Operational Planning Process

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• Operational Planning Process
• Cdr Frank Faehnrich

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Agenda

• INTRODUCTION
• OPERATIONAL PLANNING PROCESS
• INITIATION STAGE 1
• ORIENTATION STAGE 2
• Mission Analysis / Centre of Gravity /
  Operational Design
• CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT STAGE 3
• CoA Development / War Gaming
• 6. CO-ORDINATION
• 7. PLAN DEVELOPMENT STAGE 4
• 8. PLAN REVIEW STAGE 5

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3. Initiation
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3. Initiation
Purpose of Stage I
Establish - Requirement to conduct operational
planning - General planning directions -
Planning limitations
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3. Initiation
Purpose of Stage I
Receive higher authority to commence operational
planning - Issues planning warning Strategic
Operational Level Tactical -
Request for LNO
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3. Initiation
Intelligence Information
Planning Info / Data

• Review / update intelligence estimate
• INTSUM from higher authority
• Intel department to start preparations for
  intelligence briefing to OPG
• Collect planning info, data and tools
• Country Books
• Environmental / Meteorological / Hydrographical
  etc.

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3. Initiation
Intelligence Information
Military Assessment
Planning Info / Data

• Based on intelligence estimate and guidance from
  NATO military authorities
• Constitutes basis for military advice concerning
  strategic and operational direction
• Includes draft Initiating Directive whenever
  possible

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3. Initiation
Political-Military Estimate
Intelligence Information
Initiating Directive
Military Assessment

Planning Info / Data
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3. Initiation
Activities Stage I

• Anticipate the requirement to commence
  operational planning
• Assemble the JOPG
• Establish liaison with higher and lower echelon
  JOPGs and with international organizations
• Gather information and data relevant to the
  anticipated planning situation
• Provide input to the Strategic Military
  Assessment as required
• Receive formal direction to initiate planning
  from higher headquarters

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4. Orientation
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4. Orientation
Purpose of Stage II
The purpose of the Orientation Stage is to
determine what must be accomplished to meet the
higher authoritys direction and guidance.
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4. Orientation
MissionAnalysis


Higher Cdrs Planning Guidance
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4. Orientation

• Appreciate the Situation (Background )
• Planning Factors
• Civil Military situation

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4. Orientation

• Appreciate the Situation (Background)
• Analyse the Opposing Force Situation
• Review Order of Battle and disposition
• Determine Objectives the desired end states
• Identify Capabilities, Strengths and Weaknesses
• Identify and Determine COGs (own level), DPs,
  and HVTs
• Begin development of OPFOR COAs

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4. Orientation

• Appreciate the Situation (Background)
• Analyse the Opposing Force Situation
• Review Superiors Guidance
• Mission / Intent
• Objectives and End States
• Limitations (Constraints and Restraints)
• Pre-conditions for success
• Assumptions

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4. Orientation
Restraints and Constraints

• Restraints (must not do) They are prohibitive
  -- plans must not include these prohibited
  actions.
• Example No pre-emptive offensive actions
  allowed.
• Constraints (must do) They impose specific
  obligations that must be met.
• Example Counter-offensive action must begin
  before 17 Nov XX.

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4. Orientation

• Appreciate the Situation (Background)
• Analyse the Opposing Force Situation
• Review Superiors Guidance
• Analyse / Identify / Determine own Level
  Tasks
• Assigned Tasks
• Implied Tasks
• The NATO Task List (NTL)
• Mission Essential Tasks

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4. Orientation
Tasks Analysis

• ASSIGNED TASKS Tasks specifically allocated to
  you by the higher commander in his planning
  guidance.
• IMPLIED TASKS Other tasks derived from analysis
  of the higher commanders planning guidance and
  your estimate of the situation.
• MISSION ESSENTIAL TASKS Tasks that are
  considered essential to the accomplishment of the
  higher commanders stated objectives.

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4. Orientation

• Appreciate the Situation (Background)
• Analyse the Opposing Force Situation
• Review Superiors Guidance
• Analyse / Identify / determine Your own Level
  Tasks
• Analyse Key Factors
• Force
• Time
• Space
• Civil Environment

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4. Orientation
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4. Orientation
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4. Orientation
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4. Orientation

• Appreciate the Situation (Background)
• Analyse the Opposing Force Situation
• Review Superiors Guidance
• Analyse / Identify / determine Your own Level
  Tasks
• Analyse Key Factors
• Develop Mission Statement

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4. Orientation
A complete Mission Statement should answer the
following questions Who will conduct the
campaign/operation? What must be accomplished by
this campaign/operation? When will the
campaign/operation begin? Where will the
campaign/operation take place? Why will the
campaign/operation be conducted?
Mission Task(s) Purpose
Link to the Higher Command Mission
Mission Essential Tasks
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4. Orientation
MCC Mission (Joint Exercise)
On Order, COM MCC - will assume OPCON over
assigned forces in JOA - establish (tailored)
Sea Control - conduct maritime arms embargo iaw
UNSCRs - support humanitarian assistance -
secure SLOCs - provide military assistance for
LAP forces
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4. Orientation
Out of Area Deployment 2009
On Order, COM MCC will deploy Standing NATO
Maritime Group 1 to the South Asia region in
order to demonstrate NATOs ability to operate at
extended range outside SACEURs AOR, improve
NATOs regional and maritime situational
awareness, and facilitate constructive
interaction with Contact Nations and the wider
region.
SNMG1 SNMCMG1 Program 2009 - 2010
On order, COM MCC will deploy SNMG1 and SNMCMG1
into their designated areas and direct the
conduct of their planned programme in support of
NATOs strategic goals and objectives in order to
maintain an effective, deployable high readiness
maritime capability through participation in
training events, experimentation tasks and
cooperation with partner nations.
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4. Orientation

• Appreciate the Situation (Background)
• Analyse the Opposing Force Situation
• Review Superiors Guidance
• Analyse / Identify / determine Your own Level
  Tasks
• Analyse Key Factors
• Develop Mission Statement
• Develop Operational Design

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4. Orientation
Operational Design Elements

• End-States
• Objectives
• Centres of Gravity
• Critical Capabilities and Vulnerabilities
• Decisive Points
• Direct or Indirect Approach
• Lines of Operation
• Operational Geometry

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4. Orientation
End-state The set of required conditions that
define an acceptable concluding situation to be
attained at the end of an operation.
Operational Objective A clearly defined and
attainable goal to be achieved by a campaign or
operation that will contribute decisively to
strategic outcome.
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4. Orientation
Identification of a Centre of Gravity
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4. Orientation
Centre of Gravity SNMG1
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4. Orientation

MCC (Joint Exercise)

• CC
• Tailored / balanced force weapon / system mix
• Information superiority

CoG Credible and Sustainable Maritime Force

• CR
• Force protection
• Robust OPINTEL and C4I structure
• Interoperability
• Sustainability
• Freedom of Movement
• SPOD / APOD Access

• CV
• Logistic supply
• C2
• AOR

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4. Orientation
Decisive Points

• DECISIVE POINTS are conditions that must be
  achieved sequentially and or simultaneously in
  the course of a campaign or major operation to
  defeat the enemys centre of gravity
• and that you would fight to achieve in the face
  of opposition

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4. Orientation
Operational Design
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4. Orientation

• Appreciate the Situation (Background)
• Analyse the Opposing Force Situation
• Review Superiors Guidance
• Analyse / Identify / determine Your own Level
  Tasks
• Analyse Key Factors Develop Mission Statement
• Develop Operational Design
• Determine Critical Information Requirements

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4. Orientation
Commanders Critical Information Requirements

• Information the commander needs to make decisions
• Can NOT be covered by assumptions
• Three categories of CCIR
• Priority Intelligence Requirements (PIR) Things
  the commander needs to know about the OPFOR
• Friendly Force Information Requirements (FFIR)
  Things the commander needs to know about his own
  forces
• Essential Elements of Friendly Information
  (EEFI) Information about friendly forces that
  must not be revealed to the OPFOR

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4. Orientation

• Appreciate the Situation (Background)
• Analyse the Opposing Force Situation
• Review Superiors Guidance
• Analyse / Identify / determine Your own Level
  Tasks
• Analyse Key Factors
• Develop Mission Statement
• Develop Operational Design
• Determine Critical Information Requirements
• Prepare Mission Analysis Brief

MAB Template Page 93
Example
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4. Orientation
Stage I and II Summary

• Serve as the foundation for effective
  operational design and effective employment of
  the joint, combined force.
• Translate political / strategic Objectives and
  End States into terms that military professionals
  at all levels can understand
• Logical process that illuminates all relevant
  time, space, and force factors to inform the
  commanders judgment
• The Commanders means of developing suitable
  and feasible Courses of Action and a Concept of
  Operation that will lead quickly to achieving the
  End States of the campaign or operation.

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4. Orientation
Questions or Leg stretch