Operational Intelligence in a Changing World

Without a stable and known threat focusing years of intelligence work, an operational intelligence support plan today must consider factors not only such as what intelligence will be needed and where it can be produced, but also how much of it is currently available and whether the remainder can be acquired within the time constraints of the planned operation. Operators and planners today cannot assume that critical intelligence products will always be available for every part of the world, and must take this into account when planning operations. Because the intelligence community does not, and will not, have the resources to collect, analyze, process, produce, and disseminate all the intelligence that could be needed for military operations in any location in the world, the President issued priorities to focus their efforts and resources in Presidential Decision Directive 35. Unfortunately, the gaps are also likely to be the places where unexpected contingencies arise. To minimize the effect these gaps have on military operations, intelligence staffs must ensure planners and operators are aware that such a situation exists and could affect them. In addition, the intelligence community needs to better develop the resources they have by focusing analyst on one area for the long term instead of moving every few years, and by reaching out to open sources and outside expertise such as in academia to cover areas beyond the current scope of military intelligence.