text: Comprehensive Tactical Planning in Counterinsurgency
  though. As such, the detect activity requires a detailed understanding of social networks, insurgent
  networks, insurgent actions, and the community’s attitude toward the counterinsurgent forces.
  4-151. For a target that must be engaged by nonlethal means, the detect function may require patrols
  to conduct reconnaissance of a leader’s home to determine if they are there, an assessment of a potential
  project, or attendance at a greeting to meet with a leader.
  RSTA AND ISR OPERATIONS
  4-152. Reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition (RSTA) and intelligence, surveillance,
  and reconnaissance are activities that synchronize and integrate the planning and operation of sensors,
  assets, and processing; exploitation; and dissemination systems in direct support of current and future
  operations. This is an integrated intelligence and operations function (JP 2-01). RSTA/ISR provides
  relevant information about all aspects of the operational environment. RSTA/ISR helps commanders assess
  the degree to which information superiority is achieved. RSTA/ISR also directly supports information
  engagements by defining targets in detail and by helping assess the effectiveness of friendly and adversary
  information engagements.
  4-153. Reconnaissance and surveillance operations help to confirm or deny insurgent COAs
  and estimates of guerrilla capabilities and combat effectiveness. Reconnaissance and surveillance also
  confirm or deny assumptions about the operational environment and threat made during planning.
  4-154. Doctrine requires the staff to carefully focus RSTA/ISR on the CCIR (PIR and FFIR) and be able
  to quickly retask units and assets as the situation changes. This ensures that the enemy situation drives
  RSTA/ISR operations. The S-2 and S-3 play a critical role in this challenging task that is sometimes
  referred to as “fighting ISR.” Through RSTA/ISR, commanders and staffs continuously plan, task,
  and employ collection assets and forces. They collect, process, and disseminate timely and accurate
  information, combat information, and intelligence to satisfy the commander’s critical information
  requirements and other intelligence requirements.
  4-155. RSTA/ISR synchronization analyzes information requirements and intelligence gaps; evaluates
  available assets both internal and external to the organization; determines gaps in the use of those assets;
  recommends RSTA/ISR assets controlled by the organization to collect on the CCIR; and submits requests
  for information for adjacent or higher collection support (FM 3-0). Collection tasks linked to decision
  points play a critical part in the operation. The reconnaissance and surveillance plan must ensure that
  information tied to decision points reaches the commander and staff in time to support the decision. The
  reconnaissance and surveillance plan also ties directly into the targeting process. Collection assets are
  identified, prioritized, and planned to detect certain targets during the “decide” and “detect” phases of the
  D3A process. The collector’s information, if it meets the established, criteria may trigger the deliver
  function. After delivery, the collectors, also identified in the “decide” phase, provide information to assess
  the attack. These may be the same collector or a different asset. If not, a different asset is tasked to do this.
  One tool to achieve this is a daily RSTA/ISR and operations synchronization meeting, which is discussed
  in the targeting section of this chapter. The RSTA/ISR synchronization plan is an output of this meeting,
  and coordinates and synchronizes the RSTA/ISR. (For more, see FM 2-0.)
  DELIVER
  4-156. The deliver function of targeting begins in earnest with execution. The targeting process provides
  speed and efficiency in the delivery of lethal or nonlethal fires on targets in accordance with the Attack
  Guidance Matrix or the targeting FRAGO. Within the deliver function, the system or combination
  of systems selected during the “decide” phase is employed.
  4-157. For a target that requires lethal means, units may eliminate the target using a joint direct attack
  munition (JDAM) from a USAF aircraft, an Excalibur round, a Joint Tactical Attack Cruise Missile System
  (JTACMS), or a sniper. However, many times it is more important to capture the target, so commanders
  will choose to execute a raid or a cordon and search. For a target that requires nonlethal means, a
  commander may choose to use an information engagement to convince a local leader, or to conduct a
  project to garner the population’s support through money or employment.