AFDP 3-60, page 5

Air Force Doctrine Publication 3-60, Targeting 2 principle reinforces a tenet of airpower (synergistic effects), which entails the proper application of a coordinated force across multiple domains.4 The third principle emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of targeting which requires the combined expertise of personnel from many functional disciplines, including strategists, operators, and intelligence analysts. As a systemic process, the air component executes a rational, iterative, and methodical targeting process, providing a structured framework for analyzing, prioritizing, and matching capabilities to targets. Finally, estimative is the fifth principle, encompasses predicting future outcomes to encourage planners to understand an enemy’s decision-making cycle and anticipate the effects of operations, enabling the efficient use of limited airpower resources.5 Adhering to these principles ensures that the targeting process does not devolve into merely selecting the same number of targets to match the number of munitions available. These principles ensure that capabilities from all domains are considered to generate effects to achieve the JFC’s objectives. TARGETING WITHIN THE COMPETITION CONTINUUM The air component contributes to the joint targeting process throughout the competition continuum. The competition continuum describes three broad categories of strategic relationships among actors in the OE: cooperation, competition below armed conflict, and armed conflict/war.6 Much of the targeting process can occur well prior to armed conflict, especially target development conducted in support of planning. During cooperation, air component targeting efforts can include building joint capability and capacity through supporting joint exercises or humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. Within competition below armed conflict, the focus shifts to deterring adversaries and understanding their networks and decision-making processes with an emphasis on matching nonlethal effects to cyberspace or information capabilities. The transition to armed conflict requires a robust process to analyze, integrate, and prioritize targets for lethal and nonlethal effects. The foundational work done during the cooperation and competition phases, such as target development and target system analysis, can enable rapid, effective application of airpower when required, ensuring the joint force achieves decisive results. GLOBAL INTEGRATION Global integration enables the joint force to act in a coordinated manner against transregional adversaries and threats. Since airpower can deliver effects across vast distances, a target’s geographic location is often less important than the adversary system to which it belongs. This global integration is managed through supported/supporting command relationships, guidance from the Secretary of War (SecWar), and the Global Integrated Target List (GITL). The GITL is an adversary-focused, rather than a geographically oriented, list of targets. 4 For additional information on tenets of airpower, see AFDP 1, The Air Force. 5 For additional information on estimative intelligence, see AFDP 2-0, Intelligence, and JP 2-0, Joint Intelligence. 6 For additional information on competition continuum, see JP 3-0, Joint Campaigns and Operations.