4: Preventing Surprise Attacks
Military forces can no longer focus solely on responding to aggression. The potentially horrific consequences of an attack
against the United States demand action to secure the Nation from direct attack by eliminating certain threats before they
can strike. Deterring threats and preventing surprise attacks will place increasing demands on intelligence assets, the agility
and decisiveness of the force and the ability to work time-critical issues in the interagency setting. Preventative missions
require shared, “actionable” intelligence, and rules of engagement that allow commanders to make timely decisions. This decision
making process stresses collaboration, speed and responsiveness – key ingredients required when exploiting time-sensitive
opportunities as they arise, especially against mobile, time critical targets. These missions require exacting analysis and
synthesis of intelligence gathered by a combination of capabilities, including human and technical collectors. These operations
will generally involve coordinated efforts with other agencies and departments in the US government, placing a premium on
information sharing, intelligence fusion and collaborative planning.
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