Introduction
Military intelligence is a discipline in the military that allows the collection of information that will assist commanders in decision-making processes. Military intelligence aims to provide an examination of data from various sources that will be directed towards the mission requirements of the commander. Military intelligence helps in responding to questions in the operational plan. Military intelligence involves studying the environment where military activities will take place; the environment could be hostile, neutral, or friendly. This field of military studies examines the number of civilians in an area where combat is taking place. Intelligence activities take place on three levels, which include strategic, operational, and tactical intelligence. Strategic intelligence is involved in the examination of military capabilities, economics, and political evaluation of foreign countries. In Operational intelligence, an intelligence officer is focused on intervening, identifying, detecting, and targeting criminal behavior. Tactical intelligence is concerned with conducting and planning of tactical activities. Intelligence plays a significant role in the military; it enhances military operation and supports the commander and staff.
Purpose of Intelligence
Intelligence allows the army to perform its operations while at the same time supporting the commander. Commanders and other military staff are dependent on intelligence products of different kinds (ADP 2-0 Intelligence 2019). The intelligence process is continuous and supports the operations in the military through the development of information requirements, collection of the requirements, and examining the data and intelligence obtained from different sources. Intelligence supports commanders and staffs by offering them the nature of threat at which they are faced with, the weather conditions of the areas where military activities are going to take place. Intelligence also supports the military by giving them the information about the geographical conditions they will encounter while in combat and the political temperature of the country. This type of intelligence will allow the commander and the military staff to prepare for what is ahead of them by meeting their specific needs.
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There is a secure link between the operations in the military services and intelligence. Intelligence is the driving force in military operations; on the other hand, intelligence is enabled by military activities (Intelligence Support For Military Operations Using The Arcgis® Platform 2016). Through supporting command and control, assessment, preparation, execution, and planning of the operations, intelligence is also supported. The war-fighting functions of command and control combine all the components of combat power(Bang, 2017). If one needs to ensure that intelligence support is active, the staff involved and the commanders must realize the link between command and control, the basic doctrine of intelligence, and the war-fighting intelligence function.
Intelligence allows the commanders to effectively accomplish their missions ("Defense Primer: Intelligence Support To Military Operations" 2020). Commanders need information about threats in their areas of combat and other critical environmental aspects prior to their operations or after. With the assistance intelligence, commanders visualize the environment of activities, they will also organize forces that the commanders believe are capable of handling a particular threat. Also, the information the commanders have obtained from intelligence will allow them to control their operations and achieve their set goals (Bang, 2017). The objectives are achieved by providing answers to particular requirements that are concerned with space and time. The products of intelligence permit the commanders to make decisions using the available information, plan operation, and identifying COAs. This intelligence enables the commanders to direct the forces correctly and employ ethical practices in their tactics and techniques.
The integration of staff functions and maintaining control and command is a complex process. Communication, operations, intelligence, and targeting are closely linked. For this reason, the commander is tasked with the responsibility of driving the operation process partially through the enablement of intelligence war-fighting function (ADP 2-0 Intelligence 2019). Intelligence plays a significant role in this state for its commanders to direct the staff to combine their intelligence with war-fighting functions (Bang, 2017). This act allows the staff to view the status of their operations and interfere with their threats.
Intelligence leaders play a crucial role in the intelligence process, for they ensure that war-fighting functions operate efficiently (ADP 2-0 Intelligence 2019). These leaders advise the commander intelligence on intelligence analysis and information requirements. The process of analyzing intelligence is both deliberate and thorough (Bang, 2017). The intelligence advisors offer the commander crucial information about the geographical features of a place, weather, and threat. The intelligence leader also shows the commander the degree of confidence they have placed on the analytic assessment.
Conclusion
Intelligence in the military is essential, for it permits commanders to collect information that will enhance decision making in the military operations. The intelligence process goes through various stages, which include strategic, tactical, and operational intelligence. Military activities cannot function properly without intelligence. Conducting intelligence is a continuous process that supports military operations by developing information requirements and examination of data that has been sourced from a variety of intelligence sources. Command and control war fighting integrate all the constituents of combat power, which is essential in military operations. Intelligence also provides commanders information about their areas of combat; this includes the topography of the area, the population of civilians, and the environmental factors. Understanding the nature of a combat area makes it easier for the army to accomplish their missions. Intelligence leaders are also essential in the intelligence process for they act as advisors to the commander for they provide appropriate information about certain missions.
References
Bang, M. (2017). Military Intelligence Analysis: Institutional Influence (p. National Defence University).
Defense Primer: Intelligence Support to Military Operations. (2020), 1-3. Retrieved 31 March 2020, from.
Department of the Army. (2019). ADP 2-0 Intelligence (pp. 1-88).
ESRI. (2016). Intelligence Support for Military Operations Using the ArcGIS® Platform (pp. 1-24).
