COP Manager. The COP Manager is a person selected and designated to serve in this position due to their high degree of

attention to detail, INFOSYS and computer skills, knowledge of FM 5-0 and FM 6-0, intelligence, and experience working in a CP. The COP Manager works the Battle NCO. The COP Manager's duties include:

Responsible for all information displayed as the COP Updates unit locations and events through the digital component of the COP

Updates unit locations and events on the analog COP (if used)

Coordinates with other staff sections for COP manipulation during briefings

Receives guidance from the G-3/S-3 and Commander on specific views or manipulations of the COP for SA purposes

4.12.8 INFOSYS Contributions to the COP. Digital INFOSYS allow the commander and staff to tailor the wealth of information into specified functional area views. Although the information is functionally managed and updated by various systems throughout the network, the data distribution architecture ensures the availability of critical, time-sensitive information to the commander and staff. The table below details the types of graphical information that comprise and contribute to the COP.

The table details information types and INFOSYS capability to send/receive them. While only a guideline, the listed information is likely to be highly relevant to the commander and staff. Inputs to the COP are of two types: overlays and data displayed within the COP, and reports that contribute to the display of information in the COP.

Table 4-7 Information Comprising and Contributing to COP

Table 4-7 Information Comprising and Contributing to COP (Continued)

Table 4-7 Information Comprising and Contributing to COP (Continued)

4.12.9 COP and the Operations Process. By providing a clear, accurate, and common view of the battle space in near real time, the COP is key to each step of the operations prepare, execute, and summarized below.

4.12.9.1 Plan

Intent and Planning Guidance. The commander can readily impart intent and issue planning guidance. The COP also helps ensure a subordinate commander is planning within the intent and concept of operations of the superior commander.

Relevant Information A commander can use the COP to depict the operational picture. This helps staff and subordinate leaders focus on relevant information the operation. This facilitates the planning process, resulting in more rapid planning and precise understanding of and adherence to the commander's intent. SU of friendly forces (air and ground) is automatically fed into the COP. However, graphical data must be manually input into INFOSYS before being displayed in the COP.

Collaboration. Because leaders at different locations can simultaneously view the battle space in an identical manner, collaboration is significantly enhanced, thereby facilitating planning, directing, and brief-backs. Staffs can use the same graphics and overlays (both active and notional) concurrently from different INFOSYS.

Parallel Planning. The COP helps subordinate units conduct their own planning concurrent with the development of parent headquarters' plans.

Branches and Sequels. Different configurations of the COP can be developed to match anticipated branches and sequels of an operation. As the tactical situation evolves, revisions to the original plan, such as changed operational graphics, can be rapidly disseminated.

Reduced Control Measures. Increased SU attained through the COP may reduce the need for extensive control

measures to coordinate maneuver and to avoid friendly-on-friendly engagements. This allows units to function more effectively should the battle become fluid and/or non-linear.

However, this must be weighed with the fact that SU is imperfect.

4.12.9.2 Prepare

Brief-Backs. Using the common framework provided by the COP, subordinate leaders are better able to confirm the commander's intent and concept of operations. This common framework also assists subordinates in conveying their own plans during the brief-back.

Plan Updates. Units can monitor the current tactical situation even as they ready themselves for an operation. Tactical plans and staff estimates can be revised as necessary to meet changes in the battle space as seen through the COP.

This is especially critical in a highly fluid tactical situation.

Rules of Engagement (ROE). The COP can be used to depict certain parts of the ROE. This will help to ensure the ROE are disseminated uniformly down to the lowest echelons.

4.12.9.3 Execute

Adaptability. Units can respond rapidly to the dictates of the evolving tactical situation during an operation. The shared SU increases the ability of commanders at all levels to quickly make the right decisions, synchronize their forces and fires, and increase the operational tempo.

Initiative. Armed with the commander's intent and superior SU, subordinate leaders are better able to seize and retain the initiative within their respective tactical spheres. Units, therefore, will be better able to dictate the terms of combat in order to build momentum quickly and to win decisively.

Risk Management. Commanders are better able to assess risk using the SU gained via the COP. This enables them to act more aggressively while simultaneously enhancing the protection of their forces.

Engagements. The enhanced SU gained through the COP, combined with C4ISR

enhancements and improved optics, offer the opportunity to reduce the chance that friendly forces will become engaged with one another. This contributes to force protection, rapid engagement, and aggressive maneuver. This is, of course, contingent on the premise that all friendly forces involved have a full suite of fully operational INFOSYS.

Changes to Operations. Using the COP, the commander can rapidly communicate changes to an ongoing operation. This might entail following a branch or sequel, changes to control measures, even a new line of operations.

4.12.9.4 Assess

Monitoring Operations (Battle Tracking). The COP helps leaders to measure, analyze, and report unit performance during an operation. This enables them to compute or otherwise identify variance from the plan or its assumptions and to forecast change. Using the COP, staff sections can employ their respective INFOSYS to monitor operations according to a common baseline to assess unit performance.

A commander can help satisfy by ensuring requirements are depicted within the COP, as applicable.

This ensures staff and subordinates focus on this information during an operation.

COP Maintenance. The COP is not static but requires continuous monitoring and revision, where appropriate.

Factors that might indicate such changes include: success on the battlefield, changes in task organization, significant alteration to the enemy picture, change in mission, significant friendly losses, change in concept of operation, movement to a new phase of the joint campaign, and/or environmental changes or shifts (e.g., weather, civil disturbances). Such changes may be anticipated and, therefore, preplanned.

4.12.10 Relevant Information. Rl is all information of importance to commanders and staffs in the exercise of C2 (FM 3-0). To be relevant, information must be accurate, timely, usable, complete, precise, reliable, and secure. provides the answers commanders and staffs need to conduct operations successfully.

The COP consists primarily of knowledge, which the staff provides through analysis and evaluation. Information becomes if it supports exercising C2 for a mission. It is the combination of and data from digital INFOSYS that forms the Information Management component of the C2 system: personnel, information management, procedures, and equipment and facilities (FM 6-0). Staffs use C2 processes to support their commanders' decisions and use information management to collect, process, display, store, and disseminate

Not all information required in the CP is displayed on the COP. Information on unit strength, mission and intent statements, briefings, and orders tracking are examples of this type information. The data needs to be available and displayed, but is not part of the graphical COP.

The fielded Command Center System (CCS) provides for unit-configured INFOSYS displays on multiple screens as well as multiple displays on a single screen. This capability enables units to display the COP plus and other data as deemed necessary by the command, the staff, and the situation. For example, a unit can use one screen to display the COP, and use another screen to display in a quad format of the combat power from BCS3, a rolling BUB, UAS feed, and MCS. Units should take into consideration display requirements when cabling video output connections to the For CPs or CP cells with only a single screen, the CCS can be used for creating multiple displays. The unit can have a single display for their COP and also configure multiple INFOSYS displays to use as required. Utilizing hot key shortcuts, the unit can move back and forth quickly from one view setting to another.