L8: OP170 MDMP Step 4 Flashcards
Purpose of COA Analysis
COA analysis identifies difficulties or coordination problems as well as probable consequences of planned actions for each COA being considered. Includes rules and steps that help commanders and staffs visualize the flow of the operation. Consists of 8 actions.
COA analysis = war gaming
Inputs of COA Analysis (War Games)
- updated running estimates
- updated commander’s planning guidance
- COA statements and sketches
- updated assumptions
8 steps of COA analysis
- Gather the tools
- List all friendly forces
- List assumptions
- List known critical events and decision points
- Select the war-gaming method
- Select a technique to record and display results
- War-game the operation and assess the results
- Conduct a war-game briefing (optional)
Outputs of COA Analysis
- refined courses of action
- potential decision points
- war-game results
- initial assessment measures
- updated assumptions
Critical event**
Event that directly influences mission accomplishment. Includes events that trigger significant actions or decisions, complicated actions requiring detailed study, and the essential tasks.
Decision point**
Point in space and time when the CO or staff anticipates making a key decision concerning a specific course of action
What happens during step 1 of COA Analysis (Gather the Tools)
- COS/XO directs staff to gather the tools, materials, and data for the war-game.
- units war-game with maps, sand tables, computer simulations, or other tools that accurately reflect the terrain
- staff posts the COA on a map displaying the AO
What happens during step 2 of COA Analysis (List all Friendly Forces)?
-CO and staff consider all units that can be committed to the operation, paying special attention to support relationships and constraints.
what happens during step 3 of COA analysis (list assumptions)
The CO and staff review previous assumptions for continued validity and necessity
3 war-gaming methods
1) Belt Method (divides AO into belts (areas) running the width of the AO) preferred method
2) Avenue-in-depth (focuses on 1 avenue of approach at a time beginning with the decisive operation)
3) Box method (detailed analysis of a critical area ie. river crossing, appropriate when time is constrained)
How is the belt method modified during stability ops
during stability ops, the belt method can divide the COA by events, objectives (goals), or events and objectives in a selected slice across all lines of effort. It consists of war-gaming relationships among events or objectives on all lines of effort in the belt
How is the avenue-in-depth method modified during stability ops?
Instead of focusing on geographic avenue, the staff war-games a line of effort. This method focuses on one line of effort at a time, beginning with the decisive line.
How is the box method modified during stability ops?
may focus analysis on a specific objective along a line of effort such as development of local security forces as part of improving civil security
what do war-game results provide
- a record from which to build task organizations
- synchronize activities
- develop decision support templates
- confirm and refine event templates
- prepare plans or orders
- compare COAs
2 techniques that are commonly used to record/display results of war gaming:
1) Synchronization matrix (synch matrix): allows staff to synchronize the COA across time, space, and purpose
2) Sketch note (brief notes concerning critical locations or tasks and purposes)