1. Introduction. Adversaries and potential adversaries collect and analyze information about US military operations in order to determine current capabilities and future intentions. To perform this function, most adversaries have created intelligence organizations and systems. The capabilities and levels of sophistication of these threats differ greatly, but they all share certain core characteristics. The most important of these are how intelligence is developed and how it is collected. This appendix will describe those characteristics.

2. The Intelligence Cycle. All intelligence systems follow a process. This process begins with a consumer (a commander or decisionmaker) requesting answers to certain questions and ends with the intelligence system providing those answers. Figure B-1 illustrates a typical intelligence cycle (in this case, the intelligence cycle described in Joint Pub 2-0). Understanding the concept of the intelligence cycle is basic to understanding the total adversary intelligence threat to friendly operations in general and to the specific threat to the critical information that OPSEC seeks to protect.

Figure B-1. The Intelligence Cycle>

1. Planning and Direction
   (1) Decisionmakers task their intelligence systems to collect and assess information about their adversaries and potential adversaries. These information requirements are the basis for intelligence collection, evaluation, and reporting.

   (2) These information requirements will normally include any information that would allow the decisionmaker to better understand an adversary's goals, intentions, current capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses. At the operational and strategic levels of war, decisionmakers will want to know what their adversary counterparts think; how they make their decisions; and their social, cultural, economic, and political beliefs and habits.

   (3) Intelligence specialists take the decisionmaker's information requirements and turn them into specific intelligence taskings.

2. Collection
   (1) After determining the taskings, the intelligence system will evaluate the currency and amount of information already at hand. If more or newer information is needed, collection requirements will be submitted to the appropriate collection resources.

   (2) Information may be collected either overtly or clandestinely.

   (a) Overt collection may include such activities by military attaches assigned to embassies and the review of available open-source information.

   (b) Clandestine collection acquires information while concealing the collection effort and consists of espionage and technical means such as signals and imagery intelligence.

3. Processing. Collected information must be processed into a form that is suitable for the production of intelligence. For example, imagery film must be developed and signals must be processed before they can be evaluated, analyzed, and interpreted for significance.

4. Production
   (1) The still raw intelligence is evaluated for accuracy, reliability, and credibility. It is compared for consistency with known data and examined for meaningful associations by analyzing it against its historical background. It is combined with other information. The information is analyzed, interpreted, and prepared for presentation to the consumer. There are numerous types of intelligence products ranging from informal briefings to multivolume written studies.

   (2) Generally, every product attempts to address the questions, What is the adversary doing now and what is it going to do next? In many cases, because of inadequate collection or insufficient time for processing and analysis, intelligence analysts will not be able to provide unambiguous answers to those questions. This phase of the intelligence cycle is still more art than science.

5. Dissemination. In this step, the product is delivered to the consumer. There are as many forms of delivery as there are products and consumers. Automated means are becoming increasingly important in many intelligence systems.

1. Human Intelligence (HUMINT). HUMINT uses people to gain information that is often inaccessible by other collection means. Although it is the oldest and most basic form of intelligence collection, HUMINT remains significant because it is often the only source with direct access to the opponent's plans and intentions. Clandestine HUMINT collection is done in a fashion that maintains the secrecy of the collection operation.

2. Imagery Intelligence (IMINT)
   (1) IMINT is derived from visual photography, infrared sensors, lasers, electro-optics, and radar sensors. IMINT systems can operate from land, sea, air, and/or space platforms. Imagery equipment is being improved constantly and combinations of sensors are being used to enhance the quality and timeliness of the intelligence product.

   (2) An increasing number of countries are starting to use photoreconnaissance satellites. In addition to being a major strategic collection capability, they are becoming an increasingly important operational and tactical capability. The traditional airborne IMINT platforms remain an important capability for those countries without access to satellite imagery.

3. Signals Intelligence (SIGINT). SIGINT is derived from communication (COMINT), electronics (ELINT), and foreign instrumentation signals (FISINT).
   (1) COMINT is information derived from the study of intercepted electromagnetic communications. Prime COMINT sources include clear voice (nonencrypted) telephone and radio communications and unencrypted computer-to-computer data communications.

   (2) ELINT is technical or geo-location intelligence derived from foreign noncommunications electromagnetic radiations emanating from other than nuclear detonations or radioactive sources. Radars are the primary ELINT source.

   (3) FISINT is derived from the intercept and analysis of electronically transmitted data containing measured parameters of performance, such as a ballistic missile's performance during a test flight.

4. Measurement and Signature Intelligence (MASINT). MASINT is scientific and technical intelligence obtained by the quantitative and qualitative analysis of data (metric, angle, spatial, wavelength, time dependence, modulation, etc.) derived from specific technical sensors for the purpose of identifying any distinctive features associated with the source, emitter, or sender and to facilitate subsequent identification and/or measurement of the same. MASINT includes other intelligence sources such as acoustical intelligence (ACINT), laser intelligence (LASINT), and nuclear intelligence (NUCINT).

5. Open Source Intelligence (OSINT). OSINT is information of intelligence value that is available to the general public. OSINT is available from such sources as the news media, public affairs announcements, unclassified government documents and publications, public hearings, and contracts and contract-related material.

6. Technical Intelligence (TECHINT). TECHINT is derived from the exploitation of foreign material and equipment. It results from the analysis of captured or otherwise obtained foreign equipment.