text: Chapter 3
  Threat
  Threats are a fundamental part of an overall operational environment. A threat is any
  combination of actors, entities, or forces that have the capability and intent to harm
  United States forces, United States national interests, or the homeland (ADP 3-0).
  Threats may include individuals, groups of individuals (organized or not organized),
  paramilitary or military forces, nation states, or national alliances. When threats
  execute their capability to do harm to the United States, they become enemies.
  SECTION I – UNDERSTANDING THE THREAT
  3-1. In general,the various actors in any area of operations can qualify as a threat,an enemy,an adversary,
  a neutral actor,or a friend. An enemyis a party identified as hostile against which theuse of force is authorized
  (ADP 3-0). An enemy is also called a combatant and is treated as such under the law of war. An adversary
  is a party acknowledged as potentially hostile to a friendly party and against which the use of force may be
  envisaged (JP 3-0). A neutral is a party identified as neither supporting nor opposing friendly or enemy forces.
  Land operations often prove complex because a threat,an enemy,an adversary,a neutral,or a friend intermix,
  often with no easy means to distinguish one from another.
  Today’s operational environment presents threats to the Army and joint force that are significantly
  more dangerous in terms of capability and magnitude than those faced in recent operations in Iraq
  and Afghanistan. FM 3-0presents a two-fold major paradigm shift: The shift from the industrial
  to the information age and from non-state to peer and near peer threats leading to transitions, such
  as from counterinsurgency to large-scale combat operations. For the first time in U.S. Army
  doctrinal history, FM 3-0 names the enemies and adversaries, which possess the capabilities to
  contest and degrade the battlefield across all domains as the “4+1:” Russia, China, North Korea,
  and Iran as well as radical ideologues and transnational criminal organizations, such as Islamic
  State of Iraq and the Levant or al-Qa’ida. These threats continuously challenge the US in multiple
  domains and in most cases purposefully below the threshold of open conflict.
  THREAT COMPOSITION, DISPOSITION, AND INTENTION
  3-2. Leaders must understand that not all potential state adversaries seek to avoid U.S. forces or strengths,
  particularly those state adversaries with overwhelming numbers combined with favorable ground,and those
  with chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) weapons of mass destruction (WMD)
  capability—North Korea and Iran are examples. Today’s forces must prepare to deal with symmetrical threats
  as seen in Operation Desert Storm,as well as asymmetrical threats seen during Operation Iraqi Freedom and
  Operation Enduring Freedom.
  UNDERSTANDING WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT
  3-3. The BCT commander must understand threats,criminal networks,enemies,and adversaries,to include
  both state and nonstate actors, in the context of the operational environment. When the BCT commander
  understands the threat,the commander can visualize,describe,direct,and assess operations to seize,exploit,
  and retain the initiative and consolidate tactical gains. The commander and staff must develop and maintain
  running estimates (see chapter 4) of the situation. To develop and maintain running estimates of the situation