INFORMATION OPERATIONS CELL

NWP 3-13, Navy Information Operations; JP 3-13, Information Operations; and NTTP 3-13.1, Theater and Campaign Information Operations Planning, provide additional guidance on information operations.

Information operations is the integrated employment, during military operations, of information-related capabilities (IRCs) in concert with other lines of operation to influence, disrupt, corrupt, or usurp the decision-making of adversaries and potential adversaries while protecting our own. Adversaries employ similar strategies with regard to friendly forces in support of their goals and objectives. Potential adversaries also protect

operational indicators from friendly sensors and are alert to friendly actions that appear unusual or deceptive.

IRCs can isolate adversary resources, disseminate overt truth-based multimedia information, and support kinetic targeting, to create the desired effects. As an operation unfolds and the situation becomes increasingly fluid, IO objectives and tasks are modified to exploit success while protecting friendly vulnerabilities. It is essential that the IO cell fully participates in the assessment, planning, and execution processes and the MOC battle rhythm events to ensure integration and synchronization of IRCs.

Public affairs communicates information to the public. PA shall not be considered an IRC in this context, and IO does not integrate its employment. PA and IO shall, however, keep each other informed of its public information plans and activities. This enables them to deconflict efforts when necessary.

Information operations planners identify target audiences to influence C2 system targets with the corresponding desired effects, as well as the means of affecting them to support force operations.

3.8.1 Information Operations Cell Functions

IO creates effects in the information environment using IRCs. Each of these elements takes into account special or unique considerations during the planning process and employed to achieve desired effects. Individual capabilities are synchronized during planning with each other and with other aspects of an operational plan to achieve the commander’s objectives.

The IO cell lead coordinates IO matters, including providing support to various CFTs such as COPS, FOPS, MPG, MAG, targeting, ROE/RUF and collection management working groups, as required. This section identifies primary functions of the IO cell as they pertain to IO matters in current operations, plans, assessment, and targeting.

1. Principal functions include:

a. The continuous planning, directing, monitoring, and assessing of integrated information-related capabilities in support of the commander’s goals and objectives

b. The continuous shaping of the information environment, employing IRCs, forces, and concepts to achieve information superiority, resulting in operational advantage on the battlefield.

2. Support current operations:

a. Direct activities in support of the current scheme of maneuver and to achieve information superiority.

b. Synchronize and coordinate IRC with the overall operation. Coordinate with higher headquarters, other component or subordinate commands, and assigned or attached assets. Maintain an execution matrix.

c. Monitor and continue coordination of IRCs across the range of operations (e.g., commander engagement during diplomatic meetings; perform as jamming control authority for planned communications

electronic attack mission supporting site exploitation operations; adjust MISO product dissemination based on assessment reports; and participate in COPS dynamic targeting (maritime manager in JADOCS) to coordinate kinetic/nonkinetic dynamic fires).

d. Include IO-specific information in drafted FRAGORDs and SITREPs.

e. Monitor the theater information environment for local, transregional, or global reaction.

f. Monitor and recommend adjustment to collection plans.

g. Support military deception (MILDEC) planning.

h. Recommend information operations conditions (INFOCON).

i. Conduct liaison with joint military information support task force (JMISTF), if activated, and the electronic warfare coordination cell, as required.

j. In concert with AT/FP working group, conduct planning to protect the C2 system from cyberspace attack and intrusion.

k. Monitor and provide input to the joint restricted frequency list.

3. Integrate and coordinate IRCs into the campaign plan:

a. Participate in and co-lead, when appropriate, the planning process. Provide IO SMEs to planning OPTs during each step of the planning process.

b. Coordinate preparation of plans and orders that have influence objectives.

c. Recommend priorities for the employment of IRCs to generate IO-specific effects.

d. Coordinate with higher headquarters, other components, subordinates, and assigned or attached assets/units.

e. Request IO resources from HHQ to meet maritime IO objectives, as required.

f. Identify and develop MOE and MOP for IO activities.

g. Identify information requirements for the MIOC collection.

h. Recommend CCIRs.

i. Recommend essential elements of friendly information.

j. Identify critical information and promulgate to planners.

k. Utilize IO cell SMEs to support continuous IO staff estimates of supportability and risk.

l. Identify augmentation or reachback support requirements, through commander and HHQ, for action.

m. Provide operations security (OPSEC) assessment that identifies highest OPSEC risk area and proposed countermeasures.

n. Participate in targeting board and fires cell to prioritize, nominate, and deconflict targets and to provide alternatives to traditional kinetic methods of effecting targets. Recommend IRCs based on desired end state.

o. Participate and provide input to targeting process (nomination, intel gain/loss adjudication, prioritization, etc.)

p. Provide inputs to technical data collections used for precision targeting.

q. Determine collateral damage estimations (CDEs), secondary and tertiary effects, and undesired effects as a result of kinetic or nonkinetic actions, to include transregional and global implications.

r. Coordinate IRCs to support communication themes.

s. Assist in developing commander’s objectives, guidance, and intent as well as specific operational effects to generate or conditions to set for each phase or stage in consideration.

t. Identify friendly information-related critical assets for nomination to the critical asset list (CAL) and defended asset list (DAL).

u. Assist planners in assessing risk to mission and risk to force of losing capabilities from information-related assets and developing mitigation measures to reduce likelihood or severity to acceptable levels.

4. Conduct assessment:

a. Participate in operational net assessment.

b. Collect, analyze, and report IO MOE and IRC MOP data.

c. Assess the performance and operational effects of IO throughout the operation; recommend adjustments as required based on recognized opportunities and risk.

d. Prepare assessment reports that address political, military, economic, social, information, and infrastructure considerations.

e. Analyze foreign media.

f. Manage use of private sector intelligence, academia, and interagency responses in influence and IO-specific assessments.

g. Conduct a comprehensive comparison of target behavior throughout phases of operations.

3.8.2 Information Operations Cell Composition

The IO cell consists of the IO cell lead and personnel with expertise in the areas of planning for electromagnetic spectrum management operations, OPSEC, MISO, MILDEC, CO, SIGINT, CMO, and targeting. These unique skill sets, along with IO support, should be present or readily available to the IO cell. Information operations also may draw upon the expertise of intelligence, logistics, communications, public affairs/combat camera, staff judge advocate, special operations, and civil affairs. Additionally, there may be liaison officers from other components or subordinate units.

3.8.3 Points of Coordination 1. Internal:

a. Current operations and FOPS cells b. Fires element

c. Maritime planning group d. Logistics readiness center

e. Counterintelligence/HUMINT f. All-source analysis and production g. Meteorological and oceanographic cell h. Battle watch captain

i. Red Cell

j. Liaison officer cell

k. Knowledge and information management WG l. Collection manager

m. ROE/RUF working group n. Fires element

o. Public affairs officer

p. Maritime air operations cell.

2. External (dependent on role of the commander):

a. Strike group(s) information operations warfare commander

b. Component commands

c. Commander, Tenth Fleet and subordinate commands/CTFs d. Subordinate task forces and task groups

e. Coalition members

f. Joint Information Operations Warfare Center g. Joint Warfare Analysis Center

h. Electronic warfare coordination cell

i. Joint military information support task force j. Military information support operations group k. Interagency working group

l. National Security Agency

m. Joint Communications Security Monitoring Agency

n. Central Intelligence Agency o. Defense Intelligence Agency p. Joint Spectrum Center

q. Joint Combat Camera Center

r. United States Cyber Command (CYBERCOM)

s. Higher headquarters IO organizations to include JFC Operations (J3)/Concept Development (J9), GCC J3/J9 and JCS J3/J39.

3.8.4 Inputs

1. Enemy order of battle (electronic, air, surface, and subsurface) 2. Intelligence products, including IPOE

3. Commander’s objectives and guidance from HHQ, including desired effects or conditions to set for each phase or stage as developed from the OPT during the planning process.

4. List of assets and forces available 5. Theater security cooperation plan 6. Maritime security cooperation plan

7. Joint target list, joint restricted frequency list, no-strike list, restricted target list

8. MOE/MOP

9. Public affairs planning and communication products 10. Master maritime attack plan

11. Staff estimates 12. Warning order 13. ROE/RUF

14. Higher headquarters OPLANs/OPORDs

15. Dynamic target lists (e.g., TSTs, maritime dynamic targets, high-value individuals, etc.).

16. All joint/HHQ IO guidance product.

3.8.5 Outputs

1. Inputs to update or refine commander’s objectives, guidance, and intent for deliberate and/or crisis action planning

2. Information operations plan and synchronization matrix

3. Inputs to plans and orders

4. Coordinated MILDEC, EMSMO, MISO, OPSEC, defensive cyberspace operations plans 5. Inputs to the fires element and targeting

6. Inputs to assessment and the intelligence collection plan

7. Inputs to JTL/JIPTL, NSL, RTL, TST, MDT/HVT/HPT, MTNL, MPTL, and JRFL, as appropriate 8. List of capabilities

9. Recommended CCIRs 10. INFOCON decision matrix.