III. CIMIC in operations
3.1. Operation themes
The joint function CIMIC is applied across all NATO core tasks, campaign-/operations themes, operational domains, and tactical operations and activities. To support the CIMIC joint function, any NATO force is doctrinally enabled with CIMIC capabilities.
This chapter focuses on land tactical activities in warfighting. The tactical principles and procedures can then be adjusted and applied in less violent, less lethal, less kinetic, and more stable environments.
Operation themes, types of land operations and land tactical activities
Figure 3.1 provides an overview of operations themes, types of land tactical operations and land tactical activities, and how they are linked. The intensity of the use of force can distinguish Operation Themes. Warfighting is always related to armed conflict[1]. While security themes are used in confrontation scenarios below the threshold of armed conflict. Peace support includes the lowest level of violence during rivalry and cooperation, e.g., peacekeeping or peacebuilding operations. Peacetime military engagements (PME), can take place in parallel to peace support and security themes, hence during cooperation, rivalry or confrontation. Operations themes are important to understand the overall strategic and operational situation and its variables. Figure 3.2 from AJP-01 illustrates the connection between operations themes and the continuum of competition.
Figure 3.1 - Operation themes, land tactical operations and tactical activities.
On the tactical level, the types of operations and tactical activities have a great impact on CIMIC activities and will, therefore, guide the structure of the chapter. Figure 3.1. stems from ATP-3.2.1 and depicts an illustrative but symbolic overview of the different types of operations and the respective proportion of tactical activities within the operations themes. While the description of all four operations themes, all types of operations and all tactical activities would exceed the scope of this chapter by far, it is still relevant for CIMIC personnel to understand in which kind of activity and operation the supported commander currently is operating. The main lesson drawn from the graphic is that all three types of operations appear in all operations themes – and all four types of tactical activities appear in each type of operation. For more information, it is recommended to peruse ATP-3.2.1 in detail in order to fully understand the basic tactical principles of the supported formations.
Figure 3.2 - Operational themes within the continuum of competition
To complete the doctrinal terms in operations, Figure 3.3. from ATP-3.2.1 depicts the full list of land tactical activities. Those activities requiring a significant CIMIC contribution are marked with a red frame. At a glance, it can be recognised that the main contribution of CIMIC comes with stability activities. However, all kinetic activities (offense, defence) also need CIMIC support in terms of freedom of maneuver (FoM), freedom of action (FoA), and stability in the rear (see below).
This includes (non-exclusive):
-Coordination between the tactical boundaries and the local administration areas.
-Deconfliction of military and civilian movements, e.g. Attack avenues of
approach and counterattack routes, target discrimination,
possible staging areas and fire support areas etc.
-Coordination and deconfliction of actions with civil logistics and
other civil partners like police forces, fire brigades etc.
-Coordination of BSM especially in the rear.
Figure 3.3 - tactical activities
The relevance of themes, types of operations, and tactical activities come with some particular factors that have to be considered by CIMIC personnel.
1) Use of force and its lethality – Considering its impacts on the civil environment and the ability of the CIMIC personnel to operate under force protection measures; e.g. impact is significantly higher in offensive operations than in stability operations.
2) Tempo of operations (friendly or enemy driven) – Considering the time available to interact with non-military actors, establish networks, collect information, analyse, assess and react, respectively to cooperate, coordinate or de-conflict; e.g. significantly more time in stability operations/ activities than in offensive operations/ activities.
3) Capability and capacity of non-military actors (in particular HN) – Considering their capability and capacity to manage the respective civil environment situation in the different geographic and administrative areas – grades can range from fully capable to non-existent; e.g. a long time in warfighting might degrade a HN capacity and intense warfighting might restrict humanitarian access of IOs/ NGOs.
4) Capacity of own troops - Considering support to the civil environment in terms of medical-, transport-, engineer-, administrative, security support or even water, food and energy if other actors are not capable or unwilling, e.g. in warfighting, own troops need rather all capacities for themselves and rely even on non-military support (e.g. host nation support HNS) than in peace support, when a force can be tailored for its mission, including capacities to support civilians.
5) Battle Space Management (BSM) – Considering moving boundaries and possible rifts with civil environment administrative areas, plus the need for coordination between units. E.g. the BSM in warfighting (offensive/ defensive) is much more dynamic and more complex than in peace support/ stability type of operations.
These factors need to be considered throughout all themes, types of operations and tactical activities. It is of importance to understand that all these factors are ranging from high to low, from fully capable to non-existent, from one end to the other.
[1] Using the terms of the continuum of competition.