BY ORDER OF THE AIR FORCE INSTRUCTION 10-702
SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE 19 JULY 1994
Operations
PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATIONS (PSYOP)
This instruction expands and implements AFPD 10-7, Command and Control Warfare. It explains how to plan and execute psychological operations (PSYOP). It applies to major commands (MAJCOMs), field operating agencies (FOA), direct reporting units (DRU), and their subordinate units. It provides guidelines for planning and conducting PSYOP to support US Air Force C2W and theater commander-in-chiefs (CINCs) conducting C2W operations. For a full understanding of PSYOP and its role in the perception management process, read the referenced publications, which include DoD Instruction S-3321.1, Overt Psychological Operations Conducted by the Military Services in Peacetime and in Contingencies Short of Declared War (U); the War and Mobilization Plan, Volume 1, Annex DD (S); Joint Publications (Joint Pub) 1-02, 3-05, 3-07, 3-53, and 5-03.2; Joint Chiefs of Staff Memorandum of Policy 30; and Service Manual (SM) 501-84, Designation of the Chief of Staff, US Army as JCS Executive Agent for Joint Psychological Operations Training (U).
1. Glossary of Terms. See attachment 1.
2. PSYOP Guidelines:
2.1. DoD Instruction S-3321.1 establishes policy, provides procedures, and assigns responsibilities for overt PSYOP conducted by the DoD in peacetime and in military operations other than war. This directive states that PSYOP, as an effective and essential instrument of national policy, is an inherent responsibility of all military commanders. Theater CINCs must conduct PSYOP, and Services must support these operations and PSYOP undertaken by any other US agencies.
2.2. During a declared war, the National Command Authority (NCA), through the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, issues specific national policy on PSYOP to the unified and specified commands. The Joint Strategic Capabilities Plan (JSCP), Annex D, Psychological Operations (S), furnishes guidelines for commanders conducting PSYOP.
2.3. SM-501-84 appoints the US Army as the lead agent for training DoD in joint PSYOP. Joint Pub 3-53, Joint PSYOP Doctrine (U), contains policy for joint PSYOP.
2.4. The War and Mobilization Plan, Volume 1, Annex D (S), contains US Air Force specific guidelines for PSYOP.
3. PSYOP Mission:
3.1. PSYOP by Air Force forces support US national and military objectives through planned operations designed to project selected information to influence the thoughts, emotions, and motives of foreign governments, organizations, groups, or individuals. The Air Force systematically employs PSYOP to induce or reinforce foreign attitudes and behavior that are supportive of US objectives. Commanders must include a designated PSYOP planner at the beginning of the campaign planning process to effectively accomplish this mission. Ultimately, PSYOP's main purpose is to help theater CINCs accomplish their combat missions.
OPR: HQ USAF/XOXT (Maj Victor E. Lofton)
Certified by: HQ USAF/XOX (Maj Gen Richard C. Bethurem)
Pages: 6/Distribution: F
3.2. PSYOP, combined with OPSEC and deception, form the foundation of perception management, which is an integral subcomponent of C2W.
3.2.1. Perception management recognizes that information denied or disseminated through successful PSYOP, OPSEC, and deception operations influences the adversary to make decisions and take actions prejudicial to the adversary's objectives. Effective perception management allows commanders to shape the battlefield by controlling the adversary's view of the battlefield environment.
3.2.2. PSYOP, OPSEC, and deception comprise the first three of the five pillars of C2W; electronic warfare (EW) and destruction are the remaining two pillars. EW and destruction (of enemy command and control assets, equipment, or personnel) complement perception management by letting commanders control the intelligence collected by enemy battlefield information collection assets.
- 4. Objectives:
4.1. PSYOP targets foreign groups, key individuals, and governments to help achieve US objectives and counter foreign PSYOP that adversely affects US objectives. The US accomplishes these objectives by:
- Strengthening the confidence and determination of US allies in the face of threats hostile to US interests.
- Encouraging allies to make the maximum contribution to mutual security.
- Reinforcing the understanding that the US will comply with international agreements and treaty commitments while encouraging friendly and neutral nations to provide for their own internal security.
- Projecting a favorable image of the US national character, motivations with particular emphasis on common values, perceptions, and goals that foster understanding and support for US policies.
- Encouraging foreign governments' willingness to negotiate conflicts, desist from intervening in existing conflicts, negotiate political and military issues, and concede to US negotiating objectives.
- Exposing and discrediting the objectives and subversive techniques of regimes and organizations hostile to the US (or its allies) and friendly governments.
- Reducing foreign support and sponsorship for producing and transporting illegal drugs.
- Projecting the image of a strong, prepared US military force that can protect the global of the US and its allies and friends whenever necessary.
- Projecting a positive image of US military power and the superiority of US military technology.
- Strengthening foreign willingness to support US armed forces and accept US military bases.
- Winning foreign governmental and public acceptance of US forces, authorizations, facilities, and essential US operational rights in specified countries.
- Supporting diplomatic efforts to resolve crises without using force.
- Establishing the potential to achieve surprise, superiority, and security, while maintaining the initiative if force is used or open hostilities occur.
4.2. During open hostilities, general PSYOP objectives (with OPSEC and military deception) let commanders manage an adversary's perceptions of the battlefield. Used with EW and destruction, PSYOP lets commanders conduct C2W. PSYOP gives the commander the ability to:
- Develop and reinforce foreign attitudes, emotions, and behavior that encourage limiting and quickly terminating conflict in a manner favorable to the US.
- Gain foreign understanding and acceptance of US objectives and operations. Promote foreign cooperation with the US while denying such support to enemies.
- Convince foreign states to authorize optimal participation of forces and employ their resources to support US objectives and to hinder the enemy.
- Persuade enemy and neutral nations that the strength and determination of the US and its allies will ultimately defeat the enemy.
- Weaken and demoralize the enemy population and key influential groups so they lose the will to continue hostilities.
- Divide enemy alliances.
- Deter enemy operations in designated areas and discourage the enemy from escalating the conflict or weaponry.
- Isolate the enemy from sources of foreign support.
- Weaken the enemy's ability to generate, field, and support armed forces by subverting the loyalties of enemy citizens, promoting sabotage, and lowering morale in the enemy country.
- Foster global conditions that favor US post-hostility objectives. Promote attitudes that permit enemy leaders to concede to US demands.
- Encourage the enemy to treat protected persons humanely by encouraging compliance with international standards and agreements.
- Foster foreign assistance to US and allied personnel in distress, evading, or escaping.
- Promote enemy adherence to the Laws of War.
- 5. Responsibilities and Authorities:
5.1. HQ USAF:
- Supports overall JSCP PSYOP requirements.
- Organizes, trains, and equips military units.
- Maintains the resources to support planned and ongoing PSYOP of the unified and specified commands.
- Briefs commanders and staffs on the psychological nature of conflict and the role of US PSYOP in military plans and operations.
- Trains and educates personnel to plan and conduct Air Force PSYOP programs (at Service schools, etc.) and provides appropriate Air Force expertise to the staff of unified and specified commands.
- Trains personnel to recognize and defend against hostile propaganda.
- Supports PSYOP intelligence gathering.
- Furnishes trained personnel and equipment. Helps run PSYOP programs. Makes sure Air Force programs support other national-level programs, where required.
- Coordinates with other Services, the Joint Staff, and other US agencies on PSYOP matters of mutual concern, including joint PSYOP doctrine, methods, and techniques.
- Determines PSYOP operational requirements and acquires appropriate Air Force and joint systems.
- Trains personnel of friendly governments in Air Force PSYOP techniques and procedures. Helps such governments when PSYOP tasks are beyond their capabilities.
- Researches the role and application of PSYOP to aerospace operations and joint warfare.
- Develops specific doctrine, methods, and techniques to operate and evaluate the Air Force's PSYOP.
- Develops concepts for quick reaction PSYOP capabilities to respond to the needs of the unified and specified commands.
5.2. MAJCOMs:
- Develop Air Force PSYOP operations and joint force plans.
- Comply with the tasks common to Air Force major and component commands as described in the War and Mobilization Plan, Volume 1, Annex D (S).
- Provide intelligence support for PSYOP.
- Through the Air Force Special Operations Command, conduct Joint PSYOP training using the Joint Psychological Operations Course (JPOC) and the Joint Senior Psychological Operations Course (JSPOC) at the United States Air Force Special Operations School (USAFSOS).
6. Planning:
6.1. The Air Force conducts military PSYOP during peacetime, crisis, contingency, and actual hostilities. Specific planning options and sequencing of events guide PSYOP activities during each operation. AFI 10-401, Operation Plan and Concept Plan Developments and Implementation, details the deliberate and crisis action or time-sensitive planning process and provides planning and execution formats and guidelines. Figure 1 the separate sections of the OPlan format containing PSYOP information.
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ANNEX B--INTELLIGENCE
Appendix 1 EEIs
Appendix 2 SIGINT
Appendix 3 Counterintelligence
Appendix 4 Targeting (includes tgt list)
Appendix 6 EW and C2W
Appendix 8 PSEC, PSYOP, Deception
ANNEX C--OPERATIONS
Appendix 3 EW
Appendix 4 PSYOP
Appendix 5 Special Ops
Appendix 7 Deception
Appendix 10 Command and Control Warfare
ANNEX K--C3
Appendix 1 COMSEC
Appendix 2 C2 Protection
ANNEX L--FORCE PROTECTION
Appendix 1 OPSEC
Appendix 2 Terrorism
Appendix 3 Physical Security
Appendix 4 Base Defense
Figure 1. OPlan Section PSYOP Information.
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6.2. The extensive capabilities of Air Force aircraft and equipment lend themselves to PSYOP during conflict. All operations, from a show of force through using and deploying sophisticated weapons or weapon systems, have a psychological impact. All operations plans and contingency operations should include PSYOP to support the commander's mission objectives.
6.3. This Air Force instruction does not intend to contradict guidelines in any national level policy document. Ask HQ USAF/XOXT to resolve any conflicts.
- LARRY L. HENRY, Maj General, USAF
Acting DCS/Plans and Operations
Attachment
Glossary of Terms
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Command and Control Warfare (C2W)--The integrated use of operations security (OPSEC), military deception, psychological operations (PSYOP), electronic warfare (EW), and physical destruction, mutually supported by intelligence, to deny information to, influence, degrade, or destroy adversary command and control capabilities, while protecting friendly command and control against such actions. C2W applies across the operational continuum and all levels of conflict. C2W is both offensive and defensive:
- Counter-C2--To prevent effective command and control (C2) of adversary forces by denying information to, influencing, degrading, or destroying the adversary C2 system.
- C2-Protection To maintain effective command and control of own forces by turning to friendly advantage or negating adversary efforts to deny information to, influence, degrade, or destroy the friendly C2 system. (CJCS MOP 30)
Deception--Those measures designed to mislead the enemy by manipulation, distortion, or falsification of evidence to induce him to react in a manner prejudicial to his interests. (Joint Pub 1-02)
Operations Security--(also called OPSEC)--A process of identifying critical information and subsequently analyzing friendly actions attendant to military operations and other activities to:
- Identify those actions that can be observed by adversary intelligence systems.
- Determine indicators hostile intelligence systems might obtain that could be interpreted or pieced together to derive critical information in time to be useful to adversaries.
- Select and execute measures that eliminate or reduce to an acceptable level the vulnerabilities of friendly actions to adversary exploitation. (Joint Pub 1-02)
Military Actions--Actions executed to mislead foreign decisionmakers, causing them to derive and accept desired appreciation of military capabilities, intentions, operations, or other activities that evoke foreign actions that contribute to the originator's objectives. (Foregoing portion only is from Joint Pub 1-02.) There are five categories of military deception:
- Strategic military deception--Military deception that targets foreign national security policy objectives, courses of action, and military strategies for the overall conduct of military campaigns as employed by heads of state and national high commands. (CJCS INST 3211.01)
- Tactical military deception--Military deception that targets the onscene opposing commander's actions during combat. Tactical deception is employed by all levels in the operational chain of command. (CJCS INST 3211.01)
- Operational military deception--Military deception that targets the opposing commander's preparations and intentions for using military force to accomplish defensive or offensive operational missions at the theater level and below. Operational military deception is employed by theater, subtheater, and joint task force (JTF) commanders in the operational chain of command. (CJCS INST 3211.01)
- Military deception in support of Operations Security (OPSEC)--Military deception that targets the threat intelligence systems in order to support maintaining essential secrecy. Deceptive OPSEC measures are employed at all levels in any chain of command. (CJCS INST 3211.01)
- Service military deception--Military deception planned and executed by military Services about military systems, doctrine, tactics, techniques, personnel, Service operations, or other activities to result in foreign actions which increase or maintain the originator's capabilities relative to adversaries. (CJCS INST 3211.01)
Perception Management--Actions to convey and (or) deny selected information and indicators to foreign audiences to influence their emotions, motives, and objective reasoning and to intelligence systems and leaders at all levels to influence official estimates, ultimately resulting in foreign behaviors and official actions favorable to the originator's objectives. In various ways, perception management combines truth projection, operations security, cover, and deception, and PSYOP. (Joint Pub 1-02)
Psychological operations--(also called PSYOP)--Planned operations to convey selected information and indicators to foreign audiences to influence their emotions, motives, objective reasoning, and ultimately the behavior of foreign governments, organizations, groups, and individuals. The purpose of psychological operations is to induce or reinforce foreign attitudes and behavior favorable to the originator's objectives. (Joint Pub 1-02)
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