Defense Primer: Intelligence Support to Military Operations
Updated May 12, 2023
Defense Primer: Intelligence Support to Military Operations
Nine of 18 total statutory elements of the Intelligence
dynamic, the intelligence process is iterative: each category
Community reside within the Department of Defense
or phase of the process is ongoing and complements the
(DOD). This includes the National Security Agency (NSA),
other phases for the duration of the military operation or
Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), National Geospatial-
campaign.
Intelligence Agency (NGA), and the intelligence
components of the military services. Non-DOD intelligence
Intelligence Roles and Responsibilities
community elements, such as the Central Intelligence
Table 1 summarizes the roles and responsibilities of joint
Agency (CIA), also provide support to the military.
intelligence to assist commanders in deciding which forces
Integrated intelligence community support of the military
to deploy, when, how, and where to deploy them, and how
includes strategic, operational, and tactical intelligence
to employ them in a manner that accomplishes a specific
activities, products and services necessary for military
mission consistent with the commander’s priorities.
strategy, planning, and operations.
Table 1. Roles and Responsibilities of Joint Intelligence
The Director of National Intelligence (DNI) serves as
community manager for the intelligence community and the
Role: To provide information, assessments and estimates
principal intelligence advisor to the President. The core
in support of a military commander’s decision-making.
mission of the DNI is to ensure the integration of
Responsibilities:
intelligence activities across the elements of the intelligence
To support the planning of operations: Describe the
community. The Under Secretary of Defense (Intelligence
operational environment; provide estimates
and Security) (USD(I&S)) manages the DOD intelligence
pertaining to adversaries; analyze target systems and
elements. This position is dual-hatted. When acting as the
their vulnerabilities; identify, nominate objectives.
USD(I&S), the incumbent reports directly to the Secretary
of Defense and serves as the Secretary’s principal staff
To support the execution of operations: Monitor
and provide warnings concerning the operational
assistant on intelligence, counterintelligence, security, and
environment; enable target engagements.
other intelligence-related matters. When acting as Director
of Defense Intelligence (DDI), the incumbent reports
To assess the effectiveness of operations: Perform
directly to the DNI and serves as principal advisor on
battle damage assessments; measure changes to
defense intelligence matters. Together, the DNI and
adversaries and the operational environment.
USD(I&S) coordinate a number of interagency activities
Source: Joint Publication 2-0, Joint Intelligence, p. I-5.
designed to facilitate the integration of national and tactical-
level intelligence.
According to JP 2-0, intelligence should support a
commander’s plan
The Intelligence Process for Supporting
ning, execution, and assessment of the
Military Operations
impact of military operations. It should, therefore, include a
comprehensive analysis of the threat and relevant aspects of
The intelligence community supports the entire spectrum of
the operating environment in assessments enabling the
DOD missions, from peacetime to combat operations. Joint
commander to create and exploit opportunities to
Publication 2-0, Joint Intelligence, (or, JP 2-0, the
accomplish friendly force objectives.
publication of the Joint Chiefs of Staff that provides
definitive guidance on intelligence support for military
In describing the operational environment, JP 2-0 specifies
operations) notes that the intelligence process for
that intelligence should identify for the commander
supporting joint (i.e., multi-service, integrated) military
associated issues such as the political context; governance;
operations consists of six interrelated categories of
leadership intentions; military capabilities and tactics;
intelligence operations, all aimed at providing commanders
communications and critical infrastructure; economy;
and national-level decision-makers with relevant and timely
terrain; weather; cultural considerations; social stability;
intelligence. These categories include planning and
and health conditions. Intelligence should also provide
direction; collection, processing and exploitation; analysis
military planners clearly defined, achievable, and
and production; dissemination and integration; and
measurable objectives that meet the commander’s intent.
Changes to the threat and the operational environment
evaluation and feedback. Intelligence professionals
require intelligence professionals to continuously review
participate in the planning and decision-making processes
their objectives to determine whether they remain relevant.
to align intelligence resources with operational objectives
effectively. Collection management ensures the appropriate
To counter an adversary’s deception efforts, JP 2-0
collection resources are tasked to address specific
specifies that intelligence should confirm previous analysis
intelligence requirements pertaining to operational
using multiple analytical methods and processes. This may
objectives. Because the operational environment is
include multiple methods to confirm, for example, an
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Defense Primer: Intelligence Support to Military Operations
adversary’s capabilities and vulnerabilities, and the threat
intelligence elements are also responsible for assigning
an adversary poses to U.S. and allied information systems.
service intelligence personnel to joint intelligence and
Intelligence can also identify objectives to deceive an
combat support agencies whose mission is to provide
adversary to complement the commander’s operational
strategic, operational, and tactical-level intelligence support
objectives.
to operational forces.
According to JP 2-0, intelligence must also help assess the
Joint Intelligence Elements
effectiveness of military operations by objectively assessing
The National Joint Operations and Intelligence Center
the impact on an adversary, and other relevant aspects of
(NJOIC), attached to the Joint Staff in the Pentagon,
the operating environment with respect to the commander’s
maintains a continuous, all-source, multidiscipline
intent. This may include conducting surveys of the extent of
intelligence alert center to provide defense situational
damage to targets or providing intelligence support to
awareness, early warning, and crisis management
planning for follow-on strikes, deployments of relief forces,
intelligence support. In addition, DOD joint intelligence
or related activities.
centers (JICs) attached to each combatant command
provide a common, coordinated picture of conditions in
Defense Intelligence Organizations
each theater of operations by fusing national and theater
Table 2 illustrates the variety of ways in which intelligence
intelligence information from across the IC into all-source
entities are organized at the service-, joint-, and national-
assessments and estimates tailored to the needs of the
levels to support military operations.
commander.
Combat Support Agencies (CSAs)
Table 2. Selected Defense Intelligence Organizations
Combat Support Agencies with an intelligence function,
Service Intelligence Components
such as DIA and NGA, provide intelligence products and
services to support military planning and operations.
U.S. Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance, &
Products may include current intelligence briefings;
Reconnaissance (AF/A2)
analysis of the geopolitical environment; foreign military
U.S. Army Intelligence (G-2)
capability assessments; geospatial products such as imagery
U.S. Coast Guard Intelligence (CG-2)
or bomb-damage assessments; targeting recommendations
and coordinates intelligence information reports; and
U.S. Marine Corps Intelligence, Surveillance and
Reconnaissance Enterprise (MCISR-E)
signals intelligence.
U.S. Naval Intelligence (N2)
Relevant Statutes
U.S. Space Force Intelligence (S-2)
Title 10, U.S. Code, Chapter 21—DOD Intelligence Matters
Joint Intelligence Elements within DOD
Title 50, U.S. Code, Chapter 44—National Security
National Joint Operations and Intelligence Center
(NJOIC)
CRS Products
Joint Staff Intelligence Directorate (JCS J-2)
CRS In Focus IF10525, Defense Primer: National and Defense
Combatant Command Intelligence Directorates
Intelligence, by Michael E. DeVine
(CCMD J-2)
CRS In Focus IF10523, Defense Primer: Under Secretary of
Joint Force Command Intelligence Directorates (JFC J-
Defense for Intelligence and Security, by Michael E. DeVine
2)
CRS In Focus IF10470, The Director of National Intelligence
Joint Intelligence Operations Center (JIOC)
(DNI), by Michael E. DeVine
Joint Intelligence Support Element (JISE)
CRS In Focus IF10524, Defense Primer: Budgeting for National
and Defense Intelligence, by Michael E. DeVine
Combat Support Agencies
CRS Report R45175, Covert Action and Clandestine Activities of
Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)
the Intelligence Community: Selected Definitions, by Michael E.
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA)
DeVine
National Security Agency (NSA)
Other Resources
Source: CRS, adapted from 50 U.S.C. §3003(4), Joint Publication 2-
01, Joint and National Intelligence Support to Military Operations, pp. xi-xv
DOD, Joint Publication 2-0, Joint Intelligence, May 26, 2022.
and II.
DOD, Joint Publication 2-01, Joint and National Intelligence
Support to Military Operations, July 5, 2017.
Service Intelligence Components
Service intelligence components are designed to provide
service-specific intelligence systems, personnel, training,
and analytical expertise to optimize military strategy,
Michael E. DeVine, Analyst in Intelligence and National
planning, and operations. This includes responsibility for
Security
providing intelligence assessments of the capabilities and
intentions of potential adversaries to support long-term
IF10574
defense planning and systems acquisition. Service
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Defense Primer: Intelligence Support to Military Operations
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to
congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress.
Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has
been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the
United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be
reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include
copyrighted images or material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you
wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.
https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10574 · VERSION 12 · UPDATED