The Principles of Joint Intelligence

The Central Principle: Know the Adversary

The fundamental responsibility of intelligence is to provide decision-makers at all levels of command with a comprehensive understanding of the adversary. This includes a sophisticated knowledge of the adversary’s goals, objectives, strategy, intentions, capabilities, methods of operation, vulnerabilities, and sense of value and loss. The J-2 must understand the adversary’s character, culture, social norms, customs and traditions, language, and history. Understanding how an adversary will conceptualize the situation, the options to be considered, and how the adversary will react to our actions should be an inextricable part of a continuing interaction of the intelligence staff with the JFC and other staff elements. This comprehensive understanding is essential to recognizing challenges to our national security interest, establishing security policy, formulating relevant and attainable military objectives and strategy, determining, planning, and conducting operations that will help attain US policy objectives, and identifying the adversary’s strategic and operational centers of gravity.

Intelligence Support to Operations

The JFC is responsible for intelligence support to operations. The JFC determines the strategic and operational objectives for the theater of operations. The J-2 determines the intelligence requirements and direction of the intelligence effort in support of the JFC’s objectives. The intelligence effort is critical to the mission. Its nature, orientation, and scope depend on the commander’s decision on the relative importance of intelligence in accomplishing the mission. The J-2 should refine the concept of intelligence operations to reflect changes in the commander’s mission, estimate of the situation, and objectives. JFCs, with their J-2s, must ensure that intelligence objectives are correct, adequately stated, understood, synchronized, prioritized, and translated into actions that will provide the intelligence needed to accomplish the mission. Intelligence actions must be synchronized with other warfare disciplines to ensure integrated and responsive support throughout all phases of the operation. Acquiring intelligence is the responsibility of the commander. Commanders, J-3s, J-2s, and intelligence staffs developing strategy and operations and assigning mission responsibilities have the earliest view of intelligence requirements and the intelligence efforts that must commence at the inception of operations and missions. The determination of strategy and operations becomes the beginning point for intelligence needed to attain military objectives. It is at these earliest determinations that senior intelligence staffs must understand the combat intelligence requirements both for their commands and their subordinate commands, identify the commands and forces’ organic intelligence capabilities and shortfalls, access theater and/or national systems to cover shortfalls, and ensure intelligence is provided or available to those who need it. This command responsibility also includes planning for logistic support to C4I, intelligence personnel, and equipment. Assignment of appropriate movement priority within the TPFDL is essential to ensuring that required intelligence support will be available when needed to support joint operations.

Synchronize Intelligence with Operations

The commander should require, and the J-2 should ensure, that all intelligence activities, assets, and disciplines are applied in time, space, and purpose to support optimally the JFC’s operation plan. This synchronization process occurs across the range of military operations to provide timely, objective, tailored, complete, accurate, and relevant intelligence to achieve assigned operational objectives. This integration of intelligence and operations ensures the totality of effort against the adversary’s centers of gravity (see Joint Pub 1, “Joint Warfare of the Armed Forces of the United States,” Joint Pub 2-01, “Joint Intelligence Support to Operations,” and Joint Pub 2-02, “National Intelligence Support to Joint Operations”). The product of effective synchronization is maximum use of every resource, including intelligence assets, where and when it will make the greatest contribution to success. Appendix A “Intelligence Synchronization,” contains an illustrative example of intelligence synchronization with operations.

Use the Same Approach for Operations Other Than War and War

Military intelligence systems should be single structures for warfighting support and be able to provide intelligence support for any military operation throughout the range of military operations. Warfighting intelligence structures of resources, methodologies, and products should be established, viable, exercised, and operational in peacetime to be available in any type of conflict and for any form of operation. Although it is recognized that intelligence organizations, particularly JICs and JISEs, will expand according to need, the concept of dual peacetime and wartime structures does not support the principle of “readiness” for all potential operations. Dual intelligence structures for peace and war require difficult and time-consuming transitions in critical situations.

The J-2’s Participation

The J-2 should participate in decision and planning processes from the initial point when operations are contemplated or directed. Effective intelligence support requires a two-way flow of essential information. The J-2 should be collocated with the JFC and function as a full member of the staff to provide the commander with the best possible view of the situation and adversary and to identify, develop, and disseminate the intelligence needed to support operations. The J-2 should apprise the JFC whether adequate intelligence can be made available for the campaigns, operations, and courses of action being considered.

References

1. JP 2-0 Chapter IV Joint Intelligence Principles (https://irp.fas.org/doddir/dod/jp2-0/j2-0ch4.htm)
2. Joint Doctrine Publications (https://www.jcs.mil/Doctrine/Joint-Doctine-Pubs/)
3. Joint Doctrine Pubs (https://www.jcs.mil/Doctrine/Joint-Doctrine-Pubs/2-0-Intelligence-Series/)

FAQs

What is the central principle of joint intelligence?

The central principle of joint intelligence is to “Know the Adversary.” This involves understanding the adversary’s goals, objectives, strategy, intentions, capabilities, vulnerabilities, and more.

Who is responsible for intelligence support to operations?

The Joint Force Commander (JFC) is responsible for intelligence support to operations. The JFC determines the strategic and operational objectives, while the J-2 (intelligence staff) determines the intelligence requirements and direction of the intelligence effort to support those objectives.

How should intelligence be synchronized with operations?

Intelligence activities, assets, and disciplines should be synchronized with operations to ensure that timely, objective, tailored, accurate, and relevant intelligence is provided to achieve operational objectives.

Should military intelligence systems be different for war and operations other than war?

No, military intelligence systems should be single structures for warfighting support and be able to provide intelligence support for any military operation throughout the range of military operations.

What is the role of the J-2 in joint intelligence?

The J-2 should participate in decision and planning processes from the outset to ensure that intelligence considerations are integrated into the overall planning and decision-making. The J-2 should also work closely with the JFC to ensure that adequate intelligence is available for operations.

How can unity of intelligence effort be ensured?

Unity of intelligence effort can be ensured by establishing a joint intelligence staff, viewing the adversary as joint or unified, establishing intelligence capability early, recognizing CI as a source of information, prioritizing component intelligence requirements, and ensuring JFC intelligence requirements are completely understood by the J-2.

How can intelligence be kept current?

Intelligence can be kept current by systematically evaluating the nature, purposes, content, location, and availability of intelligence data bases for currency. EEI and other statements of intelligence requirements must be continually reviewed and evaluated against mission responsibilities.

What are the attributes of intelligence quality?

The attributes of intelligence quality include timeliness, objectivity, usability, readiness, completeness, accuracy, and relevance.