Ch. 1 FM 3-55 Information Collection PDF

Chapter 1 Information Collection Foundations This chapter presents information collection. It begins with information collection and knowledge and then discusses information collection and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. This chapter then dis...

Chapter 1 Information Collection Foundations This chapter presents information collection. It begins with information collection and knowledge and then discusses information collection and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. This chapter then discusses information collection activities and purpose. Finally, this chapter discusses information collection purpose and the primary information collection tasks and operations. INFORMATION COLLECTION AND KNOWLEDGE 1-1. Knowledge is the precursor to effective action in the informational or physical domains. Knowledge about an operational environment requires aggressive and continuous operations to acquire information. Information collected from multiple sources and analyzed becomes intelligence that provides answers to commander’s critical information requirements (CCIRs). Commanders use reconnaissance and surveillance to provide intelligence to reduce the inherent uncertainty of war. Achieving success in today’s conflicts demands extraordinary commitment to reduce this uncertainty. INFORMATION COLLECTION AND ISR 1-2. The Army executes intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) through the operations and intelligence processes (with an emphasis on intelligence analysis and leveraging the larger intelligence enterprise) and information collection. Consistent with joint doctrine, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance is an activity that synchronizes and integrates the planning and operation of sensors, assets, and processing, exploitation, and dissemination systems in direct support of current and future operations. This is an integrated intelligence and operations function (JP 2-01). 1-3. ISR provides commanders with detailed and timely intelligence. This intelligence helps commanders gain situational understanding of the threat and the operational environment. This is accomplished by answering requirements focused in time and space and identifying any threats to mission accomplishment. The intelligence staff provides commanders with predictive assessments of threats, terrain and weather, and civil considerations. These assessments also provide commanders with a running estimate regarding the degree of confidence the staff places in each analytic assessment. A running estimate is the continuous assessment of the current situation used to determine if the current operation is proceeding according to the commander’s intent and if planned future operations are supportable (ADP 5-0). 1-4. Information collection is an activity that synchronizes and integrates the planning and employment of sensors and assets as well as the processing, exploitation, and dissemination systems in direct support of current and future operations. This activity implies a function, mission, or action and identifies the organization that performs it. Information collection activities are a synergistic whole with emphasis on synchronizing and integrating all components and systems. Information collection integrates the intelligence and operations staff functions focused on answering the CCIRs. Information collection replaces ISR synchronization and ISR integration. For joint operations, see chapter 6. 1-5. Information collection is the acquisition of information and the provision of this information to processing elements. This includes the following:  Plan requirements and assess collection.  Task and direct collection.  Execute collection. 3 May 2013 FM 3-55 1-1 Chapter 1 PLAN REQUIREMENTS AND ASSESS COLLECTION 1-6. The intelligence staff collaborates with the operations officer and the entire staff to receive and validate requirements for collection, prepare the requirements planning tools, recommend collection assets and capabilities to the operations staff, and maintain synchronization as operations progress. (See chapter 3 for more information on planning requirements and assessing collection). TASK AND DIRECT COLLECTION 1-7. The operations officer, based on recommendations from the operations staff, tasks and directs the information collection assets. (See chapter 4 for more information on tasking and directing information collection.) EXECUTE COLLECTION 1-8. Executing collection focuses on requirements tied to the execution of tactical missions, such as reconnaissance, surveillance, security, and intelligence operations, based on the CCIRs. Collection activities acquire information about the adversary and the area of operations (AO) and provide that information to intelligence processing and exploitation elements. Collection activities begin soon after receipt of mission and continue throughout preparation and execution of the operation. These activities do not cease at the end of the mission but continue as required. This allows the commander to focus combat power, execute current operations, and prepare for future operations simultaneously. 1-9. Execute collection subtasks include:  Establish technical channels and provide guidance.  Collect and report information.  Establish a mission intelligence briefing and debriefing program. Establish Technical Channels and Provide Guidance 1-10. This subtask provides and conducts technical channels to refine and focus the intelligence disciplines’ information collection tasks. It coordinates the disciplines’ assets when operating in another unit’s AO. (See FM 2-0 for additional information on this task and its two subtasks: “Establish and maintain technical channels” and “Conduct deconfliction and coordination.”) 1-11. Due to the characteristics of intelligence operations, technical channels ensure adherence to applicable laws and policies, ensure proper use of doctrinal techniques, and provide technical support and guidance to intelligence operations and discipline assets. Applicable laws and policies include all relevant U.S. laws, the law of war, international laws, directives, Department of Defense instructions, and orders. Commanders direct operations but often rely on technical control to conduct portions of the collection effort. 1-12. Technical channels refer to supervision of intelligence operations and disciplines. Technical channels do not interfere with the ability to task organic intelligence operations assets. It ensures adherence to existing policies or regulations by providing technical guidance for intelligence operations tasks in the information collection plan. While not a formal command or support relationship, establishing technical channels is a critical function that ensures the collection asset has the required technical data to perform mission-related tasks. 1-13. Technical channels also involve translating tasks into the parameters used to focus the highly technical intelligence operations collection or the legally sensitive aspects of signals intelligence collection. These channels also include human intelligence military source operations and counterintelligence tasks. Technical channels provide the means to meet the overall commander’s intent for intelligence operations. Technical channels include but are not limited to defining, managing, or guiding the use of intelligence assets or identifying critical technical collection criteria (such as technical indicators and recommending collection techniques or procedures). 1-2 FM 3-55 3 May 2013  Information Collection Foundations Note: In specific cases, regulatory authority is granted to national and Department of Defense intelligence agencies for intelligence discipline collection and is passed through technical control channels. Collect and Report Information 1-14. This task involves collecting and reporting information in response to collection tasks. Collection assets collect information and data about the threat, terrain and weather, and civil considerations for a particular AO. A successful information collection effort results in the timely collection and reporting of relevant and accurate information, which supports the production of intelligence or combat information. 1-15. As part of the collection plan, elements of all units obtain information and data concerning the threat, terrain and weather, and civil considerations in the AO. Well-developed procedures and carefully planned flexibility to support emerging targets, changing requirements, and combat assessment is critical. Once staffs collect the information, they develop a form for analysts to extract essential information and produce intelligence and targeting data. Once Soldiers collect the information, they develop a form for analysis. Collected and processed information is provided to the appropriate units, organizations, or agencies for analysis or action. This analyzed information forms the foundation of running estimates, targeting data, intelligence databases, and intelligence. 1-16. Collection assets must follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure staffs tag reports with the numbers of the tasks satisfied in the reports. Simultaneously, SOPs ensure assets understand and report important but unanticipated information. Collection assets reporting may convey that collection occurred, but the unit did not observe any activity satisfying the information collection task, which may be an indicator. As a part of reporting, the staff tracks where the collection task originated. This tracking ensures the staff provides the collected information to the original requester and to all who need the information. Correlating the reporting to the original requirement and evaluating reports is key to effective information collection. The staff tracks the progress of each requirement and cross-references incoming reports to outstanding requirements. Establish a Mission Intelligence Briefing and Debriefing Program 1-17. The commander establishes, supports, and allocates appropriate resources for a mission briefing and debriefing program. The battle updates and after action reviews are separate tasks from the mission briefing and debriefing program. The G-2 (S-2) develops a mission intelligence briefing program and complementary debriefing program to support the commander’s program. INFORMATION COLLECTION ACTIVITIES 1-18. At the tactical level, commanders use reconnaissance, surveillance, security, and intelligence missions or operations to plan, organize, and execute shaping operations that answer the CCIRs and support the decisive operation. Figure 1-1 on page 1-4 displays information collection activities. 1-19. The intelligence and operations staffs work together to collect, process, and analyze information about the enemy, other adversaries, climate, weather, terrain, population, and other civil considerations that affect operations. Intelligence relies on reconnaissance, security, intelligence operations, and surveillance for its data and information. Conversely, without intelligence, commanders and staffs do not know where or when to conduct reconnaissance, security, intelligence operations, or surveillance. The usefulness of the data collected depends on the processing and exploitation common to these activities. 1-20. Commanders integrate information collection to form an information collection plan that capitalizes on different capabilities. Information collection assets provide data and information. Intelligence is the product resulting from the collection, processing, integration, evaluation, analysis, and interpretation of available information concerning foreign nations, hostile or potentially hostile forces or elements, or areas of actual or potential operations. The term is also applied to the activity that results in the product and to the organizations engaged in such activity (JP 2-0). Intelligence informs commanders and staffs where and when to look. Reconnaissance, security, intelligence operations, and surveillance are the ways—with the 3 May 2013 FM 3-55 1-3 Chapter 1 means ranging from national and joint collection capabilities to individual Soldier observations and reports. The end is intelligence that supports commander’s decisionmaking. The result is successful execution and assessment of operations. This result depends on effective synchronization and integration of the information collection effort. Figure 1-1. Information collection activities 1-21. Information collection activities help the commander understand and visualize the operation by identifying gaps in information, aligning assets and resources against those gaps, and assessing the collected information and intelligence to inform the commander’s decisions. These activities also support the staff’s integrating processes during planning and execution. The direct result of the information collection effort is a coordinated plan that supports the operation. The staff assesses information and intelligence, refines the plan, and issues fragmentary orders to the plan to retask or assign a new mission to assets and units. INFORMATION COLLECTION PURPOSE 1-22. Information collection activities provide commanders with detailed, timely, and accurate intelligence. By answering the CCIRs, information collection activities help commanders make informed decisions. 1-4 FM 3-55 3 May 2013  Information Collection Foundations 1-23. For effective information collection activities to occur, the staff must—  Provide relevant information and intelligence products to commanders and staffs.  Provide combat information to commanders.  Contribute to situational awareness and facilitate continuous situational understanding.  Develop a significant portion of the common operational picture (COP) vertically and horizontally among organizations, commanders, and staffs.  Support the commander’s visualization, permitting more effective mission command.  Answer the CCIRs.  Facilitate intelligence preparation of the battlefield (IPB).  Support effective, efficient, and accurate targeting.  Decrease risk for the unit. INFORMATION COLLECTION PLANNING 1-24. Commanders and staffs continuously plan, task, and employ collection assets and forces to collect information. They request information and resources through higher echelons. This information and intelligence helps commanders turn decisions into actions. 1-25. Information collection planning is crucial to mission success. The four fundamentals to plan, synchronize, and integrate information collection activities include:  An information collection effort driven by the commander.  Full staff participation in effective information collection synchronization and integration.  A collection capability, either organic or augmented by nonorganic resources, to conduct information collection.  A capability to analyze and produce actionable intelligence to conduct information collection. 1-26. Commanders must quickly and clearly articulate their CCIRs to the staff during the information collection planning process. This enables the staff to facilitate the commander’s vision and decisionmaking by focusing on the CCIRs. STAFF INVOLVEMENT AND INPUT 1-27. Effective information collection requires the entire staff’s involvement and input. This enables the intelligence staff to identify and assess information requirements and the operations staff to task and direct the effort. 1-28. Conducting information collection activities requires a collection capability, either organic or augmented by nonorganic resources. Commanders use reconnaissance tasks, security operations, surveillance tasks, intelligence operations, and the skills of Soldiers to obtain information. All activities that help develop understanding of the AO are considered information collection activities. Planners must understand all collection assets and resources available to them and the procedures to request or task collection from those assets, resources, and organizations. (See chapter 5 for more information on information collection assets.) 1-29. Conducting information collection activities requires an analytical capability to interpret information and produce actionable intelligence. The analyst’s ability to employ critical thinking and use multiple sources during intelligence analysis reduces uncertainty and helps solve problems not resolved using single source of information. This requires staff sections to understand the capabilities and limitations of assets to collect and report. The staff must also establish reporting guidelines to the collection assets. PRIMARY INFORMATION COLLECTION TASKS AND OPERATIONS 1-30. Information collection includes all activities and operations that gather data and information used to create knowledge and support the commander’s requirements, situational understanding, and visualization. Commanders achieve information collection when they employ all collection tasks and operations together 3 May 2013 FM 3-55 1-5 Chapter 1 in an operation. This appropriate mix of collection tasks and operations helps satisfy many different requirements. It also ensures that the operations and intelligence working group does not favor or become too reliant on one particular unit, discipline, or system. The Army has four tasks or operations it primarily conducts as a part of the information collection plan:  Reconnaissance.  Surveillance.  Security operations.  Intelligence operations. RECONNAISSANCE 1-31. Reconnaissance is a mission undertaken to obtain, by visual observation or other detection methods, information about the activities and resources of an enemy or adversary, or to secure data concerning the meteorological, hydrographic, or geographic characteristics of a particular area (JP 2-0). Reconnaissance primarily relies on the human dynamic rather than technical means and it is a focused collection effort. A combined arms operation, reconnaissance actively collects information against targets for a specified time based on mission objectives. 1-32. Successful and effective units combine three methods to perform reconnaissance: dismounted, mounted, and aerial. Sensors can augment each method. To gain information on the enemy or a particular area, units use passive surveillance, technical means, and human interaction or they fight for information. 1-33. Reconnaissance produces information concerning the AO. Staffs perform reconnaissance before, during, and after other operations to provide information used in the IPB process. Commanders perform reconnaissance to formulate, confirm, or modify a course of action (COA). Reconnaissance provides information that commanders use to make informed decisions to confirm or modify the concept of operations. This information may concern the enemy, the local population, or any other aspect of the AO. Commanders at all echelons incorporate reconnaissance into their operations. 1-34. Reconnaissance identifies terrain characteristics, enemy and friendly obstacles to movement, and the disposition of enemy forces and civilians so that commanders can maneuver forces freely with reduced risk. Reconnaissance before unit movements and occupation of assembly areas is critical to protecting the force and preserving combat power. It also keeps Army forces free from contact to focus on the decisive operation. Reconnaissance Objective 1-35. Commanders orient their reconnaissance by identifying a reconnaissance objective in the AO. Reconnaissance objective is a terrain feature, geographic area, enemy force, adversary, or other mission or operational variable, such as civil considerations, about which the commander wants additional information. (ADRP 3-90).The reconnaissance objective specifies the most important result to obtain from the reconnaissance mission. Every reconnaissance mission specifies a reconnaissance objective. Commanders assign reconnaissance objectives based on CCIRs, reconnaissance asset capabilities, and reconnaissance asset limitations. The reconnaissance objective can be information about a geographical location (such as the cross-country trafficability of an area), an enemy activity to confirm or deny, an enemy element to locate or track, or civil considerations (such as critical infrastructure). The unit uses the reconnaissance objective to guide in setting priorities when it lacks time to complete all the tasks associated with a form of reconnaissance. 1-36. Commanders may need to provide additional detailed instructions beyond the reconnaissance objective (such as tasks performed or the priority of tasks). Commanders issue additional guidance to their reconnaissance units or specify these instructions in the tasks to subordinate units in the operation order. For example, if a unit S-2 concludes that the enemy is not in an area and the terrain appears trafficable without obstacles, the commander may direct the reconnaissance squadron to conduct a zone reconnaissance mission. The commander may provide guidance to move rapidly and report, by exception, any terrain obstacles that significantly slows the movement of subordinate maneuver echelons. Alternatively, when the objective is to locate an enemy force, the reconnaissance objective would be that 1-6 FM 3-55 3 May 2013  Information Collection Foundations force. Additional guidance could be to conduct only that terrain reconnaissance necessary to find the enemy and develop the situation. Reconnaissance Fundamentals 1-37. The seven fundamentals of reconnaissance are—  Ensure continuous reconnaissance.  Do not keep reconnaissance assets in reserve.  Orient on the reconnaissance objective.  Report information rapidly and accurately.  Retain freedom of maneuver.  Gain and maintain enemy contact.  Develop the situation rapidly. Ensure Continuous Reconnaissance 1-38. The commander conducts reconnaissance before, during, and after all operations. Before an operation, reconnaissance focuses on filling gaps in information about the enemy, civil considerations, and the terrain. During an operation, reconnaissance focuses on providing the commander with updated information that verifies the enemy’s composition, dispositions, and intentions as the battle progresses. This allows commanders to verify which COA the enemy adopts and to determine if the plan is still valid based on actual events in the AO. After an operation, reconnaissance focuses on maintaining contact with the enemy forces to determine their next move. It also focuses on collecting information necessary for planning subsequent operations. In stability and defense support of civil authorities operations, reconnaissance focuses on civil considerations. Do Not Keep Reconnaissance Assets in Reserve 1-39. Reconnaissance assets, such as artillery assets, are never kept in reserve. When committed, reconnaissance assets use all resources to accomplish the mission. This does not mean that all assets are committed all the time. Commanders use reconnaissance assets based on their capabilities and the mission variables to achieve the maximum coverage needed to answer the CCIRs. At times, this requires commanders to withhold or position reconnaissance assets to ensure the assets are available at critical times and places. Commanders sustain and rest reconnaissance assets as necessary, but do not place these assets in reserve. Commanders treat all reconnaissance assets as committed assets with missions. This fundamental does not apply to units with multiple roles that can conduct reconnaissance, security, and other combat missions in an economy of force role. Commanders may elect to place these units in reserve as needed. Orient on the Reconnaissance Objective 1-40. The commander uses the reconnaissance objective to focus the unit’s reconnaissance efforts. Commanders of subordinate reconnaissance elements remain focused on achieving this objective, regardless of what their forces encounter during the mission. When time, unit capabilities limitations, or enemy actions prevent a unit from performing all the tasks normally associated with a particular form of reconnaissance, the unit uses the reconnaissance objective to focus the reconnaissance effort. Report Information Rapidly and Accurately 1-41. Reconnaissance assets acquire and report accurate and timely information on the enemy, civil considerations, and the terrain where operations occur. Information may quickly lose its value. Reconnaissance units report exactly what they see and, if appropriate, what they do not see. Information that seems unimportant may be important when combined with other information. Negative reports are as important as reports of enemy activity. Reconnaissance assets must report all information, including a lack of enemy activity. Failure to report tells the commander nothing. The unit communications plan ensures that unit reconnaissance assets have the proper communication equipment to support the integrated information collection plan. 3 May 2013 FM 3-55 1-7 Chapter 1 Retain Freedom of Maneuver 1-42. Reconnaissance assets must retain battlefield mobility to accomplish missions. If these assets are decisively engaged, reconnaissance stops and a battle for survival begins. Reconnaissance assets must have clear engagement criteria that support the maneuver commander’s intent. Initiative and knowledge of both the terrain and the enemy reduce the likelihood of decisive engagement and help maintain freedom of movement. Before initial contact, the reconnaissance unit adopts a combat formation designed to gain contact with the smallest possible friendly element. This provides the unit with the maximum opportunity for maneuver and enables it to avoid the enemy’s ability to engage the unit. The IPB process helps the commander identify anticipated areas of likely contact. Using indirect fires to provide suppression and obscuration and destroy point targets is a method reconnaissance assets use to retain freedom of maneuver. Gain and Maintain Enemy Contact 1-43. Once a unit conducting reconnaissance gains contact with the enemy, it maintains that contact unless the commander directing the reconnaissance orders otherwise or the survival of the unit is at risk. This does not mean that individual scout and reconnaissance teams cannot break contact with the enemy. The commander of the unit conducting reconnaissance maintains contact using all available resources. The methods of maintaining contact range from surveillance to close combat. Surveillance, combined with stealth, is often sufficient to maintain contact and is the preferred method. Units conducting reconnaissance avoid combat unless it is necessary to gain essential information. If this is the intent, the units use maneuver (fire and movement) to maintain contact while avoiding decisive engagement. Develop the Situation Rapidly 1-44. When a reconnaissance asset encounters an enemy force or an obstacle, it must quickly determine the threat it faces. For an enemy force, the reconnaissance asset must determine the enemy’s composition, dispositions, activities, and movements and assess the implications of that information. For an obstacle, the reconnaissance asset must determine the obstacle’s type and extent and if it is covered by fire. Obstacles can provide information concerning the location of enemy forces, weapons capabilities, and organization of fires. In most cases, the reconnaissance unit developing the situation uses actions on contact. Reconnaissance Forms 1-45. ADRP 3-90 discusses the five forms of reconnaissance in detail. Those five forms of reconnaissance operations are—  Route reconnaissance.  Zone reconnaissance.  Area reconnaissance.  Reconnaissance in force.  Special reconnaissance. Route Reconnaissance 1-46. Route reconnaissance focuses along a line of communications such as a road, railway, or cross- country mobility corridor. It provides new or updated information on route conditions such as obstacles and bridge classifications and enemy and civilian activity along the route. A route reconnaissance includes the route and terrain along the route where the enemy could influence the friendly force’s movement. The commander normally assigns this mission to use a route for friendly movement. Zone Reconnaissance 1-47. Zone reconnaissance involves a directed effort to obtain detailed information on all routes, obstacles, terrain, enemy forces, or civil considerations in a zone defined by boundaries. Obstacles include both existing and reinforcing, as well as areas with chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) contamination. Commanders assign zone reconnaissance missions when they need additional information on a zone before committing other forces in the zone. Zone reconnaissance missions are appropriate when the enemy situation is vague, existing knowledge of the terrain is limited, or combat operations have altered 1-8 FM 3-55 3 May 2013  Information Collection Foundations the terrain. A zone reconnaissance may include several route or area reconnaissance missions assigned to subordinate units. Area Reconnaissance 1-48. Area reconnaissance focuses on obtaining detailed information about the enemy activity, terrain, or civil considerations in a prescribed area. This area may include a town, a neighborhood, a ridgeline, woods, an airhead, or any other feature critical to operations. The area may consist of a single point (such as a bridge or an installation). Areas are normally smaller than zones and not usually contiguous to other friendly areas targeted for reconnaissance. Because the area is smaller, units conduct an area reconnaissance more quickly than a zone reconnaissance. Reconnaissance in Force 1-49. A reconnaissance in force is an aggressive reconnaissance conducted as an offensive operation with clearly stated reconnaissance objectives. A reconnaissance in force is a deliberate combat operation that discovers or tests the enemy’s strength, dispositions, or reactions. This force also obtains other information. For example, battalion-sized task forces or larger organizations usually conduct a reconnaissance in force. A commander assigns a reconnaissance in force when the enemy operates in an area and the commander cannot obtain adequate intelligence by any other means. A unit may also conduct a reconnaissance in force in restrictive-type terrain where the enemy is likely to ambush smaller reconnaissance forces. The overall goal of reconnaissance in force is to determine enemy weaknesses. It differs from other reconnaissance because it is only conducted to gain information about the enemy and not the terrain. Special Reconnaissance 1-50. Special reconnaissance includes reconnaissance and surveillance actions conducted as a special operation in hostile, denied, or politically sensitive environments to collect or verify information of strategic or operational significance, employing military capabilities not normally found in conventional forces (JP 3-05). Special operations forces capabilities for gaining access to denied and hostile areas, worldwide communications, and specialized aircraft and sensors enable them to conduct special reconnaissance against targets inaccessible to other forces or assets. Special reconnaissance activities include—  Environmental reconnaissance.  Armed reconnaissance.  Target and threat assessment.  Post strike reconnaissance. 1-51. See JP 3-05 for additional information on these special reconnaissance activities. Reconnaissance Focus, Reconnaissance Tempo, and Engagement Criteria 1-52. Commanders decide what guidance they provide to shape the reconnaissance and surveillance effort. In terms of guidance, reconnaissance tempo and engagement criteria most closely apply organic reconnaissance elements. Reconnaissance focus is also generally applied to surveillance assets, but in the sense of focusing a reconnaissance mission, it more closely applies to reconnaissance. Paragraphs 1-53 through 1-59 describe these criteria in terms of reconnaissance. Reconnaissance Focus 1-53. Reconnaissance focus, combined with one or more reconnaissance objectives, helps concentrate the efforts of the reconnaissance assets. The commander’s focus for reconnaissance usually falls in three general areas: CCIRs, targeting, and voids in information. The commander’s focus enables reconnaissance units to prioritize taskings and narrow the scope of operations. An operation may have a terrain focus where the status of routes, bridges, and obstacles are more important than the enemy. Conversely, the operation may focus on the enemy. Friendly forces must locate the enemy’s security zone, main body, and reserves. Additionally, commanders may express their focus in terms of reconnaissance pull and push. 3 May 2013 FM 3-55 1-9 Chapter 1 1-54. Commanders use a reconnaissance pull when they are not familiar with the enemy situation or the situation changes rapidly. Reconnaissance pull fosters planning and decisionmaking based on changing assumptions into confirmed information. The unit uses initial assumptions and CCIRs to deploy reconnaissance assets early to collect information for developing COAs. The commander uses reconnaissance assets to confirm or deny initial CCIRs before deciding on a COA or maneuver option. This pulls the unit to the decisive point on the battlefield. Success of the reconnaissance pull requires an integrated information collection plan used before the commander makes a COA decision. 1-55. Commanders use a reconnaissance push once committed to a COA or maneuver option. The commander pushes reconnaissance assets forward, as necessary, to gain greater visibility on a named area of interest (NAI) to confirm or deny the assumptions on which the COA is based. Staffs use the information gathered during reconnaissance push to finalize the unit’s plan. Reconnaissance Tempo 1-56. Tempo is the relative speed and rhythm of military operations over time with respect to the enemy (ADRP 3-0). In reconnaissance, tempo defines the pace of the operation and influences the depth of detail the reconnaissance can yield. Commanders establish time requirements for the reconnaissance force and express those requirements in a statement that describes the degree of completeness, covertness, and potential for engagement they are willing to accept. Commanders use their guidance on reconnaissance tempo to control the momentum of reconnaissance. Reconnaissance tempo is rapid or deliberate and forceful or stealthy. 1-57. Rapid operations and deliberate operations provide a description of the degree of completeness required by the commander. Rapid operations focus on key pieces of information and include few tasks. These operations describe reconnaissance that personnel must perform in a time-constrained environment. Deliberate operations are slow, detailed, and broad-based and accomplish numerous tasks. The commander must allocate a significant amount of time to conduct a deliberate reconnaissance. 1-58. Forceful and stealthy operations provide a description of the level of covertness that commanders require. Units conduct forceful operations with little concern about who observes. Mounted units or combat units serving in a reconnaissance role often conduct forceful operations. In addition, forceful operations are appropriate in stability operations where the threat is not significant in relation to the requirement for information. Units conduct stealthy operations to minimize chance contact and prevent the reconnaissance force from detection. These operations occur dismounted and require increased time for success. Engagement Criteria 1-59. Engagement criteria establish minimum thresholds for engagement (lethal and nonlethal). The criteria clearly specify which targets the reconnaissance element expects to engage and which the reconnaissance element will hand off to other units or assets. For example, nonlethal contact identifies engagement criteria for tactical questioning of civilians and factional leaders. This criterion allows unit commanders to anticipate bypass criteria and develop a plan to maintain visual contact with bypassed threats. SURVEILLANCE 1-60. Surveillance is the systematic observation of aerospace, surface, or subsurface areas, places, persons, or things, by visual, aural, electronic, photographic, or other means (JP 3-0). Surveillance involves observing an area to collect information. 1-61. In the observation of a given area, the focus and tempo of the collection effort primarily comes from the commander’s intent and guidance. Surveillance involves observing the threat and local populace in a NAI or target area of interest (TAI). Surveillance may be a stand-alone mission or part of a reconnaissance mission (particularly area reconnaissance). Elements conducting surveillance must maximize assets, maintain continuous surveillance on all NAIs and TAIs, and report all information rapidly and accurately. 1-62. Surveillance tasks can be performed by a variety of assets (ground, air, sea, and space), means (Soldier and systems), and mediums (throughout the electromagnetic spectrum). 1-10 FM 3-55 3 May 2013  Information Collection Foundations 1-63. Generally, surveillance is a “task” when performed as part of a reconnaissance mission. However, many Army, joint, and national systems are designed to conduct only surveillance. These are surveillance missions. Army military intelligence organizations typically conduct surveillance missions. Reconnaissance units can conduct surveillance tasks as part of reconnaissance, security, or other missions. Reconnaissance and surveillance both include observation and reporting. 1-64. Surveillance is distinct from reconnaissance. Surveillance is tiered and layered with technical assets that collect information. It is passive and continuous. Reconnaissance is active in the collection of information (such as maneuver) and usually includes human participation. Additionally, reconnaissance may involve fighting for information. Sometimes these operations are deliberate, as in a reconnaissance in force; however, the purpose of reconnaissance is to collect information, not initiate combat. Reconnaissance involves many tactics, techniques, and procedures throughout the course of a mission. An extended period of surveillance may be a tactic or technique. Commanders complement surveillance with frequent reconnaissance. Surveillance, in turn, increases the efficiency of reconnaissance by focusing those missions while reducing the risk to Soldiers. 1-65. Both reconnaissance and surveillance involves detection, location, tracking, and identification of entities in an assigned area gaining environmental data. Reconnaissance and surveillance are not executed the same way. During reconnaissance, collection assets find information by systematically checking different locations in the area. During surveillance, collection assets watch the same area and wait for information to emerge when an entity or its signature appears. 1-66. Reconnaissance and surveillance complement each other by cueing the commitment of collection assets against locations or specially targeted enemy units. An airborne surveillance asset may discover indicators of enemy activity that cues a reconnaissance mission. In some cases, surveillance assets may answer questions. Surveillance Characteristics 1-67. Effective surveillance—  Maintains continuous observations of all assigned NAIs and TAIs.  Provides early warning.  Detects, tracks, and assesses key targets.  Provides mixed, redundant, and overlapping coverage. Maintains Continuous Surveillance of All Assigned Named Areas of Interest and Target Areas of Interest 1-68. Once the surveillance of a NAI or TAI commences, units maintain it until they complete the mission or the higher commander terminates the mission. Commanders designate the receiver of the information and the means of communication. Continuous surveillance requires multiple collection assets, a purpose (requirement), a location (NAI or TAI) for each asset, and an information collection task. Effective commanders avoid designating too many NAIs and TAIs. Information collection suffers because of excessive requirements. During the plan and assess phase, the staff selects collection assets that best answer the information requirements developed from the CCIRs. During tasking and direct phases, the operations officer tasks assets to ensure continuous coverage. Provides Early Warning 1-69. Surveillance provides early warning of an enemy or threat action. Together with IPB, commanders use information collection to ascertain the enemy or threat course of action and timing. Commanders then orient assets to observe these locations for indicators of threat actions. Reporting must be timely and complete. Detects, Tracks, and Assesses Key Targets 1-70. Surveillance support to targeting includes detecting, tracking, and assessing key targets. This support includes detecting and tracking desired targets in a timely, accurate manner. Clear and concise tasks are required so the surveillance systems can detect a given target. Target tracking is inherent to detection. 3 May 2013 FM 3-55 1-11 Chapter 1 Mobile targets must be tracked to maintain a current target location. Once a target is detected, targeting planning cells must also consider the need to track targets. Tracking targets requires a heavy commitment of limited information collection assets and resources. Assessing key targets pertains to the results of attacks on targets. This helps commanders and staffs determine if targeting objectives were met. Provides Mixed, Redundant, and Overlapping Coverage 1-71. Commanders integrate the capabilities of limited assets to provide mixed, redundant, and overlapping coverage of critical locations identified during planning. The intelligence and operations staff work together to achieve balance. Commanders and staff continuously assess surveillance results to determine any changes in critical locations requiring this level of coverage. Surveillance Types 1-72. The types of surveillance are—  Zone surveillance.  Area surveillance.  Point surveillance.  Network surveillance. Note: Forms of reconnaissance, as opposed to types of surveillance, are associated with maneuver units and missions. Zone Surveillance 1-73. Zone surveillance is the temporary or continuous observation of an extended geographic zone defined by boundaries. It is associated with, but not limited to, a TAI or a NAI. Zone surveillance covers the widest geographical area of any type of surveillance. Multiple assets, including airborne surveillance assets and radar with wide coverage capabilities, are employed in zone surveillance. Area Surveillance 1-74. Area surveillance is the temporary or continuous observation of a prescribed geographic area. It is associated with, but not limited to, a TAI or NAI. This area may include a town, a neighborhood, ridgeline, wood line, border crossing, farm, plantation, cluster, or group of buildings or other man-made or geographic feature. Unlike area reconnaissance, it does not include individual structures (such as a bridge or single building). Ground-mounted surveillance systems are particularly useful in area surveillance. Point Surveillance 1-75. Point surveillance is the temporary or continuous observation of a place (such as a structure), person, or object. This is associated with, but not limited to, a TAI or a NAI. Out of all forms of surveillance, it is the most limited in geographic scope. Point surveillance may involve tracking people. When surveillance involves tracking people, the “point” is that person or persons, regardless of movement and location. Tracking people normally requires a heavier commitment of assets and close coordination for handoff to ensure continuous observation. Network Surveillance 1-76. Network surveillance is the observation of organizational, social, communications, cyberspace, or infrastructure connections and relationships. Network surveillance can also seek detailed information on connections and relationships among individuals, groups, and organizations, and the role and importance of aspects of physical or virtual infrastructure (such as bridges, marketplaces, and roads) in everyday life. It is associated with, but not limited to, a TAI or a NAI. 1-12 FM 3-55 3 May 2013  Information Collection Foundations SECURITY OPERATIONS 1-77. Security operations are those operations undertaken by a commander to provide early and accurate warning of enemy operations, to provide the force being protected with time and maneuver space within which to react to the enemy, and to develop the situation to allow the commander to effectively use the protected force (ADRP 3-90). Security operations are shaping operations that can occur during all operations. Other collection assets provide the commander with early warning and information on the strength and disposition of enemy forces. The availability of information collection assets enables greater flexibility in the employment of the security force. 1-78. Security operations aim to protect the force from surprise and reduce the unknowns in any situation. A commander undertakes these operations to provide early and accurate warning of enemy operations, to provide the force being protected with time and maneuver space to react to the enemy, and to develop the situation to allow the commander to use the protected force. Commanders may conduct security operations to the front, flanks, and rear of their forces. The main difference between security operations and reconnaissance is that security operations orient on the force or facility protected, while reconnaissance is enemy, populace, and terrain oriented. 1-79. The five tasks of security operations commanders may employ are screen, guard, cover, area security, and local security. (See ADRP 3-90 for more information on the five tasks of security operations and their tactical employment.) 1-80. Successful security operations depends on properly applying the following five fundamentals:  Provide early and accurate warning.  Provide reaction time and maneuver space.  Orient on the force or facility to be secured.  Perform continuous reconnaissance.  Maintain enemy contact. 1-81. To collect information and apply the fundamentals for security operations, the security force aggressively and continuously seeks the enemy, interacts with the populace, and reconnoiters key terrain. It conducts active area or zone reconnaissance to detect enemy movement or enemy preparations for action and to learn as much as possible about the terrain. The ultimate goal is to detect the enemy’s COA and help the main body counter it. Terrain information focuses on its possible use by the enemy or friendly force, either for offensive or defensive operations. Stationary security forces use combinations of observation posts, aviation, intelligence collection assets, and battle positions to perform reconnaissance. Moving security forces perform zone, area, or route reconnaissance along with using observation posts and battlefield positions to apply this fundamental. INTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS 1-82. Intelligence operations are the tasks undertaken by military intelligence units and Soldiers to obtain information to satisfy validated requirements (ADRP 2-0). (See ADRP 2-0 for further discussion on intelligence operations and each discipline.) Intelligence operations align intelligence assets and resources against requirements to collect information and intelligence to inform the commander’s decisions. Conducting intelligence operations requires an organic collection and analysis capability. Successful intelligence operations support the unit’s ability to conduct focused intelligence analysis. Data and information collected during the course of intelligence operations is essential to the development of timely, relevant, accurate, predictive, and tailored intelligence products. Those units without resources must rely on augmentation from within the intelligence enterprise for intelligence. Although the focus is normally on tactical intelligence, the Army draws on both strategic and operational intelligence resources. Each intelligence discipline and complimentary intelligence capability provides the commander with technical capabilities and sensors. Because of the capabilities and characteristics of intelligence operations, these capabilities and sensors require guidance through technical channels. The Army’s intelligence disciplines that contribute to intelligence operations are—  Counterintelligence.  Geospatial intelligence. 3 May 2013 FM 3-55 1-13 Chapter 1  Human intelligence.  Measurement and signature intelligence.  Open-source intelligence  Signals intelligence.  Technical intelligence. 1-83. The Army’s complementary intelligence capabilities that contribute to intelligence operations are—  Biometrics-enabled intelligence.  Cyber-enabled intelligence.  Document and media exploitation.  Forensics-enabled intelligence. 1-14 FM 3-55 3 May 2013