Working Group 8 Charter
Information Operations

(Last Updated 23 August 2007)

Purpose: The IO Working Group promotes the exchange of ideas concerning current IO thinking and capabilities and their impact on the warfighter. Specifically, the WG explores the changing opportunities, capabilities, and vulnerabilities of IO across the spectrum of peace and conflict. Emphasis will be on new techniques, capabilities, and studies that help to demonstrate the actual impact and value of IO to the warfighter across that spectrum.

Discussion: IO has been a topic of increasing importance during the last several years. After significant review and coordination, the Deputy Secretary of Defense signed DoD Directive O-3600.01 on August 14, 2006 to provide the Department of Defense with consolidated guidance on Information Operations (IO) as follows: “Information Operations (IO). The integrated employment of the core capabilities of Electronic Warfare (EW), Computer Network Operations (CNO), Psychological Operations (PSYOP), Military Deception (MILDEC), and Operations Security (OPSEC) in concert with specified supporting and related capabilities, to influence, disrupt, corrupt, or usurp adversarial human and automated decision making while protecting our own.”  As a basis of reference and for consistency in our efforts, the IO WG will use this DoDD 3600.01 definition of IO to explore IO capabilities with particular interest on the global integration of how IO, as a Core Military Competency, could provide the capability required to be decisive in future conflicts. Past symposia, games, and more recently several major exercises have highlighted the importance of this area, including the vulnerabilities of Information-Technology-dependent organizations and the global reach of influence messages. Of crucial importance to IO is the ability to demonstrate the impact of IO capabilities during peace, crisis, war, or operations other than war. The IO Working Group features analyses and associated papers which provide insight into these important areas regardless of the IO techniques or capability used.  Specifically, WG-08 seeks analyses demonstrating the impact of IO and information strategies upon adversary, friendly, and neutral organizations. Results of actual analyses and exercises represent the WG’s primary purpose, however, decision support techniques applied to IO are also welcome.

Other Working Groups: While many Working Groups and Composite Groups are affected by advances in IO, the following are the primary, or First Order, groups that would be directly affected by the “immediate, operational nature” of IO: WG-01 – Strategic Operations; WG-09 – Countermeasures; WG-12 – Land and Expeditionary Warfare; WG-14 – Strik Warfare; WG-15 – Air Power and Combat ID; WG-16 – Special Operations and Irregular Warfare; WG-17 – Joint Campaign Analysis; WG-24 – Measures of Merit; WG-28 – Decision Analysis; WG-29 – Modeling & Simulation and Wargaming; WG-32 – Warfighter Performance and Social Science Methods; WG-33 – Analytical Rigor in Experimentation.