BRIEF EXPLANATORY NOTES ON IPB¹⁰ IN MISSION PLANNING

G2 staff, assisted by the engineer staff, examine Enemy and Ground/Weather under the following steps, although others may be considered for Operations Other Than War:

Step 1 — Battlefield Area Evaluation (BAE)

When time permits, a full evaluation of the Environment (battlefield area) should be made. If not already done, the battlefield area is defined in Mission Analysis. The basis of successful BAE is the production of a terrain and meteorological database which is kept continuously updated from the time planning for operations commences. This process runs parallel to the estimate and the database is ‘interrogated’ as required when Enemy and Ground/Weather are considered. The primary purpose of BAE is to identify Enemy and Own Mobility Corridors and Avenues of Approach. It includes both air, sea/river and ground approaches as necessary. When considering the terrain in the area of operations (together with the likely area of operations of the enemy, which can be different), corridors and avenues for possible use by own forces must be identified.

Step 2 — Threat Evaluation

The purpose of Threat Evaluation is to identify the enemy’s overall capability, based on his doctrine. There is no unique formula for this, as the approach adopted will depend on the nature of the enemy. Where appropriate, the production of a Doctrinal Overlay, based on intelligence of the enemy’s air and maritime capability, land organisation and capability reflecting his equipment, combat service support and perceived deployment is a useful method for achieving this. It is based on knowledge of his doctrine, and is kept updated during the course of a campaign as a result of his practice on operations. This process remains equally valid in Operations Other Than War, where the enemy may not have developed a formal doctrine. Here, he will typically have developed a modus operandi over time that can be used in Threat Evaluation.

Step 3 — Threat Integration

Based on an assessment of enemy aims and intentions in relation to his known dispositions and doctrine and combined with the BAE, it is possible to predict likely enemy courses of action or reaction to friendly forces. If applicable, an attempt should be made to ‘get into’ the enemy commander’s mind. At the operational level, the key is not only to identify the enemy’s centre of gravity, but also his perception of friendly forces’ centre of gravity, and likely decisive points in his campaign plan. This should lead to a deduction of his likely courses of action. At the tactical level, his likely courses of action are identified in the context of his deduced campaign plan. His assessed courses of action that should reflect his fighting power on particular terrain and for specific types of operation, may be shown graphically on a Situation Overlay. This overlay is a representation of the perceived way the enemy will fight. From this, an Event Overlay is produced that considers specific enemy events in time and space. It provides the basis for the Intelligence Collection Plan.

Step 4 — Production of the Decision Support Overlay

The final step in the IPB process is conducted during the development of the plan.

NOTES

10. The above is a simple description of IPB as part of the misision-planning process. We need a clearer statement showing how this methodology has been adapted to provide a Lessons Learned