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Marines

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FORCE DEVELOPMENT FOCUS AREA

Intelligence Force Development Focus Area Summary:

  • Integrate intelligence capabilities across all levels of the MAGTF.
  • Increase data interoperability and direct communications between systems and collectors to enable integration of information, sensor cross-cueing, and fusion of multi-discipline/multi-source data as well as spatial and temporal visualization.
  • Projecting ISR into forward operating environments.
  • Persistent ISR, Sensors, and Battlefield Awareness.
  • Intelligence Dissemination and Utilization.
  • Influence the development of fusion and dissemination systems to push to smaller and distributed units.
  • Integrated into aviation (MV22 etc) feeding Marines in the air or on the ground


Intelligence Force Development Focus Area:

Intelligence is an indispensable Marine Corps Warfighting Function. Our modern expeditionary warfighting concepts increasingly depend on operating with precision, within an increasingly complex environment in which robust ISR operations are essential to mission success.

Scalable, ready forces require intelligence sensors, equipment, architectures, and tradecraft to establish and maintain battlespace awareness, influence the operating environment, and support decision-making at the point of attack. The Marine Corps Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Enterprise (MCISRE) develops, delivers, operates, and sustains fully integrated ISR capabilities to meet that requirement. Operating across all warfighting functions, the MCISRE provides commanders and decision-makers the intelligence information required to successfully plan and execute MAGTF missions. MCISRE effectiveness is enhanced through cooperation with interagency, joint, allied, and coalition partners. The ability to support real-time decision-making is predicated on a variety of massed and layered sensors, UAS, a robust architecture, and advanced analytical capabilities, combined with seamless national and theater intelligence structures, from CONUS to deployed tactical units. The MCISRE supports Marine Operating Force commanders in accordance with several key concepts.

Operations and Intelligence Integration. Recent operational experience has demonstrated a transformation in the relationship between operations and intelligence. Decisive knowledge at the point of action demands full integration of intelligence with operations across all echelons of command. When operations and intelligence are not integrated, intelligence does not receive the direction needed to be effective, and operations do not receive intelligence required for mission success. Institutional approaches must be fine-tuned to organize and train personnel in operations and intelligence integration to enable full fluency in this symbiotic relationship for all MAGTF mission sets.

Projecting ISR into Forward Operating Environments. MAGTF operations today, and in the future, will remain heavily dependent on garrison structure and access to the National Intelligence Community to project ISR capabilities to the tactical edge. Projecting the ISR warfighting function is much more than ‘reach-back’. It is a scalable and planned progression of capabilities into the operational environment. Marine Corps Intelligence Centers (MICs) located at MEF Headquarters are networked to the Marine Corps Intelligence Activity (MCIA) and subordinate intelligence entities. As a fundamentally new way of doing business, continuously operating MICs become the surge, bounding, and recovery capability for current operations, as well as a global Indications and Warning node, where the MICs bridge multiple (national, theater, service) intelligence architectures to compensate for limited afloat bandwidth, billets, and shipboard spaces. As forces move ashore, MIC capability surges forward, consistent with the tactical footprint. With access to the MICs, deployed forces are able to focus on the current intelligence picture and tactical analysis. MCISRE capacity will provide commanders the best available intelligence while leveraging the entire intelligence community and theater assets.

Persistent ISR, Sensors, and Battlespace Awareness. Under Persistent ISR, the MAGTF commander is supported by intelligence collection assets organic to the MAGTF, with direct support from joint, and national resources, and Combat Support Agencies. Persistence is achieved through integrated, synchronized management and employment of the ISR Enterprise, to include all intelligence disciplines, ground reconnaissance, combat patrols, human intelligence (HUMINT), signals intelligence (SIGINT), UAS, aviation, space, and cyber. Capturing information in real-time is fundamental to persistent ISR. This necessitates data interoperability and direct communications between systems and collectors to enable integration of information, sensor cross-cueing, and fusion of multi-discipline/multi-source data as well as spatial and temporal visualization. Traditional and nontraditional battlefield sensors and activities should be linked by a sensing strategy that combines all sensor data, creating a Persistent ISR presence that transforms into battlespace awareness.

Intelligence Dissemination and Utilization (IDU). IDU is the identification and conveyance of relevant combat information and intelligence to satisfy a valid MAGTF intelligence requirement. IDU requires continuous feedback to ensure the right combat information and intelligence flows to the right consumer at the right time for actions or decisions. IDU must provide for access and dissemination of intelligence from multiple sources, including those external to the MAGTF. These resources may include, but are not limited to, Joint, Coalition, and national capabilities. IDU supports both the sharing and the protection of information, to include a capability to address multilevel security requirements.

Advanced Intelligence Analysis. Decision advantage in combat is a function of rapidly acquiring high-value information, performing quick and accurate analysis, and achieving immediate dissemination in the language of operations to generate speed in decision, higher-tempo operations, and combat effectiveness. Increasing the acquisition, analysis, processing, and dissemination in support of the commander’s needs is how the Marine Corps will outmaneuver expected future threats despite the diffusion of advanced weapons, global surveillance, and networking. To achieve the higher levels of speed and precision, the MCISRE and its Navy and Coast Guard counterparts must provide a trained workforce that is skilled in the procedures of creating combat intelligence.

Supporting the full range of MAGTF missions, the MCISRE provides commanders and decision-makers the intelligence required for successful planning and execution. Under Expeditionary Force 21 these key capabilities must be enhanced:

  • Operations and Intelligence Integration.
  • Projecting ISR into forward operating environments.
  • Persistent ISR, Sensors, and Battlefield Awareness.
  • Intelligence Dissemination and Utilization.
  • Advanced Intelligence Analysis.
  • Fusion and dissemination of timely intelligence to smaller and distributed units.
  • The use of intelligence liaisons or a fusion group in operations centers to speed the process of information dissemination and response to commander’s priorities and information requirements.

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Combat Development & Integration