JP 3-60, page 49

The Joint Targeting Cycle II-19 run attrition models to estimate the probability of the weapon system arriving at the target, and include probability of release or probability of arrival (PA). Other factors include maintenance failure, defenses, and weather. Weaponeering personnel should factor this attrition analysis and PA data into their PD calculations. (b) Assemble Data on Friendly Force Status, Factoring in Operational Limitations and Apportionment Guidance. Planners and their logistics counterparts assemble data on the current status and availability of friendly forces and munitions. The JFC approves specific apportionment guidance describing the division of military effort among the different missions. Apportionment affects how the force assignment team tasks dual or multi-role platforms, sequences force activities, and directs force packages to operate in different parts of the OA. Other issues affecting force assignment include the maintenance status of combat and support assets, battle damage to equipment from previous missions, operator and munitions availability, and location of stockpiles relative to combat assets. However, simply knowing what forces are available does not give the complete operational picture. Planners should consider weather, adversary operations, force protection concerns, operational environment management issues, law of war, ROE, and special instructions constraints. Packaging, timing issues, OAs, required support assets (e.g., availability of air refueling aircraft for aerial missions), and other considerations also affect which targets can be acted against. (c) Assign Forces to Specific Targets and Supporting Missions. In this step, planners assign forces, munitions, nonlethal capabilities and ISR assets to specific targets and aimpoints. They develop force packages, assign supporting assets, and resolve timing, sequencing, and deconfliction issues. Operational limitations may require modification to targeteers’ initial recommendations. Timing, event sequencing, and interaction of combat forces with supporting assets become crucial in crafting an effective and actionable CONOPS and fire support plan. The operational characteristics of a particular weapon system when tasked against a specific target may require adjustments to the overall plan or order. Often, targets are not attacked in the same priority order as they appear on the JIPTL. Targeting personnel must be ready to assist in evaluating the impact of these changes upon the entire targeting effort. As changes are made due to operational and special limitations (such as collateral damage restrictions) it is important to ensure that achieving the commander’s objective does not result in inadvertently violating existing constraints or restraints. (d) Present Joint Targeting Recommendations to the JFC for Approval. The commander’s decision in phase 4 is to either approve the draft JIPTL, approve targets to be added to or removed from the JIPTL, or approves a particular way or ways of engaging a particular target or targets. In any case, the force assignment team will prepare a comprehensive briefing on the recommended plan explaining the rationale behind the operational decisions and target selections. The planners inform the affected component commander(s) if high priority targets cannot be attacked, targeting effect cannot be created, or targeting objectives cannot be met. The component commander may modify the targeting effect, seek different means to achieve the objective, or accept the fact the targeting objective will not be met during this cycle. It may be necessary to ask the JFC to modify the objective, guidance, or prioritization via the joint targeting coordination board (JTCB) process.