IPB Flashcards
What are the steps of IPB?
Step 1: Define the operational environment
Step 2: Describe environmental effects on operations
Step 3: Evaluate the Threat
Step 4: Determine threat COA
Why is IPB important?
IPB is essential in helping the commander understand, visualize, and describe the OE, make and articulate decisions, and assess military operations.
UVD in IPB
Understand:
Involves analyzing the mission variables in a given operational environment
Visualize Operations:
Involves developing situational understanding, determining end state, envisioning the sequence of events the force must ensure to achieve the end state
Describe Operations:
After commanders visualize an operation, they communicate their vision to the staff and subordinate commands using the staff products developed during IPB
What is IPB?
The systematic process of analyzing the mission variable of enemy, terrain, weather, and civil considerations in an area of interest to determine their effect on operations.
Where does IPB start?
Starts with S2 preparing for IPB during the generate intelligence task and framing the problem task of ADM
What does IPB result in?
Results in the production of intelligence products that are used during MDMP to help develop friendly COAs and decision points.
Conclusions and Products are critical to planning information collection and targeting operations.
What does IPB do?
Gaps Identifies critical gaps in the commander’s knowledge about the OE
Initial Intel Requirements Gaps guide the initial intelligence requirements
Assumptions IPB Products enable the commander to assess facts about the OE and make assumptions (Running Estimates)
Constraints The description of the OE helps identify constraints on friendly COAs
Terrain & aspects Identifies key aspects of the OE like AoA, EA, LZs, that the staff can integrate into friendly COAs and running estimates
Threat COA -> Friendly COA IPB develops threat COA models which are the basis for friendly COAs
What are the IPB products?
Initial PIR MCOO HVT List Unrefined Event Temp and Matrices Understanding of threat COG
Step 1 of IPB: Define the OE
Determine the AO and AI (interest)
Determine the area of intelligence responsibility
ID general characteristics of the AO that can influence the mission
ID Gaps in current intelligence holdings, translate them into requirements
Step 1 outputs:
AO
AI
AOI
Area of Operation (AO)
An operational area defined by a commander for land and maritime forces that should be large enough to accomplish their mission and protect their forces.
o Should be large enough to accomplish missions and protect forces
o Has a contiguous or noncontiguous boundary
o Unassigned AO areas are called “deep areas”
Area of Influence (AI)
A geographical area wherein a commander is directly capable of influencing operations by maneuver or fire support systems normally under the commander’s command or control.
o Includes area inside and outside the AO.
Area of Interest (AOI)
The area of concern to the commander, including the Area of influence, areas adjacent thereto, and extending into enemy territory.
o AOI also includes areas occupied by threat forces who could jeopardize mission accomplishment.
o Usually larger than the Area of Interest that directly impacts the AO, so it must be monitored
o Established by CDR with input from S2 and S3 (using analysis of METT-TC)
o May include staging areas (ENY CCA, Artillery, Reinforcements, Reserves)
IPB step 1 enemy
Definition: Hostile party against which the use of force is authorized.
Analysis includes the known enemy and other threats to mission success (political, religious, economic, personal motivations)
IPB terrain analysis
OAKOC
Natural and manmade
Hydrology, vegetation, climate
IPB weather
WVTCPH
Wind (limits effectiveness / aviation, equipment)
Visibility (BMNT, Sunrise/sunset, EENT, Moonrise, moonset.
Temperature (high low), affects IR – thermal inversion
Cloud Cover (Limits illumination, affects ISR, thermal, aviation)
Precipitation (Affects movement, visibility, equipment, ops, civilian activities)
Humidity (Affects sensors, personnel movement)
IPB Civil Considerations
ASCOPE – PMESII-PT Crosswalk
The “so what” of IPB Step 2: Describe environmental effects on operations
ID’ing characteristics in the AoI that affect friendly and threat operations
Good descriptions of the environmental effects allow the commander to quickly choose and exploit terrain, wx, and civil considerations
How can the threat impact friendly operations?
Helps determine how the terrain, wx, civil affects enemy
What is terrain analysis?
The evaluation of geographic information on natural and manmade features of the terrain
OAKOC
Define obstacles
Natural or manmade, designed or employed to disrupt, fix, turn, or block movement
Avenues of Approach
Air or ground routes used by an attacking force leading to its objective
Offensive: available for counterattack, withdrawal, or movement of reinforcements
Defensive: support enemy offensive capabilities and avenues that support the movement and commitment of friendly reserves
Mobility Corridor
Based on terrain constrictions
Where forces are canalized because of terrain restrictions
Best corridors are unrestricted terrain that allow a unit to move in its preferred formation
Irregular forces are less impacted by obstacles and terrain
Key Terrain
Any area where the seizure or retention affords a marked advantage
High ground often key terrain because of OBS FF
Draws or wadis can be key terrain in wide open areas
Urban environments = bridges, chokepoints, intersections
Seize, retain, or deny (to the enemy) can help accomplish the mission
Decisive terrain – seizure / retention is mandatory for the mission
Modified Combined Obstacle Overlay (MCOO)
A graphic product that portrays the effects of natural and urban terrain on military operations
Shows AoAs, mobility corridors, obstacles, mobility classifications, and key terrain
Mobility classifications
Severely restricted, restricted, unrestricted
ASCOPE
Describes how civil considerations in an AO influence military operations
What does IPB Step 3: Evaluate the threat, accomplish?
Determines
Threat force capabilities
Their doctrinal principles
Preferred threat TTPs
What is the end state of IPB step 3
Threat model that accurately portrays how threat forces normally execute operations and how they reacted to similar situations in the past. Order of battle DOCTEMP Capability Statement HVTL
The “so what” of Step 3 of IPB
Enhances Commander’s understanding of threat
Assists in development of threat COAs in next step
Failure =
o Lack of intel needed for planning
o Threat will surprise the friendly force with unaccounted for capabilities
o Staff wastes time and effort planning against false threat capabilities
Examples of Capability Statements
“The threat has ADA capabilities to counter RW support during infiltration operations”
“The terrorists have the ability to conduct multiple car bombings simultaneously”
Goals vs Objectives (Enemy)
Goal: Influence population to protest against government
o Focused on desired end state
Objective: Deny FOM along all MSRs to U.S. and HN security forces
o Focused on the tasks you need to accomplish
What does a DOCTEMP/Threat TEMP show?
Depicts how the enemy will fight without regard to terrain or weather effects
Define High Value Target (HVT)
An asset that the ENEMY commander requires for the successful completion of a mission
Define High Pay of Target (HPT)
A target whose loss to the enemy will significantly contribute to the success of the friendly COA
The “so what” of step 4 of IPB: Determine the threat COA
Determining ECOAs is necessary to the development of friendly COAs
Success allows Friendly CDR to avoid being surprised with unanticipated enemy actions
Failure results
o In surprise on friendly forces
o ENY may exploit opportunities that friendly forces do not anticipate.
What are the two step of Step 4: Determine the threat COA
Develop Threat COAs
Develop EVENT TEMP and Matrix
What are the steps for Threat COA Dev?
1) ID likely objectives and endstate
2) ID Full set of COAs available to the threat
3) Evaluate and prioritize each threat COA
4) Develop each COA in the amount of detail time allows
5) ID HVTs for each COA
6) ID initial collection requirements for each COA
COAs are suitable, feasible, acceptable, unique, and consistent with threat doctrine
Define objective
A Clearly defined decisive, and attainable goal toward which every operation is directed
Define end state
A set of required conditions that define achievement of the commander’s objectives
Parts of the enemy SITEMP?
THREAT TEMPLATE + ENVIRONMENT = ECOA (SITEMP)
What are the primary types of situation overlays?
ENY In Offense
ENY in Defense
Irregular forces conducting guerrilla or terror ops
Parts of a a threat ENE COA
ENY Situation, mission, objectives, end state, task org, capabilities, vulnerability, Decision Points, Decisive Point / COG, CDR’s intent for WFF
What is an event template
A graphic overlay used to confirm or deny ECOAs.
what does an event template provide?
A guide used during COA analysis to describe ENY actions
Helps develop the information collection overlay
Helps Friendly ID which COA the ENY adopts
Always accompanied by an EVENT MATRIX
An event template always includes?
o Time-Phase Lines
o NAIs
o ENY Decision Points
What is an event matrix?
A Table that associates the NAI and ENY decision points with indicators to help determine which COA will be adopted
Output of IPB step 1: Define the OE
AO/AI/AOI
Define Threat
Output of IPB Step 2: Describe Environmental Effects on Operations
Identify how the operational environment influences friendly and threat COAs.
MCOO
Wx Impact Chart
ASCOPE/PMESII-PT
Output of IPB Step 3: Evaluate the Threat
ORBAT
DOCTEMP/Threat Template
Capability Statement
HVTL
Output of IPB Step 4: Determine Threat COA:
HVTL
SITEMP
MLCOA
MDCOA
