter 3 describes information collection planning and information collection activities assessment. Chapter 4 discusses information collection tasking and directing. The operations staff integrates collection assets through a deliberate and coordinated effort across all warfighting functions. Tasking and directing is vital to control limited collection assets. Chapter 5 provides an overview of the information collection assets and capabilities available to Army commanders. Chapter 6 examines joint intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance activities. Appendix A provides instructions for preparing Annex L (Information Collection) in Army plans and orders. Commanders drive information collection activities through their choice of critical information requirements and through mission command in driving the operations process. Commanders visualize, describe, direct, lead, and assess throughout the operations process with understanding as the start point. Commanders use intelligence preparation of the battlefield (IPB) to develop an in-depth understanding of the enemy and the operational environment. They visualize the desired end state and a broad concept of how to shape the current conditions into the end state. Commanders describe their visualization through the commander’s intent, planning guidance, and concept of operations to bring clarity to an uncertain situation. They also express gaps in relevant information as commander’s critical information requirements (CCIRs). The challenge is for information collection activities to answer those requirements with timely, relevant, and accurate intelligence that enables commanders to make sound decisions.

This chapter presents information collection. It begins with information collection and knowledge and then discusses information collection and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. This chapter then discusses information collection activities and purpose. Finally, this chapter discusses information collection purpose and the primary information collection tasks and operations. INFORMATION COLLECTION AND KNOWLEDGE 1-1. Knowledge is the precursor to effective action in the informational or physical domains. Knowledge about an operational environment requires aggressive and continuous operations to acquire information. Information collected from multiple sources and analyzed becomes intelligence that provides answers to commander’s critical information requirements (CCIRs). Commanders use reconnaissance and surveillance to provide intelligence to reduce the inherent uncertainty of war. Achieving success in today’s conflicts demands extraordinary commitment to reduce this uncertainty. INFORMATION COLLECTION AND ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance 1-2. The Army executes intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) through the operations and intelligence processes (with an emphasis on intelligence analysis and leveraging the larger intelligence enterprise) and information collection. Consistent with joint doctrine, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance is an activity that synchronizes and integrates the planning and operation of sensors, assets, and processing, exploitation, and dissemination systems in direct support of current and future operations. This is an integrated intelligence and operations function (JP 2-01). 1-3. ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance provides commanders with detailed and timely intelligence. This intelligence helps commanders gain situational understanding of the threat and the operational environment. This is accomplished by answering requirements focused in time and space and identifying any threats to mission accomplishment. The intelligence staff provides commanders with predictive assessments of threats, terrain and weather, and civil considerations. These assessments also provide commanders with a running estimate regarding the degree of confidence the staff places in each analytic assessment. A running estimate is the continuous assessment of the current situation used to determine if the current operation is proceeding according to the commander’s intent and if planned future operations are supportable (ADP 5-0). 1-4. Information collection is an activity that synchronizes and integrates the planning and employment of sensors and assets as well as the processing, exploitation, and dissemination systems in direct support of current and future operations. This activity implies a function, mission, or action and identifies the organization that performs it. Information collection activities are a synergistic whole with emphasis on synchronizing and integrating all components and systems. Information collection integrates the intelligence and operations staff functions focused on answering the CCIRs. Information collection replaces ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance synchronization and ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance integration. For joint operations, see chapter 6. 1-5. Information collection is the acquisition of information and the provision of this information to processing elements. This includes the following:  Plan requirements and assess collection.  Task and direct collection.  Execute collection. P LAN R EQUIREMENTS AND A SSESS C OLLECTION 1-6. The intelligence staff collaborates with the operations officer and the entire staff to receive and validate requirements for collection, prepare the requirements planning tools, recommend collection assets and capabilities to the operations staff, and maintain synchronization as operations progress. (See chapter 3 for more information on planning requirements and assessing collection). T ASK AND D IRECT C OLLECTION 1-7. The operations officer, based on recommendations from the operations staff, tasks and directs the information collection assets. (See chapter 4 for more information on tasking and directing information collection.) E XECUTE C OLLECTION 1-8. Executing collection focuses on requirements tied to the execution of tactical missions, such as reconnaissance, surveillance, security, and intelligence operations, based on the CCIRs. Collection activities acquire information about the adversary and the area of operations (AO) and provide that information to intelligence processing and exploitation elements. Collection activities begin soon after receipt of mission and continue throughout preparation and execution of the operation. These activities do not cease at the end of the mission but continue as required. This allows the commander to focus combat power, execute current operations, and prepare for future operations simultaneously. 1-9. Execute collection subtasks include:  Establish technical channels and provide guidance.  Collect and report information.  Establish a mission intelligence briefing and debriefing program. Establish Technical Channels and Provide Guidance 1-10. This subtask provides and conducts technical channels to refine and focus the intelligence disciplines’ information collection tasks. It coordinates the disciplines’ assets when operating in another unit’s AO. (See FM 2-0 for additional information on this task and its two subtasks: “ Establish and maintain technical channels ” and “ Conduct deconfliction and coordination. ”) 1-11. Due to the characteristics of intelligence operations, technical channels ensure adherence to applicable laws and policies, ensure proper use of doctrinal techniques, and provide technical support and guidance to intelligence operations and discipline assets. Applicable laws and policies include all relevant U.S. laws, the law of war, international laws, directives, Department of Defense instructions, and orders. Commanders direct operations but often rely on technical control to conduct portions of the collection effort. 1-12. Technical channels refer to supervision of intelligence operations and disciplines. Technical channels do not interfere with the ability to task organic intelligence operations assets. It ensures adherence to existing policies or regulations by providing technical guidance for intelligence operations tasks in the information collection plan. While not a formal command or support relationship, establishing technical channels is a critical function that ensures the collection asset has the required technical data to perform mission-related tasks. 1-13. Technical channels also involve translating tasks into the parameters used to focus the highly technical intelligence operations collection or the legally sensitive aspects of signals intelligence collection. These channels also include human intelligence military source operations and counterintelligence tasks. Technical channels provide the means to meet the overall commander’s intent for intelligence operations. Technical channels include but are not limited to defining, managing, or guiding the use of intelligence assets or identifying critical technical collection criteria (such as technical indicators and recommending collection techniques or procedures).

This chapter examines the roles, needs, and guidance of the commander in information collection activities. This chapter then discusses the role of the staff. Lastly, this chapter discusses the working group’s input to information collection. THE COMMANDER’S ROLE 2-1. Commanders understand, visualize, describe, direct, lead, and assess operations. Understanding is fundamental to the commander’s ability to establish the situation’s context. Understanding involves analyzing and understanding the operational or mission variables in a given operational environment. It is derived from applying judgment to the common operational picture (COP) through the filter of the commander’s knowledge and experience. 2-2. Numerous factors determine the commander’s depth of understanding. Information collection and the resulting intelligence products help the commander understand the area of operations (AO). Formulating commander’s critical information requirements (CCIRs) and keeping them current also contributes to this understanding. Maintaining understanding is a dynamic ability; a commander’s situational understanding changes as an operation progresses. 2-3. The commander participates in information collection planning. The commander directs information collection activities by—  Asking the right questions to focus the efforts of the staff.  Knowing the enemy. Personal involvement and knowledge have no substitutes.  Stating the commander’s intent clearly and decisively designating CCIRs.  Understanding the information collection assets and resources to exploit the assets’ full effectiveness. 2-4. Commanders prioritize collection activities by providing their guidance and commander’s intent early in the planning process. Commanders must—  Identify and update CCIRs.  Tie CCIRs directly to the scheme of maneuver and decision points.  Limit CCIRs to only the commander’s most critical needs (because of limited collection assets).  Aggressively seek higher echelons’ collection of, and answers to, the information requirements.  Ensure CCIRs include the latest time information is of value (LTIOV) or the event by which the information is required. 2-5. The commander may also identify essential elements of friendly information (EEFI). The EEFI are not CCIRs. EEFI establish friendly information to protect and not enemy information to obtain. However, the commander may need to determine if the enemy has learned EEFI. In this case, finding this out can become a CCIR. (See ADRP 5-0 for detailed information on EEFI.) 2-6. Commanders ensure that both intelligence preparation of the battlefield (IPB) and information collection planning are integrated staff efforts. Every staff member plays an important role in both tasks. The chief of staff or executive officer ensures all staff members participate in and provide their functional expertise into the IPB process and information collection planning, preparation, execution, and assessment. Full staff engagement in these activities supports planning and helps facilitate the commander’s visualization and understanding. 2-7. Information collection planning and assessment must be continuous. Commanders properly assign information collection tasks based on the unit’s abilities to collect. Therefore, commanders match their information requirements so they do not exceed the information collection and analytical ability of their unit. When not using organic assets, commanders use habitual relationships to optimize effective operations as a combined arms team when possible. 2-8. Commanders assess operations and ensure collection activities provide the information needed. Timely reporting to the right analytical element at the right echelon is critical to information collection activities. Commanders continuously assess operations during the planning, preparation, and execution activities. The commander’s involvement and interaction enable the operations and intelligence officers to effectively assess and update collection activities. The commander’s own assessment of the current situation and progress of the operation provides insight to new information needed and information no longer required. The commander communicates this to the staff to help them update CCIRs. Commanders should use regularly scheduled staff assessments (for example, end of phase assessments) to update information collection guidance and increase their own understanding of the situation. Every echelon works together and tailors the intelligence enterprise. This removes information sharing barriers. THE COMMANDER’S NEEDS 2-9. Staffs synchronize and integrate information collection activities with the warfighting functions based on the higher commander’s guidance and decisions. Commanders’ knowledge of collection activities enables them to focus the staff and subordinate commanders in planning, preparing, executing, and assessing information collection activities for the operation. 2-10. Commanders must understand the overall concept of operations from higher headquarters to determine specified and implied tasks and information requirements. There are a finite number of assets and resources for information collection activities. Commanders communicate this as guidance for planners and the staff. Commanders must visualize how multiple collection components work together and understand how their unit’s activities fit into and contribute to those of higher, adjacent, and lower echelons. 2-11. Extended AOs, the necessity to conduct missions and develop information and intelligence over large areas, and extended time spans can surpass the organic capabilities of a unit. Commanders coordinate with many agencies and organizations in the AO so the unit can perform information collection activities. Terminology is essential to this coordination. Commanders ensure civilians and organizations understand terminology and provide or request clarification as needed. Commanders should gain a working knowledge of joint and multinational vocabulary and ways of operating. They should also know about the roles and contributions of other organizations to better communicate and leverage resources. THE COMMANDER’S GUIDANCE 2-12. Commanders plan by providing guidance. This should include guidance for collection assets and required information. Commanders consider risks and provide guidance to the staff on an acceptable level of risk for information collection planning. The commander issues formal guidance at three points in the process:  Commander’s initial guidance following receipt of mission.  Initial planning guidance following mission analysis to guide course of action (COA) development.  Refined commander’s intent, CCIRS, and EEFI after the COA decision but before the final warning order. 2-13. See figure 2-6 in ADRP 5-0 to review all key inputs, steps, and key outputs of the MDMP. C OMMANDER ’ S I NITIAL G UIDANCE 2-14. After a unit receives a mission, the commander issues initial guidance. The initial guidance accomplishes several things. It—  Begins the visualization process by identifying the tactical problem (the first step to problem solving).  Defines the AO. This presents a COP for the commander and staff to see the terrain, including the populace.  Develops the initial commander’s intent, specifically key tasks (including tasks for reconnaissance), decisive point, and end state.  Lists challenges and initial CCIRs. Challenges include any guidance for staff sections.  Results in the warning order. 2-15. For information collection planning, the initial guidance includes—  Initial timeline for information collection planning.  Initial information collection focus.  Initial information requirements.  Authorized movement.  Collection and product development timeline. 2-16. The initial warning order can alert information collection assets to begin collection activities. If this is the case, the initial warning order includes—  Named areas of interest (NAIs) covered.  Collection tasks and information requirements collected.  Precise guidance on infiltration method, reporting criteria and timelines, fire support, and casualty evacuation plan. I NITIAL P LANNING G UIDANCE 2-17. The commander issues the commander’s planning guidance during the mission analysis step of the MDMP, following the approval of the restated mission and mission analysis brief. Part of the commander’s planning guidance is directly related to collection activities—the initial CCIRs and information collection guidance. The guidance for planning should contain sufficient information for the operations officer to complete a draft information collection plan. As a minimum, the commander’s planning guidance includes—  Current CCIRs.  Focus and tempo.  Engagement criteria.  Acceptable risk to assets. 2-18. The commander issues the initial commander’s intent with the commander’s planning guidance. The staff verifies the draft information collection plan synchronizes with the commander’s initial intent and assesses any ongoing information collection activities. The staff recommends changes to support the commander’s intent, CCIRs, and concept of operations. R EFINED COMMANDER ’ S INTENT, CCIR S, AND EEFI 2-19. After the decision briefing, the commander determines a COA the unit follows and issues final planning guidance. Final planning guidance includes—  Any new CCIRs, including the LTIOV.  Rehearsals. THE STAFF’S ROLE 2-20. The staff must function as a single, cohesive unit. Effective staff members know their respective responsibilities and duties. They are also familiar with the responsibilities and duties of other staff members. (See ATTP 5-0.1 for staff duties and responsibilities.) Other coordinating staff members’ information collection responsibilities include helping develop the information collection plan and annexes. 2-21. The chief of staff or executive officer directs the efforts of coordinating and special staff officers, integrates and synchronizes plans and orders, and supervises management of the CCIRs. 2-22. The G-2 (S-2) must work with the entire staff to identify collection requirements and implement the information collection plan. The intelligence staff determines collection requirements (based upon inputs from the commander and other staff sections), develops the information collection matrix with input from the staff representatives, and continues to work with the staff planners to develop the information collection plan. The G-2 (S-2) also identifies those intelligence assets and resources that provide answers to the CCIRs. 2-23. The G-2X (S-2X) (hereafter referred to as the 2X) is the doctrinal term for the counterintelligence and human intelligence staff officer who works directly for the G-2 (S-2). The term also refers to the staff section led by the 2X. The 2X manages counterintelligence and human intelligence operations to support the overall unit operation. The 2X section works with the G-2 (S-2) in information collection planning and assessing, taking developed counterintelligence and human intelligence requirements and identifying the proper assets to answer the requirements. This information helps develop requirement planning tools and the overall collection plan. 2-24. The G-3 (S-3) is the primary information collection tasking and directing staff officer in the unit, tasking the organic and assigned assets for execution. The G-3 (S-3) collaboratively develops the information collection plan and ensures it synchronizes with the operation plan. 2-25. The other members of the staff support the operations process. Through the planning process, staffs develop requirements, including CCIRs, and put those into the information collection plan. Staffs also monitor the situation and progress of the operation towards the commander’s desired goal. Staffs also prepare running estimates and continuously assess how new information impacts conducting operations. They update running estimates and determine if adjustments to the operation are required. Through this process, the staffs ensure that the information collection plan remains updated as the situation changes, the requirements are answered, or new requirements are developed. 2-26. Staff members consider the following when supporting the information collection planning and execution:  Nature of the mission. Offensive, defensive, and stability or defense support of civil authorities operations have different requirements, timeframes, rules of engagement, and other differences. These differences influence information staffs require to provide recommendations or decisions. Unit movements before an operation begins may require a route reconnaissance.  Terrain and weather. Environments (urban, mountain, jungle, and desert), the size of the operational area, trafficability, and severe weather conditions affect when and how assets are deployed and may degrade sensor capabilities. Additionally, terrain management for asset locations is a staff responsibility when creating the information collection plan.  Higher commander’s intent and guidance. The commander’s intent and guidance may specify the initiation of collection activities or may leave leeway for subordinate commanders and staffs. Staffs determine how information collection activities support the commander’s visualization expressed in the commander’s intent.  The known and unknown of the enemy and environment. The commander determines the criticality of the information identified through CCIRs, which include the LTIOV. The information required drives the collection timeframe. The staff recommends requirements as part of the CCIR development process, ensuring that requirements remain current with the situation and ongoing operations.  Risk to collection assets. Using the risk management process, commanders include acceptable risk to collection assets in their guidance. This may preclude the use or early use of some types of assets. For example, a long-range surveillance company may be available, but the nature of the terrain and the enemy may dictate the use of a less vulnerable asset.  Rules of engagement that affect information collection activities. These may include limitations on where or when aircraft may fly, the use of tracked vehicles in urban areas, protection measures, surveillance of U.S. citizens (in defense support of civil authorities), and other restrictions that affect information collection activities.  Need for operations security. Staffs balance the need for information with the need to avoid revealing intentions by conducting information collection activities. Operations security may dictate selection of assets, such as an airborne asset instead of ground reconnaissance asset, or the use of military deception instead of these assets.  Support for friendly military deception operations. Information collection activities can support friendly deception operations by causing the enemy to predict friendly intentions based on the reconnaissance and surveillance efforts the enemy observes.  Available assets. The availability, capabilities, and limitations of assets influence decisions on when and how to deploy them.  Enemy counterreconnaissance. Staffs remain cognizant of the nature of the enemy’s counterreconnaissance intentions and capabilities and plan to defeat or avoid them. THE WORKING GROUP’S INPUT TO INFORMATION COLLECTION 2-27. A working group is a grouping of predetermined staff representatives who meet to provide analysis and recommendations for a particular purpose or function. Working groups are cross-functional by design to synchronize the contributions of multiple command posts’ cells and staff sections. 2-28. A board is a grouping of predetermined staff representatives with delegated decision authority for a particular purpose or function. Boards are similar to working groups. However, commanders appoint boards to arrive at a decision. When the process or activity requires command approval, a board is the appropriate forum. 2-29. A battle rhythm is a deliberate cycle of command, staff, and unit activities intended to synchronize current and future operations. A headquarters’ battle rhythm consists of a series of meetings, briefings, and other activities synchronized by time and purpose. The chief of staff or executive officer oversees the battle rhythm. Each meeting, including working groups and boards, are logically sequenced so that one meeting‘s outputs are available as another meeting‘s inputs (including higher headquarters meetings). O PERATIONS AND I NTELLIGENCE W ORKING G ROUP 2-30. At division and higher echelons, there are dedicated cells responsible for information collection planning. At battalion and brigade, there are no designated cells for information collection planning. The operations and intelligence staffs provide this function. Depending on the availability of personnel, the commander may choose to designate an ad hoc group referred to as an operations and intelligence working group. Because the primary staff officers’ responsibilities are not delegated, the chief of staff or executive officer should direct and manage the efforts of this working group to achieve a fully synchronized and integrated information collection plan. 2-31. Unit standard operating procedures (SOPs) and battle rhythms determine how frequently an operations and intelligence working group meets. This working group should align with both the current operations and future operations (or plans) cells to ensure requirements planning tools are properly integrated into the overall operations plan. These planning tools should also be in the concepts for plans. 2-32. The operations and intelligence working group is a temporary grouping of designated staff representatives who coordinate and integrate information collection activity and provide recommendations to the commander. This group ensures maximum efficiency in information collection by carefully employing all the collection tasks or missions together in the information collection plan. This helps satisfy several requirements and ensures the operations and intelligence working group does not favor or become too reliant on one particular unit, discipline, or system. The working group usually includes, at a minimum, the following representatives:  Chief of staff or executive officer.  G-3 (S-3) (alternate chair) or representative.  Engineer coordinator representative.  Air defense airspace management or brigade aviation element representative.  G-2 (S-2) or representative.  G-2X (S-2X) or representative.  Military intelligence company commander or representative.  Reconnaissance squadron S-3, S-2, the S-3 and S-2, or a representative.  G-2X (S-2X) or representative.  Fire support officer or representative.  G-7 (S-7) or representative.  Signal officer or representative.  Electronic warfare officer.  G-9 (S-9) or representative.  Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRNCBRNChemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear) officer.  Sustainment cell representative.  Subordinate unit representatives (if available).  Special operations forces representative (if available).  Legal representative (if available). 2-33. The working group brings staff sections together. The staff sections validate requirements and deconflict organic and attached collection assets’ missions and taskings. Input is required from each member of the working group. The output of the working group is validation of outputs. This includes the following:  Understand how the enemy is going to fight.  Refine the list of requirements.  Confirm the final disposition of all collection assets.  Review friendly force information requirements, priority intelligence requirements (PIRs), and EEFI.  Validate outputs of other working groups (for example, fusion and targeting working groups).  Review and establish critical NAIs and target areas of interest (TAIs). 2-34. The working group meeting is a critical event. Staffs must integrate it effectively into the unit battle rhythm to ensure the collection effort provides focus to operations rather than disrupting them. Preparation and focus are essential to a successful working group. All representatives, at a minimum, must come to the meeting prepared to discuss available assets, capabilities, limitations, and requirements related to their functions. Planning the working group’s battle rhythm is paramount to conducting effective information collection operations. Staffs schedule the working group cycle to complement the higher headquarters’ battle rhythm and its subsequent requirements and timelines. 2-35. The G-3 (S-3) (or representative) comes prepared to provide the following:  The current friendly situation.  Current CCIRs.  The availability of collection assets.  Requirements from higher headquarters (including recent fragmentary orders or taskings).  Changes to the commander’s intent.  Changes to the task organization.  Planned operations. 2-36. The G-2 (S-2) (or representative) comes prepared to provide the following:  The current enemy situation.  The current information collection priorities and strategies.  Current requirements planning tools.  The situational template tailored to the time discussed.  Support from resources the G-2 (S-2) must request from higher headquarters.  Weather and effects of weather on intelligence collection, reconnaissance, and surveillance. 2-37. Table 2-1 describes an example for the operations and intelligence working group.

This chapter describes information collection planning considerations. It then discusses personnel recovery support. Next, this chapter discusses the military decisionmaking process and information collection. Lastly, this chapter discusses information collection assessment. INFORMATION COLLECTION PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS 3-1. Commanders direct information collection activities by approving commander’s critical information requirements (CCIRs) and through driving the operations process. The success of information collection is measured by its contribution to the commander’s understanding, visualization, and decisionmaking. The operations process and information collection activities are mutually dependent. Commanders provide the guidance and focus that drive both by issuing their commander’s intent and approving CCIRs. The activities of information collection occur during all parts of the operation and provide continuous information to the operations process. 3-2. Throughout the operations process, commanders and staffs use integrating processes to synchronize the warfighting functions to accomplish missions. Information collection activities, as well as intelligence preparation of the battlefield (IPB), are among these integrating processes. Synchronization is the arrangement of military actions in time, space, and purpose to produce maximum relative combat power at a decisive place and time (JP 2-0). This collaborative effort by the staff, with the commander’s involvement, is essential to synchronize information collection with the overall operation. Planning, preparing, executing, and assessing information collection activities is a continuous cycle with a timeframe that depends on the echelon, assets engaged, and the type of operation. For example, offensive operations have a significantly shorter timeframe for gathering information and expecting to see changes in the situation than stability operations. 3-3. Conducting information collection activities consists of various staff functions such as planning, collection, processing, and exploitation; analysis and production; dissemination and integration; and evaluation and feedback. It should focus on the commander’s requirements. The purpose of these staff functions is to place all collection assets and resources into a single plan to capitalize on the different capabilities. The plan synchronizes and coordinates collection activities in the overall scheme of maneuver. A good information collection plan fits into and supports the overall operations plan or order (see table A-1 on page A-7 for an example). It positions and tasks collection assets to collect the right information, sustain or reconstitute for branches or sequels, or shift priorities as the situation develops. Effective information collection focuses on answering the commander’s requirements through collection tasks translated into orders. 3-4. The information collection plan synchronizes activities of the information collection assets to provide intelligence to the commander required to confirm course of action (COA) selection and targeting requirements. The intelligence staff, in coordination with the operations staff, ensures all available collection assets provide the required information. The staff also recommends adjustments to asset locations, if required. 3-5. An effective information collection plan must be based on the initial threat assessment and modified as the intelligence running estimate changes. Other staff sections’ running estimates may contain requirements to include in the information collection plan. Additionally, the plan must synchronize with the scheme of maneuver and be updated as that scheme of maneuver changes. Properly synchronized information collection planning begins when the IPB (threat characteristics, enemy templates, enemy COA statements, and, most importantly, an enemy event template or matrix) is developed and updated. Properly synchronized information collection planning ends with well-defined CCIRs and collection strategies based on the situation and commander’s intent. PERSONNEL RECOVERY SUPPORT 3-6. Personnel recovery support consists of the staff activities and unit capabilities focused on collecting information to recover and return their own personnel—whether Soldier, Army civilian, selected Department of Defense contractors, or other personnel as determined by the Secretary of Defense—who are isolated, missing, detained, or captured in an area of operations (AO). This support also includes developing detailed analysis, detailed products, and running estimates to defense support of civil authorities undertaken to recover isolated, missing, detained, or captured personnel. THE MDMP AND INFORMATION COLLECTION PLANNING 3-7. Information collection planning is in the military decisionmaking process (MDMP) and depends extensively on all staff members thoroughly completing the IPB process. Information collection planning starts with receipt of the mission (which could be a warning order). Information collection directly supports the development of intelligence and operations products used throughout the decisionmaking process. Within the MDMP, the staff must prepare certain products used during the plan and prepare activities of the operations process. 3-8. Information collection activities are continuous, collaborative, and interactive. Several of the outputs from the MDMP require the collaboration of the staff, especially the intelligence and operations staffs. The information collection plan is not developed without constant coordination among the entire staff. At every step in the MDMP, the intelligence staff must rely on input from the entire staff and cooperate with the operations staff to develop information collection products that support the commander’s intent and maximize collection efficiency for each course of action under consideration. Information collection planning inputs and outputs during the MDMP are highlighted in paragraphs 3-9 through 3-56. (See ADRP 5-0 for more information on the MDMP.) R ECEIPT OF M ISSION 3-9. Before receipt of the mission, the intelligence staff develops intelligence knowledge. In addition to the knowledge already available, the intelligence staff uses intelligence reach and requests additional information from higher headquarters to fill the information gaps in the initial intelligence estimate. The intelligence staff should identify and tap into any ongoing or existing information collection activities or joint intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance collection that offers relevant information to fill gaps. 3-10. The commander and staff shift their efforts to describing the operational environment using mission variables when a mission is received. The commander and staff also begin preparations for the MDMP. Commanders provide their initial guidance to the staff. The staff uses it to develop the initial information collection tasks to units and transmits it as part of the first warning order. Commanders state the critical information required for the area of operations in their guidance. Expressed in later steps of the MDMP, these requirements identify the critical pieces of information for the commander to successfully plan, prepare, execute, and assess operations. 3-11. During the receipt of mission step, the staff gathers tools needed for the MDMP, begins the intelligence estimate, updates running estimates, and performs an initial assessment of the time available to subordinate units for planning, preparation, and execution. Since information collection assets are required early, the staff needs sufficient preparation time to begin sending information that the commander needs. 3-12. The information collection outputs from this step include—  The commander’s initial information collection guidance.  Intelligence reach tasks.  Requests for information to higher headquarters.  Directions for accessing ongoing or existing information collection activities or joint intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.  The first warning order with initial information collection tasks. M ISSION A NALYSIS 3-13. When mission analysis begins, the staff should have the higher headquarters plan or order all available products. The staff adds its updated running estimates to the process. The initial information collection tasks issued with the first warning order may yield information for analysis and evaluation for relevance to mission analysis. The commander provides initial guidance that the staff uses to capture the commander’s intent and develop the restated mission. Analyze the Higher Headquarters Order 3-14. During mission analysis, the staff analyzes the higher headquarters order to extract information collection tasks and constraints such as limits of reconnaissance. The order also contains details on the availability of information collection assets from higher echelons and any allocation of those assets to the unit. Perform Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield 3-15. IPB is one of the most important prerequisites to information collection planning. During IPB, staffs develop several key products that aid information collection planning. Those products include—  Threat characteristics.  Terrain overlays.  The weather effects matrix.  Enemy situational templates and COA statements.  The enemy event template and matrix.  The high-payoff target list.  An updated intelligence estimate including identified information gaps. 3-16. These products aid the staff in identifying—  Information gaps answered by existing collection activities, intelligence reach, and requests for information to higher echelons. The remaining information gaps develop requirements for information collection.  Threat considerations that may affect planning.  Terrain effects that may benefit, constrain, or limit the capabilities of collection assets.  Weather effects that may benefit, constrain, or negatively influence the capabilities of collection assets.  Civil considerations that may affect information collection planning.

This chapter describes the importance of information collection tasking and directing. It discusses how the staff finalizes the information collection plan and develops the information collection overlay. Lastly, this chapter discusses the development of the information collection scheme of support. IMPORTANCE OF TASKING AND DIRECTING 4-1. The operations staff integrates collection assets through a deliberate and coordinated effort across all warfighting functions. Tasking and directing information collection is vital to control limited collection assets. During tasking and directing information collection, the staff recommends redundancy, mix, and cue as appropriate. Planning information collection activities begins once requirements are established, validated, and prioritized. Staffs accomplish tasking information collection by issuing warning orders, fragmentary orders, and operation orders. They accomplish directing information collection assets by continuously monitoring the operation. Staffs conduct retasking to refine, update, or create new requirements. FINAL INFORMATION COLLECTION PLAN 4-2. To finalize the information collection plan, the staff must complete several important activities and review several considerations to achieve a fully synchronized, efficient, and effective plan. The information collection plan also applies to the rapid decisionmaking and synchronization process. Updating information collection activities during the execution and assessment activities of the operations process is crucial to the successful execution and subsequent adjustments of the information collection plan. The information collection plan is implemented through execution of asset tasking. The tasking process provides the selected collection assets with prioritized requirements. When collection tasks or requests are passed to units, the staff provides details that clearly define the collection requirements. These requirements identify—  What to collect—information requirements and essential elements of information.  Where to collect it—named areas of interest (NAIs) and target areas of interest (TAIs).  When and how long to collect.  Why to collect—answer commander’s critical information requirements (CCIRs). 4-3. The information collection plan is an execution order. It should be published in the five-paragraph operation order format as a warning order, an operation order, or a fragmentary order. Staffs use the information collection plan to task, direct, and manage collection assets (both assigned and attached assets) to collect against the requirements. The operations officer tasks and directs information collection activities. The intelligence staff helps the staff develop the information collection plan by providing the requirement planning tools. (See ATTP 2-01 for additional information on developing planning requirement tools). Staffs—  Integrate the information collection plan into the scheme of maneuver.  Publish annex L (information collection) to the operation order that tasks assets to begin the collection effort.  Ensure the information collection plan addresses all of the commander’s requirements.  Ensure assigned and attached assets have been evaluated and recommended for information collection tasks within their capabilities.  Ensure the collection tasks outside the capabilities of assigned and attached assets have been prepared as requests for information to appropriate higher or lateral headquarters.  Publish any fragmentary orders and warning orders associated with information collection. 4-4. Appendix A contains examples of annex L and an information collection warning order. Figure 4-1 is a sample information collection matrix format to use as an appendix to annex L. (See chapter 3 of ATTP 2-01 for additional information and techniques on completing the information collection matrix.) AO area of operations R requests for collection submitted by the intelligence staff to nonorganic assets BCTBCTBasic combat training brigade combat team XX organic asset nominated to the operations staff for tasking Approved priority intelligence requirement. Normally one sheet per priority intelligence requirement. Priority intelligence requirement Essential elements of information are a subset of requirements related to and would answer a priority intelligence requirement. Essential elements of information Positive or negative evidence of threat activity or any characteristic of the AO that— • Points toward threat vulnerabilities. • Points toward the adoption or rejection by the threat of a particular activity. • May influence the commander’s selection of a course of action. Indicators Information requirements facilitate tasking by matching requirement to assets. Information requirement Named area of interest Start time End time XX Brigade combat team XX–primary R–request 1st battalion 2d battalion 3rd battalion Q-36/Q-37 Engineer Low-cost counter-mortar radar Reconnaissance Shadow full motion video BCTBCTBasic combat training human intelligence BCTBCTBasic combat training counterintelligence Prophet R R R R R Full motion video Human intelligence Counterintelligence Communications intelligence Imagery intelligence Division and higher R Moving target indicator 4-5. An information collection plan is the primary means of tasking assets. Staffs can issue this plan as part of the completed operation order; however, the tactical situation may impose a limited time constraint. In such cases, staffs can issue the information collection plan as early as the initial warning order. This gives collection assets time to prepare for information collection activities. Staffs use fragmentary orders to retask assets already conducting operations and to adjust execution as requirements and priorities change. INFORMATION COLLECTION OVERLAY 4-6. The staff may issue an information collection overlay depicting the information collection plan in graphic form as an appendix to annex L to the operation order. Typical items on the overlay include the following:  Friendly boundaries and phase lines.  Reconnaissance handover lines.  NAIs and TAIs.  Limits of advance and limits of reconnaissance. Limits of reconnaissance are constraints derived from higher headquarters orders that may designate a limit of advance that impact reconnaissance units.  Counterreconnaissance areas.  Fire support control measures.  Graphics depicting zone, area, or route reconnaissance.  Route start points, release points, infiltration lanes, and checkpoints.  Primary and alternate observation post locations.  Ambulance exchange points and logistic release points.  Planned or existing obstacles.  Scanned sectors for sensors.  Unmanned aircraft system flight paths.  Retransmission locations. 4-7. Figure 4-2 on page 4-4 displays an example of an information collection overlay. INFORMATION COLLECTION SCHEME OF SUPPORT 4-8. The information collection scheme of support includes the planning and execution of operations and resources to support the Soldiers and units who perform information collection. This support includes fires, movement, protection, and sustainment (logistics, personnel services, health services support, and other sustainment related functions). The staff prepares the initial scheme of support. The operations officer approves the plan and tasks units. 4-9. The staff publishes the scheme of support in annex L. At a minimum, the scheme of support addresses the items shown in table 4-1.

This chapter discusses information collection assets and capability. It then discusses those assets by level, phase, and echelon. Lastly, this chapter discusses the network-enabled information collection. INFORMATION COLLECTION CAPABILITY 5-1. An information collection capability is any human or automated sensor, asset, or processing, exploitation, and dissemination system directed to collect information that enables better decisionmaking, expands understanding of the operational environment, and supports warfighting functions in decisive action. Factors including a unit’s primary mission, typical size area of operations (AO), number of personnel, and communications and network limitations significantly affect what sensors, platforms, and systems are fielded. 5-2. When a unit requires more robust collection assets to meet its mission, it may request resources and products from higher echelons and adjacent units. During prolonged conflict or joint and multinational operations, the conduct of routine or protracted reconnaissance, security, surveillance, and intelligence operations also impact joint intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) resource allocation and formalized information collection tasking and requesting procedures. INFORMATION COLLECTION PLAN BY LEVEL 5-3. Staffs ensure the collection activities remain focused on the commander’s critical information requirements (CCIRs). Staffs continuously update products and incorporate those products into the running estimates and common operational picture (COP). Lastly, staffs quickly identify and report threats and decisive points in the AO. 5-4. Paragraphs 5-5 through 5-8 illustrate collection activities at different levels during different activities of an operation. Strategic, operational, and tactical levels have different tasks to perform during the activities of an operation, but all levels work together to provide commanders the intelligence needed to complete each phase of an operation. Table 5-1 (page 5-2) provides some examples of information collection assets. S TRATEGIC 5-5. National and theater-level collection assets provide tactical forces updates before and during deployment. Theater-level shaping operations require actionable intelligence including adversary centers of gravity and decision points as well as the prediction of adversary anti-access measures. Space-based resources are important to support situational awareness during deployment and entry phases because they—  Monitor protection indicators.  Provide warning of ballistic missile launches threatening aerial and seaports of debarkation and other threats to arriving forces.  Provide the communications links to forces en route.  Provide meteorological information that could affect operations.

The Army conducts operations as part of a joint force. This chapter examines joint intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance activities as part of unified action. It discusses the joint intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance concepts, doctrine, resources, and planning systems. It then discusses national intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance resources and guidelines. Lastly, this chapter discusses joint intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance considerations and organization. JOINT ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance AND UNIFIED ACTION 6-1. Unified action is the synchronization, coordination, and/or integration of the activities of governmental and nongovernmental entities with military operations to achieve unity of effort (JP 1). It involves the application of all instruments of national power, including actions of other government agencies and multinational military and nonmilitary organizations. Combatant and subordinate commanders use unified action to integrate and synchronize their operations directly with the activities and operations of other military forces and nonmilitary organizations in their area of operations. 6-2. Army forces in an operational area are exposed to many non-Army participants. Multinational formations, host-nation forces, other governmental agencies, contractors, and nongovernmental organizations are located in the operational area. Each participant has distinct characteristics, vocabulary, and culture, and all can contribute to situational understanding. Commanders, Soldiers, and all who seek to gather information gain by working with and leveraging the capabilities of these entities. The Army expands the joint intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) doctrine (see JP 2-01) by defining information collection as an activity that focuses on answering the commander’s critical information requirements (CCIRs). JOINT ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance CONCEPTS 6-3. Joint ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance is an intelligence function. The J-2 controls joint ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance’s collections systems, which are intelligence assets and resources. This is different from Army information collection. Joint ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance does not include reconnaissance and surveillance units. Joint usage of reconnaissance and surveillance refers to the missions conducted by airborne assets. Integration and interdependence are two key concepts that influence how the Army conducts joint ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance in the joint operations area. I NTEGRATION 6-4. The Army uses integration to extend the principle of combined arms to operations conducted by two or more Service components. The combination of diverse joint force capabilities creates combat power more potent than the sum of its parts. This integration does not require joint command at all echelons; however, it does require joint interoperability at all echelons. I NTERDEPENDENCE 6-5. The Army uses interdependence to govern joint operations and impact joint ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance activities. This interdependence is the purposeful reliance by one Service’s forces on another Service’s capabilities to maximize the complementary and reinforcing effects of both. Army forces operate as part of an interdependent joint force. Areas of interdependence that directly enhance Army information collection activities include:  Joint command and control. This includes integrated capabilities that—  Gain information superiority through improved, fully synchronized and integrated ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, knowledge management, and information management.  Share a common operational picture (COP).  Improve the ability of joint force and Service component commanders to conduct operations.  Joint intelligence. This includes integrated processes that—  Reduce unnecessary redundancies in collection asset tasking through integrated ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.  Increase processing and analytic capability.  Facilitate collaborative analysis.  Provide global intelligence production and dissemination.  Provide intelligence products that enhance situational understanding by describing and assessing an operational environment. JOINT ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance DOCTRINE 6-6. JP 2-01 governs joint ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance doctrine. The joint force headquarters in the theater of operations govern operational policies and procedures specific to that theater. Army personnel serving in joint commands must know joint doctrine for ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Army personnel involved in joint operations must understand the joint operation planning process. The joint operation planning process focuses on the interaction between an organization’s commander and staff and the commanders and staffs of the next higher and lower commands. The joint operation planning process continues throughout an operation. 6-7. Army and joint doctrine share many of the same terms and definitions; however, commanders and staffs must understand their use and differences. Examples include joint use of ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance and the Army’s use of information collection, joint operations area instead of area of operations (AO), and the joint operation planning process instead of the military decisionmaking process (MDMP). JOINT ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance RESOURCES 6-8. When organic collection assets or other Army resources are not sufficient, the intelligence officer and operations officer need to understand how to access joint resources. The exact procedures vary in each operational theater. The joint force collection manager reviews all requests for joint ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance resources based on validated needs established by the command’s formal intelligence requirements. 6-9. A request for information is one type of resource. Subordinate Army commanders submit their requests for information through echelon channels. If the intermediate echelons cannot answer the requests, they are passed to the joint task force’s (JTF) request for information section for research and response. Once a request for information is returned without an answer, subordinate commanders can submit a request for joint ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support to the joint intelligence operations center. The joint intelligence operations center apportions its assets or other resources from higher echelons against the requests it receives, in order of priority, as defined by the JTF commander. Requests that cannot be satisfied by assets controlled or apportioned by the JTF are translated into the national intelligence system for collection. 6-10. Another resource is air support. At echelons below Army Service component command, requests for joint ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance air support go through an air support operations center or similar organization. Units requesting joint ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support must accurately write air support requests and request the desired capability or effect, not the airframe. Air Force air liaison officers at that headquarters may help train Army personnel how to prepare air support requests; however, their primary duty is to advise the commander and staff. 6-11. Some resources are outside the theater. The mission may require joint ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance resources not organic to the theater or to the components of the subordinate joint force. Joint ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance resources are typically in high demand and requirements usually exceed platform capabilities or inventory. The joint force collection manager must ensure that all requests for additional joint ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance resources are based on validated needs as established by the command’s formal intelligence requirements. JOINT ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance PLANNING SYSTEMS 6-12. Two joint ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance planning systems—the collection management mission application and the Planning Tool for Resource, Integration, Synchronization, and Management (PRISM)—help facilitate access to joint resources. PRISM, a subsystem of collection management mission application, is a Web-based management and synchronization tool used to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of theater operations. PRISM creates a collaborative environment for resource managers, collection managers, exploitation managers, and customers. In joint collection management operations, the collection manager coordinates with the operations directorate to forward collection requirements to the component commander exercising tactical control over the theater reconnaissance and surveillance assets. A mission tasking order goes to the unit responsible for the collection operations. At the selected unit, the mission manager makes the final choice of platforms, equipment, and personnel required for the collection operations based on operational considerations such as maintenance, schedules, training, and experience. The Air Force uses the collection management mission application. This application is a Web-centric information systems architecture that incorporates existing programs sponsored by several commands, Services, and agencies. It also provides tools for recording, gathering, organizing, and tracking intelligence collection requirements for all disciplines. J OINT A IR P LANNING P ROCESS 6-13. Any joint ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance plan involving airborne assets or resources must consider the joint air planning process. The combatant commander has an air component with an air and space operations center. This air and space operations center controls the airspace in the area of responsibility and all air activity above the coordinating altitude determined by that commander. The air and space operations center must know everything flying above the coordinating altitude. The air and space operations center prioritizes joint ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance requirements for the assets that the Air Force component command controls and apportions. In a multinational headquarters, the air and space operations center is the combined air and space operations center. 6-14. Recent operations have demonstrated the value of having joint ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance liaison officers at Army organizational headquarters to help tactical commanders integrate theater ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets into their operations. These officers come from the air and space operations center, combined air and space operations center, or the Combined Forces Air Component Command. These liaison elements provide joint expertise and direct liaison with the combined air and space operations center. These liaison elements also provide insight to the combined air and space operations center and related organizations into the operations they support. J OINT ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance C ONCEPT OF O PERATIONS 6-15. The counterpart to the joint ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance plan is the joint ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance concept of operations. The concept of operations is developed with operational planning. The joint ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance concept of operations is based on the collection strategy and ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance execution planning. It is developed jointly by the joint force J-2 and J-3. The joint ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance concept of operations addresses how all available ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets and associated tasking, processing, exploitation, and dissemination infrastructure, including multinational or coalition and commercial assets, are used to answer the joint force’s intelligence requirements. It identifies asset shortfalls relative to the joint force’s validated priority intelligence requirements (PIRs). It requires periodic evaluation of the capabilities and contributions of all available ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets to maximize efficient utilization and ensure the timely release of allocated ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance resources when no longer needed by the joint force. (See chapter 2 of JP 2-01 for more information on the concept of operations in detail.) NATIONAL ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance RESOURCES AND GUIDELINES 6-16. In the context of the National Intelligence Priority Framework, ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations justifies requests for additional national ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance resources. National collection resources are leveraged against national priorities. Intelligence officers must remember that these assets are scarce and have a multitude of high-priority requirements. N ATIONAL I NTELLIGENCE S UPPORT T EAMS 6-17. National intelligence support teams (NISTs) are formed at the request of a deployed joint or combined task force commander. NISTs are comprised of intelligence and communications experts from Defense Intelligence Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, and other agencies as required to support the needs of the joint force commander. Defense Intelligence Agency is the executive agent for all NIST operations. Once on station, the NIST supplies a steady stream of agency intelligence on local conditions and potential threats. The needs of the mission dictate size and composition of NISTs. 6-18. Depending on the situation, NIST personnel are often sent to support corps-or division-level organizations. However, during recent operations in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, national agencies placed personnel at the brigade combat team (BCTBCTBasic combat training) level in some cases. P LANNING AND R EQUESTS FOR I NFORMATION S YSTEMS 6-19. Several national databases and Intelink Web sites contain information applicable to the intelligence preparation of the battlefield (IPB) process and national ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance planning. Commanders and their staff should review and evaluate those sites to determine the availability of current data, information, and intelligence products that answer intelligence or information requirements.  Modernized integrated database contains current, worldwide order-of-battle data organized by country, unit, facility, and equipment.  National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s National Exploitation System permits users to research the availability of imagery coverage over targets of interest and to access historical national imagery archives and imagery intelligence reports.  Country knowledge bases and crisis home pages are maintained by many combatant command and joint force commands as Intelink Web sites containing the best and most up-to-date intelligence products available from the intelligence community.  Signals intelligence online information system is a database that contains current and historical finished signals intelligence products.  Secure analyst file environment is a set of structured data files that provide access to the following databases:  Intelligence Report Index Summary File contains index records and the full text of current and historical intelligence information reports.  All-Source Document Index contains index records and abstracts for hardcopy all-source intelligence documents produced by Defense Intelligence Agency.  Human intelligence collection requirements is a registry of all validated human intelligence requirements and tasking.  Modernized Defense Intelligence Threat Data System is a collection of analytic tools that support the retrieval and analysis of information and intelligence related to counterintelligence, indications and warning, and counterterrorism.  Community online intelligence system for end users and managers is a database application that allows the user to identify and track the status of all validated crisis and noncrisis intelligence production requirements. R EQUIREMENTS M ANAGEMENT S YSTEM 6-20. The requirements management system provides the national and Department of Defense imagery communities with a uniform automated collection management system. The requirements management system manages intelligence requirements for the national and Department of Defense user community to support the United States’ imagery and geospatial information system. The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency manages this system and provides end-to-end management of national and strategic imagery collection, exploitation, and dissemination. This system enables creation, review, and approval of imagery requests. It tasks requirements for collection, production, and exploitation of imagery to appropriate locations. The requirements management system determines satisfaction of imagery requests, modifies imagery requests based on input from other sources of intelligence, and provides analytical tools for users to exploit. 6-21. The developed messages of the requirements management system are dispatched for approval and subsequent collection and exploitation tasking. The system is central to current and future integrated imagery and geospatial information management architectures supporting national, military, and civil customers. 6-22. Nominations management services provide the coordination necessary to accept user requirements for new information. These services aggregate, assign, and prioritize these user requirements. Nominations management services also track requirement satisfaction from the users. N ATIONAL S IGNALS I NTELLIGENCE R EQUIREMENTS P ROCESS 6-23. The national signals intelligence requirements process (NSRP) is an integrated and responsive system of the policies, procedures, and technology used by the intelligence community to manage requests for national-level signals intelligence products and services. The NSRP replaced the previous system called the national signals intelligence requirement system. 6-24. The NSRP establishes an end-to-end cryptologic mission management tracking system using information needs. Collectors of signals intelligence satisfy tactical through national consumer information needs based on NSRP guidance. The NSRP improves the consumer’s ability to communicate with the collector by adding focus and creating a mechanism for accountability and feedback. 6-25. Information needs are used in NSRP to relay the collection requirements to signals intelligence collectors and systems. Users prioritize and classify information needs according to standardized time categories. Priorities for research information needs involve limited efforts and only exist for a set time using existing data (no new collection is required). Limited duration information needs require collection and production over a period of up to 90 days. Standing information needs require sustained collection over periods exceeding 90 days and up to 2 years. 6-26. Information needs are further prioritized based on how quickly the signals intelligence community must react to the request for collection by identifying—  Routine information needs that require action in 30 or more days.  Time sensitive information needs that require actions in 4 to 29 days after submission.  Time critical information needs that require actions in the first three days after submission. 6-27. Requests for national signals intelligence collection must be sponsored at the national level, validated by the intelligence community, and prioritized among all the other competing requirements. G UIDELINES FOR A CCESSING N ATIONAL R ESOURCES FOR I NFORMATION 6-28. Depending upon local procedures and systems available, the Army intelligence officer may use various means to submit a request for information. The bulleted guidelines in this paragraph help access national-level resources to answer the request for information—  Know the PIRs and identify gaps that exist in the intelligence database and products.  Know what collection assets are available from supporting and supported forces.  Understand the timeline for preplanned and dynamic collection requests for particular assets.  Identify collection assets and dissemination systems that may help answer the commander’s PIRs.  Ensure liaison and coordination elements are aware of PIRs and timelines for satisfaction.  Ensure PIRs are tied to operational decisions.  During planning, identify collection requirements and any trained analyst augmentation required to support post-strike battle damage assessment or other analysis requirements.  Plan for cueing to exploit collection platforms. JOINT ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance CONSIDERATIONS 6-29. Communication and cooperation with other agencies and organizations in the joint operations area enhances ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance collection efforts and creates sources of information with insights not otherwise available. Commanders must understand the respective roles and capabilities of the civilian organizations in the joint operations area to coordinate most effectively. Civilian organizations have different organizational cultures and norms. Some organizations may work with the Army while others may not. Some organizations are sensitive about being perceived as involved in intelligence operations with the military. Some considerations in obtaining the valuable information these organizations may have access to are—  Relationship building. This takes time, effort, and a willingness to schedule time to meet with individuals.  Patience. It is best not to expect results quickly and to avoid the appearance of tasking other agencies to provide information.  Reciprocity. U.S. forces often help or support to facilitate cooperation.  Mutual interests. Other organizations may have the same interests as U.S. forces (such as increased security).  Mutual trust. At a minimum, organizations trust U.S. forces will not abuse the relationship and that the information is provided in good faith. 6-30. Commanders cannot task civilian organizations to collect information. However, U.S. government intelligence or law enforcement agencies collect or have access to information as part of their operations. These organizations may benefit by mutually sharing information and can be an excellent resource. Provincial reconstruction teams, for example, work in cooperation with military efforts and can provide information important to the commander’s lines of effort such as infrastructure, governance, economic development, and healthcare. JOINT ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance ORGANIZATION 6-31. The JTF is the primary organization for joint operations. If other nations are included, it is a combined JTF. The JTF performs missions of short duration with specific, limited objectives. The JTF draws units from theater components and may receive augmentation of units, intelligence capabilities, and communications from outside the theater. 6-32. When Army forces operate under a JTF or combined JTF for unified action, several organizations in the joint intelligence architecture help lower echelons with their joint ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance and information collection plans. The J-2 headquarters of a typical JTF has a joint intelligence operations center. In this center, the collection management and the request for information sections are useful to Army intelligence officers as they plan joint ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations. In some cases, the collection management and dissemination sections are combined by the J-2. (See chapter 2 of JP 3-33 for information on organization of JTF staff). 6-33. Key joint organizations for joint ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance include—  Joint intelligence support element.  Air and space operations center or combined air and space operations center.  Intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations.  Multinational operations. J OINT I NTELLIGENCE S UPPORT E LEMENT 6-34. The joint intelligence support element may also augment the J-2 element of the JTF. The collection management operations branch section within the joint intelligence support element is the interface where subordinate Army commanders receive support from the JTF. The collection management operations branch oversees the JTF’s ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance activities. Dynamic retasking of joint resources must be coordinated with the joint intelligence support element collection management operations branch. A IR AND S PACE O PERATIONS C ENTER OR C OMBINED A IR AND S PACE O PERATIONS C ENTER 6-35. Joint air planning products produced by the air and space operations center include the air tasking order, airspace control order, and special instructions. The air tasking order, airspace control order, and special instructions provide operational and tactical direction at the appropriate levels of detail. For aerial assets, these products are important for intelligence staffs as well as mission managers and operators (for example, unmanned aircraft system operators and aircraft pilots). 6-36. Army intelligence staffs coordinate with the air and space operations center through an Army unit called a battlefield coordination detachment. The battlefield coordination detachment is the Army Service component command’s liaison at the air and space operations center. This detachment communicates the land component commander’s issues to the air component commander. Aerial collection requests flow through the battlefield coordination detachment to the air and space operations center for consideration. (See ATTP 3-09.13 for more information on battlefield coordination detachment duties and responsibilities). 6-37. The air and space operations center sends a liaison element to the air component command element to communicate the air component commander’s issues to the land component commander. I NTERGOVERNMENTAL AND N ONGOVERNMENTAL O RGANIZATIONS 6-38. In addition to working with U.S. government agencies, unified action involves synchronizing joint or multinational military operations with activities of other governmental agencies, intergovernmental organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and contractors. These organizations may have significant access, specialized knowledge, or insight and understanding of the local situation. These organizations vary widely in their purposes, interests, and ability or willingness to cooperate with the information-gathering activities of U.S. forces. It is important to develop a relationship to exchange information without revealing requirements. M ULTINATIONAL O PERATIONS 6-39. Multinational operations is a collective term to describe military actions conducted by forces of two or more nations, usually undertaken within the structure of a coalition or alliance (JP 3-16). Intensive coordination, training, and extensive liaison are important to effective multinational ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations. 6-40. In multinational operations, the JTF must share intelligence to accomplish the mission with foreign military forces and coordinate the exchange of intelligence liaisons with those forces. Command and control of ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance resources may remain essentially national or be integrated into a combined command and control structure. There is no single intelligence doctrine for multinational operations. Each coalition or alliance develops its own procedures. (See JP 2-01 for more information on the intelligence considerations for multinational operations.) 6-41. Multinational force commanders establish a system that optimizes each nation’s contributions. Managing assets from multinational partners requires close coordination and maintenance support. U.S. forces also provide technical assistance to share information and intelligence. 6-42. Early, concurrent planning is critical to the success of joint and multinational operations. Multinational ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance planning activities include, but are not limited to—  Developing requirements —information regarding the threat and the environment that needs to be collected and processed to meet the intelligence requirements of the commander.  Developing indicators —activity or lack of activity that confirms or denies the action or event specified in an intelligence requirement. Intelligence analysts develop indicators.  Developing the ISRISRIntelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance plan —coordination between the collection manager and operations directorate. 6-43. U.S. personnel assigned to a multinational organization should know, and remain sensitive to, cultural and religious differences among its members. In some instances, these differences may result in periods of increased vulnerability for the joint force or require scheduling changes for meetings or briefings. 6-44. In most multinational operations, U.S. forces share intelligence with foreign military forces and receive intelligence from those forces. Intelligence policy and criteria are tailored to each multinational operation. In some multinational operations or campaigns, existing international standardization agreements may provide a basis for establishing rules and policies for conducting joint intelligence operations. Since each multinational operation is distinct, such agreements may have to be modified or amended based on the situation. Policy and procedures are tailored based on theater guidance and national policy as contained in DODDDODDDepartment of Defense directive 5230.11. Staffs never disclose classified information automatically. Any disclosure must be consistent with U.S. national policy and U.S. military objectives, be done with security assurances in place, present a clearly defined U.S. advantage, and be limited to only necessary information.

This appendix provides a format for Annex L (Information Collection) in Army plans and orders. The format for the annex can be modified to meet the requirements of the base order and operations. This chapter also includes a sample information collection plan. See ATTP 5-0.1 for additional guidance on formatting and procedures. ANNEX L (INFORMATION COLLECTION) A-1. The information collection annex clearly describes how information collection activities support the offensive, defensive, and stability or defense support of civil authorities operations throughout the conduct of the operations described in the base order. See Figure A-1 on pages A-2 through A-6. It synchronizes activities in time, space, and purpose to achieve objectives and accomplish the commander’s intent for reconnaissance, surveillance, and intelligence operations (including military intelligence disciplines). [CLASSIFICATION] Place the classification at the top and bottom of every page of the Information Collection Annex. Place the classification marking (TS), (S), I, or (U) at the front of each paragraph and subparagraph in parentheses. Refer to AR 380-5 for classification and release marking instructions. Copy ## of ## copies Issuing headquarters Place of issue Date-time group of signature Message reference number Include the full heading if attachment is distributed separately from the base order or higher-level attachment. ANNEX L (Information Collection) TO OPERATION ORDER # [ number] [(code name)]— [issuing headquarters] [(classification of title)] (U) References: List documents essential to understanding Annex L. List maps and charts first. Map entries include series number, country, sheet names, or numbers, edition, and scale. A doctrinal reference for this annex includes FM 2-0. (U) Time Zone Used Throughout the Plan/Order: Write the time zone established in the base plan or order. Methodology Products) to Annex C (Operations). (Intelligence) as required. (Intelligence) as required. (Operations). other organizations in the area of operations that may affect the conduct of operations or implementation of information collection-specific equipment and tactics. Refer to Annex V (Interagency Coordination) as required. information collection activities. Refer to Appendix 1 (Intelligence Estimate) to Annex B (Intelligence) and Annex K (Civil Affairs Operations) as required. [page number] [CLASSIFICATION] [CLASSIFICATION] ANNEX L (INFORMATION COLLECTION) TO OPERATION ORDER # [ number] [(code name)]—[issuing headquarters] [(classification of title)] the issuing headquarters. State when each attachment or detachment is effective (for example, on order, on commitment of the reserve) if different from the effective time of the base order. Do not repeat information already listed in Annex A (Task Organization). development. description of the who, what (task), when, where, and why (purpose) that clearly indicates the action to be taken and the reason for doing so. Describe how the tasks or missions of reconnaissance, surveillance, security, intelligence operations, and so forth support the commander’s intent and the maneuver plan. Direct the manner in which each element of the force cooperates to accomplish the key information collection tasks and ties that to support of the operation with task and purpose statement. Must describe, at minimum, the overall scheme of maneuver and concept of fires. It should refer to Appendix 1 (Information Collection Plan) to Annex L (Information Collection). The following subparagraphs are examples. Omit what is unnecessary for brevity. collection assets and any other unit given a key information collection task, according to the concept of operations in the base order (paragraph 3b) and Annex C (Operations). Describe the employment of information collection assets in relation to the rest of the force and state the method forces will enter the area of operations (AO). Refer to Annex B (Intelligence) as required. information collection assets have priority of fires and the coordinating purpose of, priorities for, allocation of, and restrictions on fire support and fire support coordination measures. Refer to Annex D (Fires) as required. (Protection) as required. priority of mobility and survivability assets. Refer to Annex G (Engineer) as required. to Annex F (Sustainment). Annex H (Signal). with inform and influence operations. Refer to Annex J (Inform and Influence Activities). [page number] [CLASSIFICATION] [CLASSIFICATION] ANNEX L (INFORMATION COLLECTION) TO OPERATION ORDER # [ number] [(code name)]—[issuing headquarters] [(classification of title)] collection plan and identify the measures of effectiveness used to assess end state conditions and objectives. Refer to Annex M (Assessment) as required. identified in the base order. (Refer to Appendix 1 [Information Collection Plan] to Annex L [Information Collection] as needed.) report according to Appendix 1 (Information Collection Plan) to Annex L (Information Collection). Consider all options such as Naval gunfire support. Influence Activities). operating procedures (SOPs). the information collection tasks associated with them, and the latest time information is of value. information (EEFI) here. measures. Establish no fire areas for each PIR. parameters; refer to necessary graphics or attachments as required. [page number] [CLASSIFICATION] [CLASSIFICATION] ANNEX L (INFORMATION COLLECTION) TO OPERATION ORDER # [ number] [(code name)]—[issuing headquarters] [(classification of title)] Instructions. Identify as required, referencing graphical depictions in attachments or instructions as needed. international borders or other limitations and the coordination or special instructions that apply. Identify what unit is responsible for coordinating information collection activities in relation to the AO. (Operations) as required. security-specific guidance such as fratricide prevention measures not included in SOPs, referring to Annex E (Protection) as required. to Annex G (Engineer) as required. subordinate units not covered in the base plan or order. required. (Sustainment) as required. This includes medical evacuation. key intelligence collection leaders and staff officers. standard operating procedures. the unit’s standard operating procedures. [page number] [CLASSIFICATION] [CLASSIFICATION] ANNEX L (INFORMATION COLLECTION) TO OPERATION ORDER # [ number] [(code name)]—[issuing headquarters] [(classification of title)] of each CP and its time of opening and closing, as appropriate. State the primary controlling CP for tasks or phases of the operation. requirements for subordinate units. Refer to Annex R (Reports) as required. operations security requirements. Address any intelligence collection specific communications and digitization connectivity requirements. Refer to Annex H (Signal) as required. ACKNOWLEDGE: Include only if attachment is distributed separately from the base plan or order. [Commander’s last name] [Commander’s rank] The commander or authorized representative signs the original copy. If the representative signs the original, add the phrase “For the Commander.” The signed copy is the historical copy and remains in the headquarters’ files. OFFICIAL: [Authenticator’s name] [Authenticator’s position] Use only if the commander does not sign the original attachment. If the commander signs the original, no further authentication is required. If the commander does not sign the signature of the preparing staff officer requires authentication and only the last name and rank of the commander appear in the signature block. ATTACHMENTS: List lower-level attachments (appendixes, tabs, and exhibits). Appendix 1 – Information Collection Plan Appendix 2 – Information Collection Overlay DISTRIBUTION : (if distributed separately from the base order). [page number] [CLASSIFICATION] THE INFORMATION COLLECTION PLAN A-2. Table A-1 is an example of an information collection plan. This plan can also be accompanied by a graphical depiction of the plan called the information collection overlay. Units may develop and adjust the format of their information collection plan to meet the requirements of the mission and clearly depict information collection in terms of time and space for execution. The information collection plan must contain—  Information about the area of operations (AO) for the collection assets.  Reporting guidance.  Identified named area of interest (NAI) or target area of interest (TAI).  The task for each asset.  The time the asset is to collect or that information is relevant.  References to any passage of lines or fire support and airspace control measures that are not standard operating procedures.

Terms for which FM 3-55 is the proponent (authority) manual are marked with an asterisk (*). The proponent manual for other terms is listed in parentheses after the definition.

Entries are by paragraph number.