To provide a detailed study regarding adversary capabilities, locations, equipment, procedures, and tactics.

To analyze enemy and civil considerations and their impact on friendly operations.

To determine threat/adversary force capabilities, doctrinal principles, and TTP threat/adversary forces prefer to employ.

To identify how relevant 

characteristics of the area of interest will affect friendly and adversary operations.

To produce adversary models that consist of adversary templates and capability statements regarding their conduct of operations

To clearly define the relevant characteristics of the commander's area of interest, and focus on characteristics which influence friendly COAs and command decisions.

To focus the IPB effort on the characteristics of the operational environment that can influence friendly and adversary operations.

Describe how significant characteristics of the operating environment may affect friendly and adversary operations.

To identify where friendly forces will be operating by establishing the area of operations, area of interest, and area of influence.

Determine the adversary COAs necessary to aid the development of friendly COAs.

To provide recommendations on the friendly course of action. 

To identify high value targets.

o determine how the adversary can have the most significant impact on friendly operations and objectives.

To determine where, why, what, when, and how the intelligence section should analyze a particular adversary force within the area of interest.

To minimize the time spent conducting IPB and the Marine Corps Planning Process and lessen the intelligence section's scope.

To help determine the location in which to conduct the remainder of the IPB effort.

To focus the IPB effort on the characteristics of the operational environment that can influence friendly and adversary operations.

The geographical area, determined by the commander, that all military operations and objectives are located within.

Operational area defined by the Joint Force Commander for land and maritime forces that should be large enough to accomplish their missions and protect their forces.

A geographical area defined by the Company Commander for land and maritime forces that contains the operating areas, area of influence, and objectives for a particular mission.

The area upon which all military actions, operations, and objectives are located within. Comprised of current and projected operations.

Brown

Black

Green

Reddish-Brown

Blue

Brown

Black

Green

Reddish-Brown

Blue

Brown

Black

Green

Reddish-Brown

Blue

Brown

Black

Green

Reddish-Brown

Blue

Brown

Black

Green

Reddish-Brown

Blue

Identifying where friendly forces will be conducting operations and specific intelligence gaps regarding that location.

Determining where the intelligence section should focus by establishing defined areas of operations.

Producing overlays, automated and non-automated, consisting of adversary area of operations, area of interest, and area of influence.

Determining the AO, area of interest, area of responsibility, identifying general characteristics of the AO that could influence the unit's mission, and identifying gaps in current intelligence holdings.

Facilitate the execution of the Marine Corps Planning Process in a rapid and timely manner that analyzes the full spectrum and range of military operations.

Assist in identifying and evaluating adversary and host nation logistic capabilities and assist in identifying potential supply routes and resupply points.

Reduce the commander's uncertainty in regards to adversary operations and capabilities.

Accurately define the Area of Interest, describe how mission variables affect friendly and enemy operations, provide products necessary to aid in the Marine Corps Planning Process, and determine how the interaction of friendly forces, enemy forces, and indigenous personnel affect each other.

Define the operational environment

Describe the effects on operations

Evaluate the adversary

Determine adversary courses of action

Define the operational environment

Describe the effects on operations

Evaluate the adversary

Determine adversary courses of action

Define the operational environment

Describe the effects on operations

Evaluate the adversary

Determine adversary courses of action

Define the operational environment

Describe the effects on operations

Evaluate the adversary

Determine adversary courses of action

Identification of CoGs, baseline analysis, characterization of systems, functional capabilities that inform target development.

To identify the adversary COG, including critical capabilities, critical requirements, and critical vulnerabilities.

To destroy all targets listed on the Joint Integrated Prioritized Target List (JIPTL) in a timely and efficient manner.

Determines where and when the adversary will conduct operations in order to allow friendly forces to strike them and maintain surprise

IPB helps to identify significant gaps in knowledge that all jeopardize mission accomplishment.

IPB aids in identifying intelligence gaps and what is require to assist in intelligence collection.

IPB feeds into collections by identifying exactly what the adversary is trying to accomplish and how they will do so.

Assists in understanding how the adversary can affect friendly operations, their order of battle, and specific tactics.

The purpose of IPB is to provide a detailed overview and analysis of adversary capabilities and potential courses of action to best enable friendly forces to counter adversary operations.

IPB aids in reducing uncertainty by evaluating how the weather, enemy, terrain, and civil considerations may affect operations and decision-making.

IPB enables the intelligence section to identify adversary weaknesses and limitations that can be exploited by the friendly force commander to achieve specific objectives

IPB aids the staff in developing an understanding of weather, terrain, and civil considerations and their associated effects on friendly and adversary operations. 

Area of concern to the commander, including the area of influence, areas adjacent thereto and extending into enemy territory. This area also includes areas occupied by enemy forces who could jeopardize the accomplishment of the mission.

Defined by the joint force commander for land and maritime forces that should be large enough to accomplish their missions and protect their forces.

A geographical area where a commander is directly capable of influencing operations by maneuver or fire support.

The geographical area in which the least amount of knowledge and intelligence information is known concerning all aspects of weather, enemy, terrain, and civil considerations.