Division XXI

Intelligence Operations

by Captain Erasmo A. Martinez
Division XXI will possess the most powerful and lethal capabilities the world has ever known. Commanders of the future will be able to call on the capabilities of weapons systems like the Comanche and Apache Longbow attack helicopters, the M1A2 main battle tank, and the Army Tactical Missile System and PALLADIN artillery systems. They will be able to better visualize the battlespace with systems such as the All-Source Analysis System (ASAS) for intelligence fusion, the Phoenix maneuver control system, and the Appliqu‚ battlefield visualization system. This article illustrates how the military intelligence (MI) battalion fits into Division XXI operations, and how the conduct of intelligence operations will support the Division XXI commander in achieving mission success.

Division XXI Operations Defined

According to the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Pamphlet 525-71, Military Operations: Force XXI Division Operations Concept, six patterns of operations characterize Division XXI operations. These are

Project the force.
Protect the force.
Gain information dominance.
Shape the battlespace.
Employ decisive attack.
Sustain the force.

These operations are simultaneous, multidimensional, and nonlinear, conducted by a dispersed force integrated operationally and digitally to execute precise, decisive operations throughout the battlespace. The division must be able to conduct a variety of missions against a wide range of diverse and unpredictable threats, which may possess sophisticated and lethal capabilities. Division XXI will almost always conduct operations jointly and often in the context of a multinational force.

To mass the effects of these highly potent weapons systems and achieve decisive results, Division XXI commanders must have a number of capabilities. These include the ability to

See their battlespace in depth and multidimensionally.
Precisely identify, locate and track the high-payoff targets (HPT).
Produce and share both horizontally and vertically an accurate, relevant common picture that provides their force's situational awareness.
Plan and synchronize command and control (C2) warfare (C2W) and conduct electronic attack (EA) operations.
Access, leverage, and interoperate with the echelons above division (EAD), joint, and multinational organizations, and capabilities.
Protect their force through all phases of an operation, from predeployment to their return to the home station.
Track friendly forces over a dispersed battlespace. To be successful in terms of lethality, survivability, and tempo of operations (OPTEMPO), Division XXI organizations must gather, process, evaluate, share, and act on information (friendly, enemy, and environmental) more rapidly than ever before. This means having the capability to achieve information dominance.

The Division XXI MI Battalion

The Division XXI MI Battalion has organized, equipped and trained to achieve information dominance and meet these demanding requirements. It is a highly capable and responsive force with modernized systems and balanced capabilities tailorable to meet any contingency. It can provide the division with organic intelligence and electronic warfare support with direct support capabilities at the brigades. The MI battalion is also capable of interoperating with joint, multinational, and coalition assets. It is integrated vertically and horizontally across echelons from national level down to brigade. This means it can command, control, and employ specialized, reinforcing capabilities from EAD and joint organizations.

Patterns of Intelligence Operations

According to TRADOC Pamphlet 525-71, the Force XXI division will execute Force XXI operations through a deliberate pattern of operations. The patterns are neither phased nor sequential; they serve to focus the many tasks armies have always performed in war and other military operations. To better illustrate the capabilities of the Division XXI MI battalion, the following is a description of how the battalion conducts Division XXI intelligence operations in the context of the six patterns of operations.

Project the Force. In preparation for deployment, Division XXI commanders must be able to quickly plan, wargame, and rehearse operations. They must be able to rapidly tailor and project their forces for joint, integrated operations. While enroute to a theater of operations, they must be able to receive, update, and maintain situational awareness. On arrival, the Division XXI early entry force must be able to protect itself and conduct decisive operations, with much of its resources provided in a split-based mode.

The MI battalion, in concert with the G2 intelligence team, provides the commander with the intelligence information he needs to tailor the division and determine the force flow. It also provides the intelligence preparation of the battlefield (IPB) products needed to conduct effective mission planning, wargaming, and rehearsals prior to deployment and commitment. These functions are primarily performed by the battalion's analysis and control element (ACE) with its established links to EAD, joint, national, and in-theater operating resources.

The battalion is also capable of providing tailored intelligence force packages with the ability to command, control, train, and integrate augmentation capabilities from outside the division along with its own organic resources. These organic resources include the All-Source Analysis System (ASAS), Common Ground Station (CGS), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and the TROJAN Special Purpose Integrated Remote Intelligence Terminal (SPIRIT) II. Organic capabilities, reinforced by specialized teams from echelons above the division, provide the early entry force commanders with situational awareness, targeting, force protection, and long-haul, reach-back communications capabilities with access to in-theater joint assets.

Finally, by design, the battalion supports split-based operations by establishing an intelligence support base or sanctuary command post in conjunction with the intelligence infrastructure of the continental United States force projection platform or installation. This permits continuous intelligence support to the deploying, early entry force.

Protect the Force. Division XXI is vulnerable to attack at every echelon during all phases of operations, from predeployment to their return home. To achieve decisive results, maintain a high OPTEMPO, and minimize casualties, Division XXI commanders must protect their forces, critical assets, and essential information. To do so, they must first understand the adversary's capabilities, particularly their reconnaissance, intelligence, surveillance, and target acquisition (RISTA), in relation to their own vulnerabilities. They must determine what forces, assets, and information require protection and then plan and execute appropriate force protection, counter-RISTA operations. This includes the dispersed positioning of forces for simultaneous, nonlinear attack. The division's ability to operate while dispersed over extended distances is made possible, in large part, by the capabilities of the MI battalion and G2 to support situational awareness across the force.

The analysts of the MI battalion provide the division G2 and commander with an assessment of the division's vulnerabilities and the adversary's RISTA capabilities. As part of the division's overall mission planning, wargaming, and rehearsal effort, it produces a graphic portrayal and understanding of how Red (the adversary) sees Blue (friendly forces). Thus, commanders can quickly assess their options and determine what measures to take, including C2W and the precise targeting of the adversary's RISTA capabilities.

With organic and supporting counterintelligence (CI) assets, the battalion supports the planning and conduct of operations security, counter-RISTA, and deception operations. It can employ its organic EA assets, in conjunction with EAD and joint capabilities, in support of counter-RISTA and C2W operations. Using organic and leveraged joint capabilities, the battalion also supports the targeting of key C2 and RISTA capabilities.

Gain Information Dominance. To Division XXI, information dominance means achieving a better understanding of the current situation and end-state than the adversary's understanding. It means knowing the location and status of friendly forces in relation to the enemy and the environment. Division XXI achieves information dominance through the conduct of information operations (IO). These IO include the establishment of a robust command, control, communications, computers and intelligence (C4I) system or network, the gathering of friendly force and other relevant information, the conduct of focused intelligence operations, and the synchronized conduct of C2W.

The MI battalion, in support of the G2 and brigade S2s, plays a significant role in developing situational awareness. The ACE at the Division and the analysis and control team (ACT) at the brigade, in conjunction with the G2 and the brigade S2s, plan and direct the conduct of RISTA operations to satisfy the commander's priority intelligence requirements (PIR). Using the automated capabilities of ASAS, they filter and fuse the large volume of sensor data (including bottom-up RISTA and top-down intelligence) and then interpret it and produce intelligence products which are integrated into the division's common picture. The division uses these products for mission planning, wargaming, and rehearsals as well as the execution of decisive operations.

The battalion employs its organic collection assets UAVs, the Ground-Based Common Sensors, Advanced QUICKFIX, and human collectors to satisfy PIR and support targeting, battle damage assessment (BDA), and C2W. Its ability to access and leverage joint, EAD, and multinational capabilities via the CGS and ASAS is vital to the conduct of multidimensional operations and targeting. To degrade the enemy's understanding of the battlespace, the battalion supports the conduct of counter-RISTA and C2W with organic and supporting CI and EA assets. Access to higher echelon assets such as the Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) enables the Battalion's ACE and ACT to support battle management (for example, friendly-force tracking), which is also a key component of information dominance.

Shape the Battlespace. Once the commander has achieved information dominance, he must identify when and where to act, and set the conditions in preparation for decisive attack. This requires the commander to see deep, establish and maintain contact with the enemy, and precisely locate and engage HPTs.

The MI battalion, in coordination with the G2 and S2s, will enable the commander to visualize the battlespace so he can better seize the temporary opportunities that come from an information advantage. The MI battalion provides multidimensional deep- and wide-area surveillance through corps assets like the GUARDRAIL Common Sensor (GRCS) and Joint STARS, its organic UAVs, and its capability to access and leverage joint, EAD, and RISTA assets through the ACE. Precise target location, identification and tracking capabilities, and sensor-to-shooter links allow for cross-cueing of the division's deep attack assets. The battalion's ground- and air-based signals intelligence (SIGINT) and EA capabilities provide the commander with the capability to conduct synchronized C2W attack with both lethal and nonlethal means. Its deep-surveillance assets, including the UAVs, conduct timely BDA for attack and also reattack purposes.

Attack Decisively. The division must be able to conduct simultaneous attacks across the battlespace, massing the effects of its forces to achieve quick, decisive results. To do this, the division commander must have continuous situational awareness, intelligence on the move, and precise targeting and tracking of both enemy and friendly forces.

The Division XXI MI battalion provides the division commander with

Continuous situational awareness for force positioning and accurate identification, location, and tracking of obstacles, formations, and HPTs.
Dynamic links of sensors to shooters and cross-cueing.
The capability to track friendly forces.

This allows the maneuver commander to simultaneously attack in depth, and mass the effects of his combat power on HPTs and enemy C2. Simultaneously, intelligence will continue to provide force protection across the division battlespace.

Sustain the Force. The division must be capable of sustainment during their deployment and operations. They must be able to rapidly transition from combat operations to a variety of possible missions (such as redeployment). Throughout these transitions, the commander must be able to keep an overwatch to protect his force and prepare for future operations. The MI battalion is a flexible, tailorable force that easily adapts as the division transitions to future operations or redeployment, while providing continuous intelligence overwatch.

Implications

The challenges that the MI battalion will face supporting Division XXI operations require revisions in our doctrine. MI will incorporate these changes and revisions in the next family of manuals and doctrinal publications emerging from changes in our technology, equipment, and the nature of operations. They will then establish the framework for the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), the Experimental Force (EXFOR), Task Force XXI, Division XXI, and the Advanced Warfighting Experiments.

These changes in doctrine imply training challenges for the force. Intelligence leaders and soldiers require a different set of skills to be able to operate effectively in Force XXI decisive operations. Soldiers down to the lowest level require a higher levels of operational understanding, computer literacy, and presentation skills. Leaders will have to use advanced techniques and technologies to conduct training, incorporating realistic intelligence processing and analysis during live, virtual, constructive simulations and exercises.

The Division XXI MI battalion will be a place to grow and groom future G2s, S2s, and MI commanders. Our intelligence officers and NCOs must thoroughly understand Force XXI decisive operations to be able to support their warfighters. Likewise, Division XXI leaders must understand the capabilities and limitations of the intelligence force.

Division XXI operations require an integrated total force intelligence concept, where higher and lower echelons operate in concert. Organizations must be modular, highly mobile, deployable, and tailorable, with organic, dedicated intelligence analysis capabilities. They must also be capable of commanding and controlling a variety of diverse augmentation from EAD and joint organizations.

The equipment and systems in the MI battalion incorporate open system architectures to allow for upgrades, modernization, and interoperability. Management tools are automated, and they allow dynamic management and retasking of collectors in real time. MI systems are capable of conducting full spectrum collection, automated processing and analysis, and automatic target recognition (ATR). They provide multimedia presentation tools to help the commander visualize the battlespace.

This modernized force, with streamlined, modular organizations and state-of-the-art systems requires the highest quality personnel to make it work. Intelligence soldiers in the Division XXI MI battalion must meet high standards of tactical and technical proficiency, and operational understanding.

Conclusion

The Force XXI Division must simultaneously conduct multidimensional nonlinear operations against a wide range of unpredictable threats. Division commanders must be able to see in depth, locate and engage HPT with precision, and dominate their battlespace, all within the context of the Division XXI patterns of operations. The Division XXI MI battalion meets those requirements, providing the division commander with the capability to operate decisively and to protect the force before, during, and after operations. It provides intelligence support in tailorable packages with quick adaptability. This intelligence force will have modernized systems and quality people with advanced skills and high operational understanding to support Division XXI decisive operations.

Captain Erasmo "Tito" Martinez is currently an action officer in the Concepts Division, Combat Developments Directorate, U.S. Army Intelligence Center and Fort Huachuca (USAIC&FH). His previous assignments include service with the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) as infantry brigade and battalion S2 and assistant MI battalion S3, and at the USAIC&FH as a company commander. CPT Martinez has a bachelor of arts in English from the University of Puerto Rico. Readers can reach him at (520) 538-7212, DSN 879-7212, or via PROFS/E-mail at martine% hua1@huachuca-emh11.army.mil.