AFDD 2-1.9, page 83

73 This also allows CAOC personnel to significantly shorten the dynamic targeting “kill chain.” GPS-aided weapons are not so much “smart” as they are “obedient.” They guide to the mensurated point they are programmed to attack, so accurate mensuration is vital to their employment. Mensuration is not required for accurate employment of all weapons, however. Because mensuration is a form of measurement, errors are inevitable and the extent of the estimated error must be captured as part of the coordinate. The standard method endorsed by National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is to express coordinate accuracy as a “circular error” (CE) and vertical accuracy as a “linear error” (LE) to a 90 percent degree of certainty (CE/LE 90%). When NGA validates a mensuration software algorithm, it is actually the fidelity of the CE/LE accuracy estimates over a range of mensuration situations that is judged. These estimates are used during weaponeering to derive type and quantity of weapons, and targeting coordinate data must be considered incomplete without them. The modernized intelligence database and the ATO both have coordinate accuracy fields for this reason. The effort to mensurate coordinates, especially for a target set with a large number of DPIs, can be extremely long. Technological advances have helped shorten the effort somewhat, but for the time being at least, it will remain manpower- and time-intensive. If this planning is not conducted beforehand, it may adversely affect the CAOC’s battle rhythm or even unit mission planning. Conversely, targeteers may become rushed, leading to mensuration errors that prevent effective employment or have unwanted effects like CD. Targeteers will not know what munitions will be used to prosecute a target, thus the more precise they are in mensurating coordinates, the more options they will give targeteers during a conflict. Again, this effect is magnified during dynamic targeting. WEAPONEERING Like point mensuration, weaponeering can be very time-consuming. Thus, the more that is accomplished prior to hostilities, the more options planners will have during a conflict. For example, if a targeteer only weaponeers for GBU-12s against a certain DPI prior to hostilities, then GBU-12s are the only option to prosecute the DPI during combat unless there is sufficient time to weaponeer another munition. This has ripple effects, since it entails reevaluation of such things as CD criteria. Even if there is time, this will slow weaponeering of other targets and may even affect the battle rhythm. The more done prior to conflict, the more weaponeering options commanders and planners have during conflict. Weaponeering will not diminish in importance because of non-kinetic and non-lethal weapons. Rather, it will increase the importance of pre-conflict weaponeering. Providing commanders and planners with options prior to hostilities, rather than developing options during hostilities, gives them more time to consider the best course of action. Anticipation is the best way to compress the decision cycle.