text: Chapter 4
  4-158. Target exploitation in the counterinsurgency environment is similar to that in law enforcement.
  An exploitation plan not only facilitates gathering evidence for future court cases, but also may lead
  to follow-on targets after successful exploitation. (See Chapter 6 for details on tactical site exploitation.)
  ASSESS
  4-159. At the tactical level, commanders use assessment to get a series of timely and accurate snapshots
  of their effect on the insurgent and the population. It provides commanders with an estimate of the
  insurgent’s combat effectiveness, capabilities, and intentions, as well as an accurate understanding of the
  people. This helps commanders determine when, or if, their targeting efforts have been accomplished. The
  “assess” phase relies heavily upon MOEs and MOPs.
  4-160. Producing the assessment is primarily an intelligence responsibility, but requires coordination
  with operations, civil affairs, public affairs, information operations, and PSYOP to be effective. As part
  of the targeting process, assessment helps to determine if another engagement of the target is necessary.
  TARGETING BATTLE RHYTHM
  4-161. During COIN operations, brigades and battalions typically use a one or two week targeting battle
  rhythm. The target cycle drives the tactical unit’s daily and weekly operations. Figure 4-8 shows an
  example of a targeting cycle and battle rhythm.
  Figure 4-8. Targeting battle rhythm.
  4-162. Another important facet of the battle rhythm is the daily RSTA/ISR and operations
  synchronization meeting. Due to the air tasking order cycle, this traditionally synchronizes operations from
  96 hours to 24 hours in the preparation to hand over to current operations. In counterinsurgencies, this
  meeting must synchronize all actions along the seven COIN LOEs. Especially critical is planning
  and requesting higher-level assets such as air force aircraft, jamming, UASs, ISR, and aviation ahead of the
  higher headquarters decision cycle. There are three outputs from this meeting—a 96-hour synchronization
  matrix, a 96-hour RSTA/ISR plan, and a daily FRAGO.
  SUMMARY
  Planning in COIN uses tactical design, either MDMP or TLP, and targeting to ensure units achieve their
  end state over time. Throughout the COIN planning process, tactical units employ the seven COIN lines
  of effort to ensure that they achieve unity of effort, prioritization in accomplishing tasks, control of the
  population, and an increase in the Host Nation government’s legitimacy.