Operational Planning Process And The New Domains
Abstract: Emerging technologies and their cognitive aspects influence the operational planning process; thus, operational planning can become more efficient if planners adopt a multi-disciplinary approach. Such an approach must go beyond the standard PMESII framework (Political, Military, Economic, Social, Information, and Infrastructure) and consider other domains, such as those in the PMESIIIR&T framework. Military planners must follow the evolution of technology in conflict/war/operations, especially when employing different instruments of power.
Problem statement: How is the operational planning process affected by new technologies and the interconnections between the agencies, levels, domains, and dimensions?
Bottom-line-up-front: Today, the operational planning process and intelligence preparation must be multi-disciplinary. This is urgent as new technologies and cognitive aspects impact the balance between various levels of command.
So what?: Operational headquarters must approach the intelligence preparation of the operational environment with a new standard, moving from the PMESII to PMESIIIR&T. The PMESIIIR&T (Political, Military, Economic, Social, Infrastructure, Information, Info-Data Structure, Research & Technology) framework relates to the evolution of ongoing conflicts/wars/operations. Any action, effect, or decisive condition reached during a campaign may generate effects across and among domains. Therefore every single domain is interconnected and affects many dimensions (multi-domains), different levels of operations, and multiple military and non-military-stakeholders.
