text: _________________________________________________________________________________Chapter 2
  Planning Factors
  2-149. Planning factors serve as a basis for staff calculations and as meas-
  ures against which to test and assess troops and units. The OPFOR sees
  these planning factors as guides in planning rather than figures to which one
  must adhere rigidly in all circumstances.
  2-150. The OPFOR views planning factors as practical expressions of the re-
  lationships dictated by military common sense and the principles of war. Op-
  erations planning factors include space and time factors concerning the mis-
  sions of forces and their areas of combat activity. For example, such planning
  factors establish parameters for the time available to take advantage of a
  window of opportunity, the space required to disperse forces, and the number
  of ambushing forces necessary to ensure a key target is destroyed. The basis
  for these planning factors is a close study of potential adversaries, military
  history, field training exercises, and military simulations. The resulting plan-
  ning factors are tailored to the makeup of OPFOR organizations, their
  capabilities, enemy capabilities, and conditions on the modern battlefield.
  2-151. Planning factors also express timeliness and quantitative and qualita-
  tive factors. Examples include normal expenditures of ammunition to destroy
  a given target, rates of fuel consumption under specific conditions, and the
  number of halts in a road march of a given duration. Such factors ensure a
  uniform and objective approach to expected performance in combat and a
  standard for evaluating the training level of personnel and units.
  Forces Analysis
  2-152. For determining the amount and type of force required to accomplish
  a given mission (for planning purposes), OPFOR planners use a very detailed
  method known as forces analysis. This involves qualitative calculations of the
  relative strengths of their own and enemy forces. Forces analysis includes study
  of opponents previous military operations and the historical trends for application
  of military power at all levels. Vulnerabilities and strengths are assessed for
  potential exploitation by OPFOR operational forces. Forces analysis is seldom a
  simple one-to-one comparison of combat systems. It involves an examination of
  the enemy’s entire combat system and the linkages of military forces to national
  strategies. By determining the relationships of the systems that give a military
  force its strength the OPFOR can determine where, and now much combat
  power to apply for desired effects. The results of forces analysis are used to rec-
  ommend to the commander the organization of forces and the battlefield, as well
  as to identify any shortfalls in the available components of combat power.
  Advances in Planning
  2-153. Advances in information technology have resulted in changes in the
  OPFOR’s planning process. Some of the advances have resulted in the fielding of
  new hardware providing increased capabilities, while others caused changes in how
  the OPFOR conducts operations. The following paragraphs address these factors.
  2-154. Timeliness. The high pace of modern combat imposes time con-
  straints on the OPFOR decision-making process and planning cycle.
  Commanders must expect the situation to be subject to sudden, sharp