Alpha Coy 1st Int Platoon
The First Army Intelligence HQ (Tactical) created
on the lines of proven American Army Intelligence TTPs.

PLTN SITE   HQ SITE



OPERATING BASES
MAIN BASE
FORWARD BASE
INTERIM BASE

INT PLATOON
With security section.

Platoon Commander
Platoon second-in-command

Radio Section
CE Section
DOCEX CEE Section
Interrogation & Interview Section
Elicitation Section
PsyOps Section
Topographical Section
R&S Section.

SKILLSET

>>>>> Tactical Questioning/Surveillance - Observation -Reconnaissance/Terrain/DOCEX/
Basic Interrogation-Interviewing-elicitation/Report writing and using formats/Data entry/
Inputting information in ''contact'' portal>>>>>>

BASIC TOE

OPERATING BASES : MAIN/INTERIM/FWD

Communication channel:
 With Main Base
With forward base.

MAIN BASE<>TOC of concerned/supported Bn

Bde Int HQ
           |
BN INT HQ (Int-Ops Staff/technical Control element/HHSC/Comm)
          |
Int platoons through platoon int section HQs

Platoon Int Sec HQ
             |
    Int Platoon

COMMAND ECHELONS

BN INT HQ STAF OFFICER -INT/OPS

HQ Element       HQ Support        RTO

HQ Element
OPS     INT   Tech Cntrl Element

OPS   INT   RTO
Radio teams   Int Cells








INTELLIGENCE SURVEILLANCE & RECONNAISSANCE


The objective is to train and equip the line soldiers so that they may conduct basic ISR tasks in keeping with properly defined intelligence requirements of the Coy Commander who in turn is tasked by the Bn Int Staff Officer.These intelligence requirements include intelligence gaps and are prioritized as per importance with respect to the current battle situation.
  1. The selected infantrymen will be trained in basic tactical questioning (different from interrogation) ,
  2. elicitation techniques,
  3. reading and understanding seized documents/images/maps (DOCEX),
  4. observation skills(movement of men/vehicles/particular behaviour patterns reflecting enemy attributes/distinguishing local and outsiders dress characteristics/language-dialect of locals so as to capture any variations during conversation with the subject-suspect/eye contact/facial features during conversation and tactical questioning/signs of nervousness,jittery behaviour,eye twitching,trembling hands and fingers,stuttering,undue perspiration,glancing askance,avoiding eye contact,alluding to some thing other than the subject of conversation and enquiry etc/topographical survey from distance with sector by sector eye sweeping skills/concentrating on one vegetation or bush spot and then dissolving to see the whole and repeat to discern anything hidden or covered by the bush/footprints and vehicle tyre tracks and guaging how recent and in which direction/faeces and whether fresh,warm or of few days back,urination signs and any other sight or signatures that may reflect enemy presence/looking for signs of sympathy for insurgents among the local population and marking them mentally--this support for insurgents can also be ascertained during tacticalk questioning and elicitation or casual conversation in civil attire at local tea shops
  5. debriefing patrols returning from routine duty
  6. sharing information with other unit int platoons
  7. radio communication
  8. report writing
  9. map reading
  10. befriending and recruiting sources,should be limited to max 3-4
  11. terrain profiling ,this is very important so as to avoid incidents of ambush , suggest routes for safe convoy passage,design ambush points,emplace camouflaged weapons--also using small tops and hills for the same,deciding on approach and exit routes through jungles and waterways,design of temporary observation posts and command posts,design and location of forward bases and interim bases.


THE DETAILS OF EACH CELL/SECTION/PLATOON



THE UNIT INT SECTION

BLIP/CLIC

Under the command and supervision of the Inf Bn STAFF INT OFFICER  intelligence platoons can be created. From among the Bn soldiers according to capability, availability and performance should be selected.

There will be two echelons in each platoon.

SECTION A supports Bn HQ.The Bn Int HQ Section will be composed of one Int officer,one intelligence specialist of the rank of JCO, and 3 enlisted soldiers. The Int officer can serve both as staff officer for the Bn Command and also as Commander of the operating forces in the Company. He is responsible for analyzing intelligence and planning deployment and tactical employment of ISR assets. The intelligence specialist can be a ground recon specialist whose duties involve observe and report on enemy activity and other information of military importance in close operations.

(Close operations are operations that are within the commander's area of operation (AO) in his battle space . Most operations that are projected in close areas are usually against hostile forces in immediate contact and are often the decisive actions. It requires speed and mobility to rapidly concentrate overwhelming combat power at the critical time and place and exploit success. Dominated by fire support, the combined elements of the ground and air elements conduct maneuver warfare to enhance the effects of their fires and their ability to maneuver. As they maneuver to gain positions of advantage over the enemy, combined arms forces deliver fires to disrupt the enemy’s ability to interfere with that maneuver.)

SECTION B is the CLIC.Colocated with the Company. (One intelligence analyst and five enlisted infantrymen.)

Each company of the Bn should select and train at least 6 personnel.

The formation of this platoon will facilitate initial and sustainment training by ensuring consistency throughout the battalion and eliminating additional training requirements for the companies. It will also ensure standardization in processes and reporting formats, and further promote lateral communication among the CLICs. Armed with the BLIP the Commander now has his own organic intelligence unit which will provide him additional support apart from the intelligence feeds as a result of his request for information from higher ups.Moreover and more important the BLIPs of all the companies in the Bn conduct lateral communication , exchanging combat intelligence and other information, thus keeping abreast of latest developments and enemy tactics which the other company is confronting and the tactics, techniques and procedures employed by the company with an element of success. With the passage of time the initial training given to say the enlisted soldiers or the intelligence specialist helps in sustainment training ,the training a byproduct of the operations the soldier is involved with without resorting to tutored training. Soon the BLIP transforms itself into a robust intelligence unit of the Bn

Company Level Intelligence Cells

Coming to the CLIC level we have an organic capability to acquire combat intelligence directly at the ground level. Actionable intelligence is needed desperately by our fighting forces but the time delay from sensor to shooter(sensors on receipt of request for information collect the data matching given coordinates, pass it on to the intelligence section for interpretation who in turn sends it to his higher up for evaluation and dissemination to the ground unit; in case of map/imagery obtained by aerial surveillance the time delay is much more) is often so much that despite accurate target nomination the operation slips out of hand. With the CLIC at his disposal the commander now can obtain, analyse and act on readily available combat intelligence without having to wait for intelligence feeds.C2, intelligence and operations are hereby synchronized and integration achieved successfully. That too at the lowest level. The CLIC is supervised by the company commander. The two sections of CLIC , collection and analysis and production are looked after by the officer in charge , usually a JCO and there will be two soldiers , one from each section to function as intelligence watch and are assigned to the company combat ops center.

Functions/responsibilities:

CLIC O-I-C: Reports to Company Comander,assists the watch officer in operations situation development (common tactical ops picture),managing and supervising CLIC ops,interacting with adjacent units , lower units and higher echelons and utilizing the intelligence flow.

If required, the CLICs now have the capacity to surge intelligence trained soldiers to support operations such as cordon and searches and raids.





KESHAV MAZUMDAR
Antiterrorism Officer