Incorporating Effects-Based Operations Into Military Operations: EBO Concepts and Categories, IO, Effects-based Coalition Operations, EBO Experimentation, Lessons from Coalition Operations

This excellent report has been professionally converted for accurate flowing-text e-book format reproduction. EBO is an approach that spans all levels of conflict, all types of operations, and is generally agnostic to the instigator of actions. Therefore, it applies equally well to IO utilizing non-lethal force as well as conventional, lethal, force-on-force operations. This is a huge finding. It means the ETR projects can build from a common base (how to do "effects thinking") then branch out into specialized applications such as "how to do PSYOPS" or "how to plan interdiction operations". Since the EBO processes are common across the various instruments of national power, interoperability is simpler to attain. This is particularly true in the technical means for planning military operations at the operational-level command centers. Indeed as the ATD progressed, two applications—one from the ATD focused mainly on conventional operations and one already being fielded focused mainly on IO—became increasingly joined.
Coalition - Just as EBO spans the various ways and multitude of contexts in which military force can be applied, it equally applies to the various nations engaged jointly in military operations. As the ATD progressed, time demands dictated this task engage less and less of our PI's research time. This was regrettable but understandable. However, much was accomplished, particularly in the workup to JEFX04 which engaged much of the second half of this project. JEFX04 made Coalition Operations a centerpiece. The finding was clear: EBO translates across national boundaries.* Despite the clarity with which EBO translates, Coalition operations do bring some significant challenges which were confirmed in this research. The two major ones were security concerns and the challenge of developing shared awareness. The former is largely a policy question. The latter can be somewhat addressed through technology. Again time did not allow a full examination of this but the rapid development of an ontology-based knowledge base can go a long way towards a "universal translator" needed to develop shared awareness.