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uncertainty is apparent in the fact that different definitions are still advanced by
the Air Force and Army even while a new Joint Publication definition for IO is
under development.
The US military, according to a November 2004 definition at the
Department of Defense official dictionary website, Joint Publication 1-02,
defined IO as “actions taken to affect adversary information and information
systems while defending one’s own information and information systems.” 39
The US Army’s FM 3-13: Information Operations, from November 2003
defines IO as
The employment of the core capabilities of electronic warfare,
computer network operations, psychological operations, military
deception, and operations security, in concert with specified supporting
and related capabilities, to affect or defend information and information
systems, and to influence decision-making. 40
The US Air Force, in their new doctrinal publication 2-5, January 2005,
defines an information operation as
Actions taken to affect adversary information and information systems
while defending one’s own information and information systems. Also
called IO….Information operations are the integrated employment of
the core capabilities of influence operations, electronic warfare
operations, network warfare operations, in concert with specified
integrated control enablers, to influence, disrupt, corrupt or usurp
adversarial human and automated decision making while protecting
our own. 41 (Note: The section in italics is denoted in their publication
as “applying only to the Air Force and is offered for clarity.”)
The second draft of Joint Publication 3-13, Joint Doctrine for
Information Operations, posted on the Department of Defense website on 14
December 2004, defined IO as
The integrated employment of the core capabilities of electronic
warfare, computer network operations, psychological operations,
military deception, and operations security, in concert with specified
supporting and related capabilities, to influence, disrupt, corrupt or
39 See http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/jel/doddict/data.
40 FM 3-13, Information Operations, November 2003, Glossary-12.
41 Air Force Doctrine Document 2-5, Information Operations, 11 January 2005, p. 51 as
downloaded from the Internet.
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