JDP 2-00: Understanding and Intelligence Support to Joint Operations

Joint Doctrine Publication (JDP) 2-00:  Understanding and Intelligence Support to Joint Operations provides the framework for developing understanding and intelligence in support of joint operations at home and overseas.

The traditional military focus for understanding was identifying and knowing about adversaries in order to neutralise or defeat them.  Militaries are generally very good at developing this knowledge, particularly identifying capabilities, military infrastructures, human geography, patterns and types of forces. 

What modern militaries are not good at is understanding the psychological and cognitive aspects that shape the fears, motivations and perceptions of an adversary and the other surrounding actors who influence them or they influence. 

JDP 2-00 (3rd Edition) Understanding and Intelligence Support to Joint Operations emphasises the increasingly cross-governmental nature of intelligence and the need to inculcate a spirit of collaboration between them, including with partners and allies. 

An enduring aspect of this approach is that commanders at all levels will still need accurate and timely intelligence to inform their decision-making, but they must know and understand their own role and that of their staff  in developing and delivering it. 

JDP 2-00 is the keystone intelligence doctrine written by specialists for generalists.  It will be supported by the 2-10 series (including HUMINT, cultural awareness and Intelligence Requirement Management) which are aimed at specialists.