Implementing information warfare in the weapon targeting process

Information warfare and information operations are becoming increasingly critical considerations in defense planning and execution. A key step in integrating the use of information warfare weapons into the targeting process is to begin to model their implementation. In this study Ken Haertling, Dick Deckro, and Jack Jackson present a ‘first cut’ at incorporating soft-kill weapons into the targeting process. Doctrine in information warfare is reviewed. A series of screening procedures based on the six pillars of information warfare coupled with mission objectives are then built. A mathematical programming based methodology is developed for allocating a mix of information warfare and conventional weapons to a target set to accomplish specific operational goals.