text: Appendix A
  Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield
  “In no class of warfare is a well organized and well served intelligence department
  more essential than in against guerrillas”
  COL C. E. Callwell, Small Wars, 1896
  The complexity of an insurgency and increased number of variables (and their
  infinite combinations) increases the difficulty of providing timely, relevant,
  and effective intelligence support to counterinsurgency (COIN) operations.
  Conducted effectively, however, the intelligence preparation of the battlefield (IPB)
  allows commanders to develop the situational understanding necessary to visualize,
  describe, and direct subordinates in successfully accomplishing the mission.
  OVERVIEW
  A-1. IPB is the systematic process of analyzing the threat and environment in a specific geographic
  area—the area of operations (AO) and its associated area of interest (Figure A-1). It provides the basis
  for intelligence support to current and future operations, drives the military decision-making process,
  and supports targeting and battle damage assessment. The procedure (as well as each of its four steps)
  is performed continuously throughout the planning, preparation, and execution of a COIN operation.
  Figure A-1. The steps of IPB.
  INCREASED COMPLEXITY
  A-2. Uncovering intricate relationships takes time, careful analysis, and constant refinement
  to determine actual effects on friendly and threat courses of action (COAs). These relationships
  exist among—
  • Population groups.
  • The infrastructure.