FM 7-100.1 Opposing Forces Operations
This manual is part of the FM 7-100 series, which describes a contemporary Opposing Force (OPFOR) that exists for the purpose of training U.S. forces for potential combat operations. This OPFOR reflects the characteristics of military and paramilitary forces that may be present in the contemporary operational environment (COE). Like those real-world threats, the OPFOR will continue to present new and different challenges for U.S. forces. The COE is constantly changing, and it is important for U.S. Army training environments to keep pace with real-world developments.
Contents
Introduction
Contemporary Operational Environment
| Contemporary Operational Environment (COE)
The operational environment that exists today and for the clearly foreseeable future. |
|---|
The DOD officially defines an operational environment (OE) as “a composite of the conditions, circumstances, and influences that affect the employment of military forces and bear on the decisions of the unit commander” (JP 1-02). The contemporary operational environment (COE) is the operational environment that exists today and for the clearly foreseeable future. There are some “constants” or common threads that define the general nature of this COE:
- The United States in not likely to have a peer competitor until 2020 or be- yond.
- However, nations will continue to field armed forces and use these forces as a tool to pursue national interests.
- As nations use their armed forces (or other instruments of national power) in pursuit of national interests, their actions may cause U.S. intervention, either unilaterally or as a coalition partner, with or without United Na- tions mandate.
- Nations that believe the United States may act to counter their national interests will develop diplomatic, informational, economic, and military plans for managing U.S. intervention.
- Nations will continue to modernize their armed forces within the con- straints of their economies, but in ways that may negate U.S. overmatch.
- Advanced technology will be available on the world market for a wide va- riety of nation-state and non-state actors.
- Non-state actors will play an important role in any regional conflict¾as combatants or noncombatants.
- All combat operations will be significantly affected by a number of vari- ables in the environment beyond simple military forces.
Thus, one of the constants is that there are variables. Those “variables” in the COE result in a number of different OEs that can occur in specific circumstances or scenarios.
Critical Variables
Any OE, in the real world or in the training environment, can be defined in terms of eleven critical variables. While these variables can be useful in describing the overall (strategic) environment, they are most useful in defining the nature of specific OEs. Each of these “conditions, circumstances, and influences” and their possible combinations will vary according to the specific situation. In this sense, they are “variables.” These variables are interrelated and sometimes overlap. Different variables will be more or less important in different
situations. Each OE is different, because the content of the variables is different. Only by studying and understanding these variables--and incorporating them into its training--will the U.S. Army be able to keep adversaries from using them against it or to find ways to use them to its own advantage.
Nature and Stability of the State
It is important to understand the nature and stability of the state (or states) with which or in which the conflict takes place. Study of this variable measures how strong or weak a country is and determines where the real strength of the state lies; it may be in the political leadership, the military, the police, or some other element of the population. Understanding this variable will allow U.S. forces to better understand the nature of the military campaign and the true aims of an enemy campaign, operation, or action. It also helps determine what kinds of threats may be present in a particular country. The real threat to U.S. forces may come from elements other than the military.
Chapter 1: 21st Century Strategic Environment
The strategic environment remains as it has always been―complex. The current strategic environment seems more ambiguous, presenting multiple layers of complexity and a multiplicity of actors challenging the Army with requirements beyond traditional warfighting skills and training. A wide-range of actors across current and projected environments–friendly and neutrals, malicious actors, and threats–will interact often in an uncoordinated manner to produce a complex environment. Neutral or even friendly actors act in accord with organizational goals that may be contrary to U.S. national interests and cause friction. Malicious actors use violence in pursuit of their goals and will potentially challenge U.S. national interests and vulnerabilities. Threats will use this complexity to their advantage and often employ hybrid strategies. This multiplicity of actors will continue to operate across operational environments during the foreseeable future.
Chapter 2: Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation
There are five phases the training and curriculum developer progresses through to develop and institute training, education, and leader or self-development material. The analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation (ADDIE) process takes the training and curriculum developer from the initial determination of a requirement or need through the analysis, design, and development phases; to implementation of a learning experience; and continues a learning continuum with evaluation improvements of training or education products-process. The required outcome of this continuum is a sustained and/or improved readiness to standards.
Chapter 3: Operational Environment Enterprise Support
The Operational Environment Enterprise (OEE) builds, validates, creates, maintains and delivers OE context and complexity for leader development; training and professional education; experience, and concept and capabilities development.