text: Chapter 8
  8-71. Table 8-3 depicts IPOE and information requirements generally associated with friendly defensive
  operations.
  Table 8-3. IPOE and information requirements associated with defensive operations (friendly)
  Determine the likely purpose (for example, terrain- or force-oriented) and type of enemy offense.
  Determine the likely enemy end state, objectives, decision points, culmination point, strengths, vulnerabilities, and scheme of maneuver.
  Identify military aspects of terrain (OAKOC) and weather effects that support enemy offensive operations:
  • Favorable ground corridors and air avenues of approach (including for the use of drone swarms and drone delivered munitions).
  • Areas with significant concealment and/or cover.
  • Terrain, including subterranean, that allows forces to bypass obstacles and friendly positions. (See ATP 3-21.51.)
  • Infiltration routes.
  • Landing zones (manned and unmanned aircraft systems).
  • Favorable weather effects (such as visibility, wind, precipitation, cloud cover/ceilings, temperature, thermal crossover, humidity, and atmospheric
  pressure) for friendly systems relative to enemy systems.
  • Favorable weather for the use of obscuration or chemical weapons.
  Identify military aspects of terrain (OAKOC) and weather effects that support friendly defensive operations:
  • Terrain that allows friendly forces to tie obstacles to existing terrain features to supports friendly defensive positions.
  • Favorable air and ground avenues of approach for a counterattack.
  • Terrain that canalizes enemy attacking forces.
  • Favorable weather effects (such as visibility, wind, precipitation, cloud cover/ceilings, temperature, thermal crossover, humidity, and atmospheric
  pressure) for enemy systems relative to friendly systems.
  Identify the location of enemy assembly areas, ammunition and logistics nodes, forward aviation locations, and likely movement routes into the friendly
  area of operations.
  Template and track the composition, disposition, likely routes, and time phase lines of reconnaissance and surveillance, security, advanced
  engineering, infiltrating, and air assault units (most include intelligence handover lines).
  Template and track the composition, disposition, likely routes, and time phase lines of advance guard, main body, antitank, reserve, and second
  echelon units.
  Template and track specific locations where the enemy will conduct key maneuver tasks, such as occupying support by fire positions and
  dismounting infantry, or where friendly units may be isolated in defensive positions due to enemy use of artillery scatterable mines.
  Determine the likely use and template the location of enemy command and control nodes, long-range fires, artillery and rocket units, air defense
  systems, attack helicopter units, close air support, engineer units, CBRN units, electromagnetic warfare assets, and special operations forces.
  Determine the likely use of enemy information warfare, cyberattacks, and denial and deception operations; likely impacts to friendly, threat, and
  neutral forces; and impacts of misinformation and disinformation on local, regional, and international audiences.
  Determine the impact of significant civil considerations on friendly and enemy operations such as hindering movement on lines of communications, medical
  and health considerations, criminal activity, and the housing and feeding of a displaced population.
  ATP Army techniques publication
  CBRN chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear
  OAKOC observation and fields of fire, avenues of approach, key terrain, obstacles, and cover and concealment
  8-72. Table 8-4 depicts IPOE and information requirements generally associated with each of the three types
  of friendly defensive operations.
  Table 8-4. IPOE and information requirements associated with each defensive operation type
  Area defense
  The intelligence staff leads the rest of the staff in identifying when, where, with what strength, and how the enemy will attack across domains and
  potentially engaging one or more dimensions. This allows the commander to identify opportune times to conduct spoiling attacks and reposition
  forces. The entire staff also identifies threats to support and rear areas, such as enemy special purpose forces and irregular activities, which may
  interfere with control of the defense. Besides the IPOE and information requirements identified in table 8-3, conducting area defense operations
  includes considering the following requirements:
  • Identify the location of natural lines of resistance, well-defined avenues of approach, intervisibility lines, cover and concealment, and other
  terrain features that support area defense. (See ATP 2-01.3.)
  • Determine whether the terrain better supports a forward defense or a defense in depth.
  • Consider cyberspace, space, information advantage activities, and EW capabilities that enable friendly defensive operations while also
  defending against those same threat capabilities.
  Mobile defense
  Besides IPOE and information requirements, conducting mobile defense operations includes considering the following requirements:
  • Likely locations where the threat can employ fire support coordination measures to turn or block friendly forces executing the mobile defense.
  • Likely locations where the enemy can expose its flanks and dissipate its combat power.
  • Likely times when and locations where the friendly commander can launch a spoiling attack.
  • Where and when friendly force combat power is greater than enemy force combat power.
  • Likely locations where the commander can employ striking and fixing forces based on the enemy’s scheme of maneuver.