D•sign ut Army lnlumutiun Oparntiuns INFORMATION OPERATIONS ACROSS THE SPECTRUM OF CONFLICT l·75. The national secuxity und national zuilitnxjv strategies ustahlish an im- pcrmive for engagement (sec FM 1). Engagement invulvus the nation vxcv cising the instruments of runtiomil pnwc1·—diploumtic, informational, mili» tary, and uc<1mmic—tu shape the security cuvimnmcnt. One anemia by which the United States exercises the iniiwnxationcil instrument mf natiozml power is thmugl: joint IO. Army fumes conduct IO within joint force parameters. Throughout the spectrum uf conflict, commanders conduct 10 to apply the ine formation element of combat power, ln all situations, Army forces do nm act in isolation. Almost all operations are joint; most are interagency as well. PEACE 1—76. During puzwc. commanders conduct IO m shape thc stmwgic unvimzv mont or to prepare for operations during crisis and war. Normally IO are part of a combatant commnndufs theater uugagcmant plan. The majority of peacvtime preparation is dorm at home station nr during training exercises, Using contingency plans tu focus their efforts. commanders Prepare databasus for each I0 element. These databases contain infor- mation cm possible advmsaries and other significant actors. At the stra- tegic and operational levels, databases focus on one or more of the Bcllnwh-tg target sets: • Political leadership. • information capabilities and vulmzrabilitios, including military and civilian communication networks, and domestic amd Eivuign media. • Military opuutinns, leadership, and iuiiasrructure, and their vu1¤ex·abil.ities at thc strategic, operational, and tactical levels. • Economic factors that affect an actors ability to mount and sustain military operations, and those that affuct the momlu of the population and its leadership. This set includes thu intlrastructura that supports uuemnmsc activity. • Social etlbcts of ethnic, racial, and historical nnimosities and alliances. 1—77. The iirst four of these target sets coincide with the instruments of ma~ tiuunl power. The last target set addresses aspwts uf Lhu inibrmatjnn unvi~ mnmvnt that mmztumdcrs ccmsider when conducting IO. Examples uf infor mation that databases may includn nre— • People and groups who wield influence, both within states and mm- slate avwrs. • Decisionmakcrs, both within states and nnnstubc actors. • People and groups sympathetic w US inwmsts. • People and groups hostile to US interests. • People and groups vulnerable m US influence. • Thumes that appeal to specific audiences, • Attributes uf states that make them stable or unstable. • States and ucmstate actors that either accept ur reject US economic or military support. • Religious, ethnic, and cultural cusmms, norms, and values. |·19
