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Military intelligence
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Military intelligence (abbreviated MI, int. Commonwealth, or intel. U.S., or J2 U.S.), is a military service that uses intelligence gathering disciplines which informs the commanders' decision making process by providing analysis of available data from a wide range of sources including forecast environmental changes (an element of meteorological intelligence (Hinsley 1990, pg 430)), and opposing force intentions. To provide that informed analysis the commanders information requirements are identified and input to a process of gathering, analysis, protection, and dissemination of information about the operational environment, hostile, friendly and neutral forces and the civilian population in an area of combat operations, and broader area of interest.
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Encyclopedia
Military intelligence (abbreviated MI, int. Commonwealth, or intel. U.S., or J2 U.S.), is a military service that uses intelligence gathering disciplines which informs the commanders' decision making process by providing analysis of available data from a wide range of sources including forecast environmental changes (an element of meteorological intelligence (Hinsley 1990, pg 430)), and opposing force intentions. To provide that informed analysis the commanders information requirements are identified and input to a process of gathering, analysis, protection, and dissemination of information about the operational environment, hostile, friendly and neutral forces and the civilian population in an area of combat operations, and broader area of interest. Intelligence activities are conducted at all levels from tactical to strategic, in peacetime, the period of transition to war, and during the war.
Most governments maintain a military intelligence capability to provide analytical and information collection personnel in both specialist units and from other arms and services. The military intelligence capabilities will interact with civilian intelligence capabilities to inform the spectrum of political and military activities.
Personnel selected for intelligence duties, whether specialist intelligence officers and enlisted soldiers or non-specialist assigned to intelligence may be selected for their analytical abilities and intelligence before receiving formal training.
Levels of Intelligence
Intelligence operations are carried out throughout the hierarchy of political and military activity
Strategic intelligence
Strategic intelligence is concerned with broad issues such as economics, political assessments, military capabilities and intentions of foreign nations (and, increasingly, non-state actors). Such intelligence may be scientific, technical, tactical, or diplomatic, but these changes are analyzed in combination with known facts about the area in question, such as geography, demographics, and industrial capacities.
Operational intelligence
Operational intelligence is focused on support to an expeditionary force commander and will be attached to the formation Headquarters.
Tactical intelligence
Tactical intelligence is focused on support to operations at the tactical level, and would be attached to the Battlegroup. At the tactical level briefings are delivered to patrols on current threats and collection priorities, these patrols are then debriefed to elicit information for analysis and communication through the reporting chain.
Intelligence tasking
Intelligence should respond to the needs of the commander, based on the military objective and the outline plans for the operation. The military objective provides a focus for the estimate process, from which a number of information requirements are derived, information requirements may be related to terrain and impact on vehicle or personnel movement, disposition of hostile forces, sentiments of the local population and capabilities of the hostile order of battle.
In response to the information requirements the analysis staff will trawl existing information identifying gaps in the available knowledge. Where gaps in knowledge exist the staff may be able to task collection assets to collect against the requirement.
Analysis reports draw on all available sources of information, whether drawn from existing material or collected in response to the requirement. The analysis reports are used to inform the remaining planning staff, influencing planning and seeking to predict adversary intent.
This process is described as Collection Co-ordination and Intelligence Requirement Management (CCIRM).
The intelligence process
The process of intelligence has four phases: collection, analysis, processing and dissemination. In the United Kingdom these are known as Direction, Collection, Processing and Dissemination.
Collection
Many of the most important facts are well known, or may be gathered from public sources. This form of information collection is known as open source intelligence. For example, the population, ethnic make-up and main industries of a region are extremely important to military commanders, and this information is usually public. The tonnage and basic weaponry of most capital ships and aircraft are also public, and their speeds and ranges can often be reasonably estimated by experts, often just from photographs. Ordinary facts like the lunar phase on particular days, or the ballistic range of common military weapons are also very valuable to planning, and are habitually collected in an intelligence library.
A great deal of useful intelligence can be gathered from photointerpretation of detailed high-altitude pictures of a country. Photointerpreters generally maintain catalogs of munitions factories, military bases and crate designs, in order to interpret munition shipments and inventories.
Most intelligence services maintain or support groups whose only purpose is to keep maps. Since maps also have valuable civilian uses, these agencies are often publicly associated or identified as other parts of the government. Some historic counter-intelligence services, especially in Russia and China, have intentionally banned or placed disinformation in public maps; good intelligence can identify this disinformation.
It is commonplace for the intelligence services of large countries to read every published journal of the nations in which it is interested, and the main newspapers and journals of every nation. This is a basic source of intelligence.
It is also common for diplomatic and journalistic personnel to have a secondary goal of collecting military intelligence. For western democracies, it is extremely rare for journalists to be paid by an official intelligence service, but they may still patriotically pass on tidbits of information they gather as they carry on their legitimate business. Also, much public information in a nation may be unavailable from outside the country. This is why most intelligence services attach members to foreign service offices.
Some industrialized nations also eavesdrop continuously on the entire radio spectrum, interpreting it in real time. This includes not only broadcasts of national and local radio and television, but also local military traffic, radar emissions, and even microwaved telephone and telegraph traffic, including satellite traffic. The U.S. in particular is known to maintain satellites able to intercept cell-phone and pager traffic. Analysis of bulk traffic is normally performed by complex computer programs that parse natural language and phone numbers looking for threatening conversations and correspondents. In some extraordinary cases, undersea or land-based cables have been tapped, as well.
More exotic secret information, such as encryption keys, diplomatic message traffic, policy and orders of battle are usually restricted to analysts on a need-to-know basis, in order to protect the sources and methods from foreign traffic analysis.
Analysis
Analysis consists of assessment of an adversary's capabilities and vulnerabilities. In a real sense these are threats and opportunities. Analysts generally look for the least defended or most fragile resource that is necessary for important military capabilities. These are then flagged as critical vulnerabilities. For example, in modern mechanized warfare, the logistic train for a military unit's fuel supply is often the most vulnerable part of a nation's order of battle.
Human intelligence, gathered by spies, is usually carefully tested against unrelated sources. It is notoriously prone to inaccuracy: In some cases, sources will just make up imaginative stories for pay, or they may try to settle grudges by identifying personal enemies as enemies of the state that is paying for the intelligence. However, human intelligence is often the only form that provides information about an opponent's intentions and rationales, and it is therefore often uniquely valuable to successful negotiation of diplomatic solutions.
In some intelligence organizations, analysis follows a procedure, screening general media and sources to locate items or groups of interest, and then systematically assessing their location, capabilities, inputs and environment for vulnerabilities, using a continuously-updated list of typical vulnerabilities.
Packaging
Critical vulnerabilities are then indexed in a way that makes them easily available to advisors and line intelligence personnel who package this information for policy-makers and war-fighters. Vulnerabilities are usually indexed by the nation and military unit, with a list of possible attack methods.
Critical threats are usually maintained in a prioritized file, with important enemy capabilities analyzed on a schedule set by an estimate of the enemy's preparation time. For example, nuclear threats between the USSR and the US were analyzed in real time by continuously on-duty staffs. In contrast, analysis of tank or army deployments are usually triggered by accumulations of fuel and munitions, which are monitored on slower, every-few-days cycles. In some cases, automated analysis is performed in real time on automated data traffic.
Packaging threats and vulnerabilities for decision makers is a crucial part of military intelligence. A good intelligence officer will stay very close to the policy-maker or war fighter, to anticipate their information requirements, and tailor the information needed. A good intelligence officer will ask a fairly large number of questions in order to help anticipate needs, perhaps even to the point of annoying the principal. For an important policy-maker, the intelligence officer will have a staff to which research projects can be assigned.
Developing a plan of attack is not the responsibility of intelligence, though it helps an analyst to know the capabilities of common types of military units. Generally, policy-makers are presented with a list of threats, and opportunities. They approve some basic action, and then professional military personnel plan the detailed act and carry it out. Once hostilities begin, target selection often moves into the upper end of the military chain of command. Once ready stocks of weapons and fuel are depleted, logistic concerns are often exported to civilian policy-makers.
United Kingdom
Intelligence requirements for the British Army are provided by the Intelligence Corps, the Royal Air Force being supported by an intelligence Branch. Whilst the Royal Navy does not have a dedicated Intelligence Branch officers from each of the professional branches are employed in intelligence roles, an Operational Intelligence branch does exist in the Royal Naval Reserve. Personnel are frequently employed in a joint environment, with staffs being formed from all three services.
Strategic level intelligence is provided to the Ministry of Defence and other government departments by the Defence Intelligence Staff (DIS).
Training for all three services is carried out at Chicksands in Bedfordshire.
The abbreviation MI is used in the popular names of the Security Service (MI5) and the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) reflecting an historical name in the 1920s when they were an element of the Directorate of Military Intelligence. Whilst the designation has not been used since the 1920s they remain common in the media and popular perception.
- For a list of the numbers used in First World War British Military Intelligence, see MI numbers.
United States
The United States Armed Forces has various styles of referring to its intelligence functions. The numbering system was borrowed from the French General Staff around the period of World War I. In French usage, the Deuxième Bureau (second office) performed the intelligence function.
Joint intelligence staffs work for the J-2, while multinational intelligence is under a C-2. Each may have a G-2 (military/ground intelligence) /N-2 (naval intelligence) /A-2 (air intelligence) staff subordinated to it.
The lead agency for joint United States military intelligence operations as well as strategic defense-related intelligence is the Defense Intelligence Agency. DIA unifies the Department of Defense in regard to intelligence analysis and collection.
United States Army
Within the military, the term military intelligence is specific to the intelligence components of the United States Army, not the other services or the armed forces as a whole. There is no standard nomenclature within all the services, which use a variety of different names to refer to intelligence sections.
Army intelligence personnel belong to the Military Intelligence Corps. Most units at the battalion level and higher are assigned an intelligence officer, referred to as the S2. Units at the division level and higher refer to the post as the G2, while at joint command levels and higher, where multiple service branches are unified under one command, the same duty position is designated the J2. In most battalions, the position of S2 is usually held by a captain, with a lieutenant as a deputy and a sergeant first class as a staff NCO. Larger military units such as a division or separate brigade have military intelligence warrant officers assigned as technical experts in the various intelligence disciplines. In units where the specific mission of the unit itself is an intelligence mission, a wide variety and range of other intelligence occupational specialties will be found.
The senior intelligence officer in the service is the Army G2 (formerly known as the Deputy Chief of Staff, Intelligence, or DCSINT), a general officer in the rank of Lieutenant General. The Army G2 is part of the Army Staff located in the Pentagon. The Army G2 is supported by a staff of intelligence, operational, and administrative Soldiers, Department of the Army Civilians, and civilian contractors. The senior intelligence command within the US Army is the US Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM), headquartered at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, and commanded by a Major General. The US Army trains the majority of its intelligence personnel at the US Army Intelligence Center and School (USAICS), Fort Huachuca, Arizona. USAICS conducts training in all disciplines and aspects of intelligence for Officers, Warrant Officers, Noncommissioned Officers, Enlisted Soldiers, and some Army Civilians.
United States Navy and Marine Corps
Beginning in 1965, the United States Navy created an Restricted Line Officer category for Special Duty Officer, Intelligence. There are currently approximately 1300 US Navy Intelligence officers and 2500 enlisted Intelligence Specialists. Officers and enlisted intelligence personnel serve throughout all Navy and joint auspices and duties. The senior intelligence officer in any command is referred to as the "N2," as a similar designator exists in all other services: G2, S2 or A2--However, the Navy designation generally refers to a specific individual rather than a department, battalion, office, etc.
The United States Navy refers to intelligence officers on a flag officer's staff as the N2. At this level, the N2 is usually a senior officer, such as a captain or commander.
The U.S. Navy maintains its own intelligence center of excellence that oversees multiple intelligence functions, the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI). ONI is the oldest continuously operating intelligence service in the nation. While its mission has taken many different forms over its evolution, the main purpose has not changed from its inception. ONI’s primary mission remains to keep the fleet, national leaders and decision makers informed with critical war fighting information to assure a winning margin over any navy that would challenge this country’s interests. Located in the Federal Center in Suitland, Maryland, the National Maritime Intelligence Center, or NMIC, is the home and nerve center of ONI. The NMIC also supports the Coast Guard Intelligence Coordination Center (USCG ICC), the Navy Information Warfare Activity (NIWA), and a component of the Marine Corps Intelligence Activity (MCIA).
USN and USMC military intelligence officers and enlisted personnel are trained at the Navy and Marine Corps Intelligence Training Center at Training Support Center Hampton Roads.
United States Air Force
Within the USAF, the standard office symbol for intelligence sections within units is IN. The Air Force's intelligence operations are most commonly referred to as ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance). Air intelligence components of combined (multinational) or joint (multi-service) commands refer to air intelligence section heads as A-2. Additionally, the Air Force refers to its intelligence assets as air intelligence. These assets include satellites, U-2s, E3 AWACS (Airborne Warning And Control System), unmanned UAVs like the Predator, Darkstar, and Global Hawk, and RC-135s and many derivatives of the RC-135 (often focusing on a very specific discipline, like ELINT or MASINT).
The Air Force's intelligence operations are designed to contribute primarily to air superiority, special operations, mobility, ground support, force protection, Search And Rescue (SAR), Battle Damage Assessment (BDA), and Military Operations Other Than War (MOOTW), such as disaster relief.
The Air Force's intelligence fields focus on intelligence applications, SIGINT, ELINT, IMINT, Communications Security (COMSEC), HUMINT, OSINT, and cryptologic linguists. The Air Force trains intelligence officers and enlisted intelligence operators at Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas. The other services also send personnel to Goodfellow for specific training.
United States Coast Guard
Coast Guard Intelligence (CGI) came into existence in 1915 by the assignment of a "Chief Intelligence Officer" in Headquarters. Article 304 in the first set of Coast Guard Regulations provided for the establishment of a Chief Intelligence Officer who was to be attached to the Office of Assistant Commandant. The Chief Intelligence Officer's duties were spelled out in Article 614 of those same Regulations: "securing of information which is essential to the Coast Guard in carrying out its duties; for the dissemination of this information to responsible officers, operating units of the Coast Guard, the Treasury Department and other collaborating agencies; and the maintenance of adequate files and records of law enforcement activities."
The office was relatively unknown until the enactment of the Prohibition Act when CGI grew to a cadre of 45 investigators. CGI was extremely successful during prohibition and an Intelligence Division was established at Headquarters in 1930, followed by district intelligence offices in 1933.
During World War II, CGI was concerned with internal and domestic intelligence and counterintelligence. It was charged with conducting all necessary investigation of Coast Guard personnel, and all applicants for positions therein, as well as investigations of applicants for merchant marine documentation. Further, Coast Guard Intelligence was charged with conducting investigations in connection with the Coast Guard's regulatory functions, except Marine Inspection Regulations.
In 1948, CGI became the primary investigative arm of the service. This mandate for an "investigative service" required that special agents conduct criminal, counterintelligence and personnel security investigations within the Coast Guard's area of responsibility. The majority of these investigations involved those criminal offenses which are in violation of the UCMJ.
In 1996, in compliance with the President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency, the Coast Guard reorganized all criminal investigative and protective-services functions into the Coast Guard Investigative Service, or CGIS. The centralization of CGIS meant reorganization from the top down. Special agents now worked for a regional Special Agent-in-Charge (SAC). The SACs were located in seven regional offices in Boston, Portsmouth, VA, Miami, Cleveland, New Orleans, Alameda, CA, and Seattle. The SACs, in turn, reported to the director of CGIS at Headquarters who reported to the Chief of Operations and the vice commandant. At this time, CGIS was 282 special agents and support personnel.
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Footnotes
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