Joint Targeting

The Targeting Assessment Process
building. Assessments of NO DAMAGE or DESTROYED are easily defined and
understandable. The difficulty comes in subjective judgment specifying the level of damage
between these two extremes. Intermediate damage definitions are dependent on target type
and the ease of assessing damage. For example, in buildings, LIGHT, MODERATE, and
SEVERE damage is determined by the percent of the target area (building) damaged. In
contrast, when assessing armored vehicles, only the DAMAGED category is used. Likewise,
runways have more specific categories that include CRATERED, CUT, and
INTERDICTED. In assessing physical damage, consider whether the enemy may have used
camouflage, concealment, and deception techniques to either minimize or amplify the
apparent extent of physical damage, obviously distorting the assessment.
4. In determining the level of physical damage, a confidence level is
assigned to the assessment. The three terms used to identify confidence are CONFIRMED,
PROBABLE, and POSSIBLE. Detailed information and definitions of these confidence
levels, along with physical damage definitions for specific target elements, may be found in
the DIA Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) Quick Guide.
5. Collateral damage is also assessed and reported during BDA. Collateral
damage is unintentional or incidental injury or damage to persons or objects that would not
be lawful military targets in the circumstances ruling at the time. Such damage is not
unlawful so long as it is not excessive in light of the overall military advantage anticipated
from the attack.
6. Initial reports that contribute to physical damage assessment are often
based primarily on visual observation of the target and usually derived from a single source.
Further analysis continues with all-source reporting resulting in further supplemental reports.
Inputs come from aircrew MISREPs and debriefs, WSV, imagery, and other sources. The
unit controlling the weapons system, as well as intelligence collection units that can see the
damage, develop bomb damage assessment reports (BDAREPs). The command designated
BDA cell is responsible for collating reports and making the final assessment.
(b) BDA Phase II, Functional Damage/Change Assessment
1. Functional damage assessment is an estimate of the degradation or
destruction of the functional/operational capability of a target to perform its intended
mission. Functional assessments are inferred from the assessed physical damage and allsource
intelligence information. This assessment must include an estimation of the time
required for recuperation or replacement of the target’s function. BDA analysts need to
compare the desired effect for the attack with the current status of the target to determine if
the targeting effect was created.
2. Functional damage assessment reviews all physical damage
assessments and amplifies the initial analysis. A key step in functional damage assessment is
identifying and establishing the installation’s or target’s critical elements and their
interconnectivity. If destroyed, a critical element will preclude an installation or system
from functioning. Additionally, the targets normal level of operation must be quantified. If
it is an industrial target, what does it produce? If it is a military installation, what basic
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