Intelligence and Recon

An analysis training handbook for CIA agents.

This handbook is designed to help analysts in the Intelligence Community (CIA) become more effective at their craft. The handbook articulates the philosophy and mission of intelligence officers and systematically lays out principles they can use to conceptualise and create written and oral products.

This handbook provides the user with guidance on avoiding bias and increasing objectivity, techniques for building their analytic sophistication, and areas in which they can seek additional training

Examples of the contents include interpersonal, bureaucratic, and communication skills; the analyst’s craft; ethics of analysis; guide to gisting; key intelligence questions to … Continue Reading

Combat commanders need timely and accurate intelligence. In order to drive intelligence as a part of the intelligence operating system, commanders must understand what intelligence can do, how to focus it on specific requirements, and how you can integrate it with other operating systems.

Intelligence is your tool; it is the foundation for synchronizing operations, massing combat power and effects, and protecting the force. There is no such thing as perfect intelligence but, when properly focused and planned and executed, intelligence operations are invaluable. To effectively use intelligence, you must understand

• The capabilities and limitations of the intelligence operating system.

• … Continue Reading

The aim of this manual is to provide guidance for the employment of the Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) capability in Canadian Forces land operations. This publication contains ISTAR tactics, techniques and procedures (TTP) appropriate to brigade group and battle group level operations. These TTPs apply to all levels of intensity.

This document describes the tactics, techniques and procedures for employment of the Land Force intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) capability during operations.

The role of ISTAR is to integrate the intelligence function with surveillance, target acquisition (TA), reconnaissance and other information–generating assets in order to … Continue Reading

Throughout history, military leaders have recognized the importance of reconnaissance and surveillance (R&S).

Gaining and maintaining contact with the enemy is essential to win the battle. Our own military history contains many examples where our knowledge of the enemy, or lack of knowledge, directly led to victory or defeat. The role of R&S has not changed on the modern battlefield; if anything, it has become even more important. Battles at the combat training centers prove that a good R&S effort is critical to successful attacks. On the other hand, a poor R&S effort almost guarantees defeat for the commander.

This … Continue Reading

The Marine Corps Warfighting Publication, Scouting and Patrolling, provides the doctrinal foundation and the tactics, techniques, and procedures for scouting and patrolling conducted by Marines from the fire team to the company level. Although the information focusses on infantry units, much of the information is also applicable to combat support units that are assigned patrolling missions.

This Manual provides all Marines and interested persons with the instructional material they need to build the skills necessary to become effective scouts and patrol team members. This publication provides the fundamentals of scouting and patrolling and their relationship to each other. It also addresses … Continue Reading

These combat training tips are an update on the manual produced in the Vietnam era, which were published in 1970 and captured valuable combat experience in jungle operations.

In 1988 the 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (with several joint attachments), conducted an extensive series of jungle operations. They ended the exercises by updating the Vietnam–era tips to cover changes in equipment, weapons, and doctrine. These include many new techniques, such as Night Vision Goggles and Blackhawk tips, and a section on “Hatchet Team” operations.

The lengthy and detailed “PW Snatch,” “Breakout,” and “Movement Techniques” portions from Vietnam–era tips were excluded because, … Continue Reading

This Marine Corps Doctrinal Publications, Intelligence, and Marine Corps Warfighting Publication, Intelligence Operations, provide the doctrine and higher order tactics, techniques, and procedures for intelligence operations. The Marine–Corps Counterintelligence Publication complements and expands on this information by detailing doctrine, tactics, techniques, and procedures for the conduct of counterintelligence (CI) operations in support of the Marine airground task force (MAGTF). The primary target audience of this publication is intelligence personnel responsible for the planning and execution of CI operations.

The principal objective of CI (counterintelligence) is to assist with protecting friendly forces. CI is the intelligence function concerned with identifying and … Continue Reading

Reconnaissance is the military term for the active gathering of information about an enemy, or other conditions, by physical observation. It is part of combat intelligence.

Marine Corps Reference Publication: Reconnaissance Reports Guide provides tactical reference material on the content and format of reconnaissance reports. It is intended as a reference aid for tactical field use and is based on information contained in numerous doctrinal publications available to Marines.

This manual contains reference material that is frequently used in the collection and reporting of information resulting from Marine ground–reconnaissance operations. This publication was prepared primarily to assist reconnaissance patrol leaders and communicators … Continue Reading