“Our mission is to create a decisive warfighting advantage for the United States Navy by accurate and timely warning of enemy capability, location, and intent.”
– Naval Intelligence Strategic Plan 2013-2017
To achieve this warfighting advantage, the Navy requires decision superiority, enabled by (1) Assured Command and Control (C2); (2) Enhanced Battlespace Awareness; and (3) Integrated Fires, all of which multiply combat options and increase the operational effectiveness of Navy and joint commanders. Given these requirements, the newly released Naval Intelligence Strategic Plan (NISP) 2013-2017 guides the naval intelligence community to mutually support and integrate with the other information dominance (ID) disciplines. In terms of the core ID tenets referenced above, it means:
- Assured C2: Specially trained all-source analysts who identify adversary techniques, capabilities and intent to undermine our ability to command and control our own forces. Equipped with this detail, Information Dominance Corps (IDC) operators are armed to defend, deter or defeat actual or potential threats and ensure our freedom of action in cyberspace.
- Battlespace Awareness: A naval intelligence community able to leverage the full range of Navy intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) assets, as well as the power of the national intelligence community (IC), to: deliver persistent surveillance and in-depth knowledge of both the maritime and information battlespace; deeply penetrate adversary systems to discern their capabilities; understand when, where and how adversaries operate; and convey that intelligence to operating forces in timely, relevant and predictive fashion.
- Integrated Fires: A naval intelligence function that isolates adversary system vulnerabilities and exposes them to a growing array of kinetic and non-kinetic effects or “fires.” When informed by the Battlespace Awareness attributes mentioned above, these fires are designed to disrupt the enemy’s command, control and communications. In parallel, naval intelligence professionals provide the knowledge to support damage assessments and re-attack options.
The NISP’s mission and enterprise goals facilitate the integration of naval intelligence into information dominance as a warfare discipline. Moreover, these goals enhance the quality and value of Naval Intelligence contributions to decision superiority, both for warfighters and decision-makers worldwide.
Purposes of Intelligence (Joint Pub 2-0)
- Inform the Commander;
- Identify, define and nominate objectives;
- Support the planning and execution of operations;
- Counter adversary deception and surprise;
- Support friendly deception efforts; and
- Assess the effects of operations.
The NISP complements the Navy Strategy for Achieving Information Dominance by providing the plans, programs and policies the naval IC must follow to fully integrate naval intelligence into the information dominance mission. It focuses naval intelligence, and by extension the entire IC, on achieving decision superiority for naval and joint commanders.
For copies, contact the Office of Naval Intelligence Corporate Communications: 301-669-2084.