Information Operations Planning is a comprehensive tour de force of the latest concepts and technologies in the field of IO planning, never before brought together in a single volume. The book covers all aspects of IO planning, including attack, defense, and influence, as well as planning for the logistics of IO. You find in-depth coverage of concepts and tools that have been implemented in real-world IO planning, which have in turn driven enhancements in IO doctrine. These tools have been selected as the basis for the Department of Defense's next IO planning tool, as well as the Air Force's Air Operation Center Strategy Development tool. Moreover, this unique resource serves as an excellent textbook and is currently being used by both the U.S. and U.K. Military. The book offers you both traditional and innovative ways of thinking about IO both now and in the future, while debunking many common myths and misperceptions. This unique resource presents the mutually supporting aspects of traditional military and IO planning, weaving a seamless approach for planning both kinetic and non-kinetic options across IO's offensive, defensive, and influence operations as an integral part of the overall plan. Highlights of this authoritative book include discussions on: Why Military Deception and Operations Security planning must be undertaken as mutually supporting aspects of the same planning and execution monitoring process.; Why the United States is currently losing the battle for the minds in the Idea Battlespace, and specific steps to succeed in that arena.; Why the United States needs to define the Information Space as its own Domain, with an Interagency Service as the primary combatant.; How to define and monitor satisfaction of political constraints throughout the planning process.; How to include computer network operations in exercises, experiments, and testing while not shutting down the event.; How to plan for, task, review, and document reachback support for distributed planning, and why the end product is a distributed plan.
Section 1: Information Operations Planning Context; Information Operations and Its Role in Security and Conflict - Purpose and Principles of IO. Examples of IO Implementations in Recent Conflicts. What IO is Not. The Role of IO in Effects Based Planning. ; The Increasing Importance of IO in Military Operations - Early Examples of Information Operations. Military Conflict in the Information Age. Advantage, Dependence, and Vulnerability in Information Age Societies.; Characteristics of IO Planning - The Large IO Planning Space. The Time and Space Dimensions of IO. Direct and Indirect Effects in IO. The Role of Feedback in IO. The Complexity of IO. The Information Requirements of IO. IO Classification Issues.; Section 2: The IO Planning Process and Tools; Categories of IO Planning - The Evolving U.S. Doctrine of IO. Three Useful Categories of IO. Types of IO Operations Planning. Organizing for IO Operations Planning. IO Acquisition Planning.; Planning Methodologies and Technologies for Attack Missions in IO - Defining the Space of Options. Quantifying the Political Constraints. Cause and Effect Networks (CAENs). Blue versus Red COA Comparisons. Employment Options and the Blue Capabilities Matrix. Scalability, Reachback, and Requests for Analysis. Multilevel Security and Distributed Plans.; Planning Methodologies and Technologies for Influence Missions in IO - The Influence Operations Planning Context. Categorizing Message Purposes. The Idea Battlespace. Getting and Maintaining Attention. Change Methods and Submethods. Delivery Mechanisms. Measuring Influence Success. Entering Influence Ops in the CAEN.; Planning Methodologies and Technologies for Defense Missions in IO - How Defense Differs from Attack or Influence. Military Deception Planning. Operations Security Planning. Computer Network Defense Planning.; Monitoring and Replanning During Execution - Monitoring Plan Progress. Monitoring Branches and Sequels. Execution Monitoring for Attack. Execution Monitoring for Influence. Execution Monitoring for Defense. When to Replanor Not Replan.;
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Patrick D. Allen
Patrick D. Allen is currently senior lead systems engineer at General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, is a certified Project Management Professional, and is a retired Colonel in the Army Reserves. He is a Director of the Military Operations Research Society (MORS), co-chair of the MORS IO working group, and a member of the PSYOP and OPSEC Communities of Knowledge and Practice (CKAPs). Dr. Allen has designed and developed numerous real-world decision support tools and strategic technology plans for the Military Services, U.S. Pacific Command, U.S. Joint Forces Command, the Joint Special Operations Forces Institute, the Department of Defense, the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency, and the Intelligence Community. He is the award-winning designer and developer of major components of the Information Warfare Planning Capability, a fielded system that has been selected as the basis for the Department of Defense's next IO planning tool and the Air Force's Air Operation Center Strategy Development tool. His work also includes the Integrated Battle Command project and the Defense Against Cyber Attacks in Mobile Ad Hoc networks (DCA MANET), the Course of Action Process for computer network defense, IO test and evaluation support tools, Interactive Intelligence planning and analysis tool, and many military models and simulations. Over his 25-year career, Pat has consulted internationally for Canada, the United Kingdom, and Sweden. He is widely published in the fields of operations research and military modeling and simulation in analysis, training, testing, experimentation and planning. He has a B.S. in physics, an M.S. and Ph.D. in operations research, and a masters of strategic studies.