NATO STANDARD AJP-3 ALLIED JOINT DOCTRINE FOR THE CONDUCT OF OPERATIONS Edition C Version 1 FEBRUARY 2019 NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION ALLIED JOINT PUBLICATION Published by the NATO STANDARDIZATION OFFICE (NSO) © NATO/OTAN Intentionally blank Intentionally blank AJP-3 Allied Joint Publication-3 Allied Joint Doctrine for the Conduct of Operations Allied Joint Publication-3 (AJP-3), dated February 2019, is promulgated as directed by the Chiefs of Staff Director Concepts and Doctrine Conditions of release This publication is UK Ministry of Defence Crown copyright. Material and information contained in this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system and transmitted for UK Government and MOD use only, except where authority for use by other organisations or individuals has been authorised by a Patent Officer of the Defence Intellectual Property Rights i Edition C Version 1 AJP-3 Intentionally blank Edition C Version 1 ii AJP-3 RECORD OF RESERVATIONS CHAPTER RECORD OF RESERVATION BY NATIONS Note: The reservations listed on this page include only those that were recorded at time of promulgation and may not be complete. Refer to the NATO Standardization Document Database for the complete list of existing reservations. iii Edition C Version 1 AJP-3 Intentionally blank Edition C Version 1 iv AJP-3 RECORD OF SPECIFIC RESERVATIONS [nation] [detail of reservation] Note: The reservations listed on this page include only those that were recorded at time of promulgation and may not be complete. Refer to the NATO Standardization Document Database for the complete list of existing reservations. v Edition C Version 1 AJP-3 Intentionally blank Edition C Version 1 vi AJP-3 SUMMARY OF CHANGES REVISION OF ALLIED JOINT PUBLICATION AJP 3 Edition C, Version 1 • Restructures complete contents to reflect phases of a mission (preparation – execution – termination). • Reduces redundancies and improves continuity between AJP -01 Allied Joint Doctrine, and AJP-5 Allied Joint Doctrine for the Planning of Operations. • Updates NATO Command Structure and NATO Force structure. • Updates fundamentals to reflect latest policy and doctrine. • Updates principles and considerations to reflect latest policy and doctrine and includes Cyber operations and StratCom. • Changes campaign themes and types of conflict to operations themes and types of operations. • Updates Joint Functions to reflect the use of Information as a joint function. • Updates operations management to reflect latest practice and doctrine. • Updates operations assessment to reflect latest practice and doctrine. • Adds section on information management. • Moves and updates annex for joint staff functions. • Adds annex for related capabilities to the joint functions. • Adds annex for battlespace management which establishes cyber as a separate domain. • Adds annex for risk management • Adds annex for lessons learned. • Updates terms and definitions to reflect latest status of NATOTerm and ongoing terminology changes. vii Edition C Version 1 AJP-3 Intentionally blank Edition C Version 1 viii AJP-3 RELATED DOCUMENTS MC 0319/3 NATO Principles and Policies for Logistics MC 133/4 NATO’s Operations Planning MC 0324/3 The NATO Military Command Structure MC 327/2 NATO Military Policy for Non-Article 5 Crisis Response Operations MC 0343/1 NATO Military Assistance to International Disaster Relief Operations MC 362/1 NATO Rules of Engagement MC 376/3 Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping (NCAGS) MC 0400/3 Military Committee Guidance for the Military Implementation of NATO’s Strategic Concept MC 0402/2 NATO Military Policy on Psychological Operations MC 411/2 NATO Military Policy on Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) and Civil-Military Interaction (CMI) MC 422/5 NATO Military Policy for Information Operations MC 0437/2 Special Operations Policy MC 0472/1 Military Committee Concept for Counterterrorism MC 560/2 Policy for Military Engineering MC 586/1 Allied Forces and their Use for Operations MC 0613 Military Committee Concept for the NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence System MC 0628 NATO Military Policy on Strategic Communications Since Allied Joint Publication-3, Allied Joint Doctrine for the Conduct of Operations is one of the keystone NATO doctrine publications from which level-2 and -3 doctrine is derived, only the capstone and keystone doctrine publications are listed here. References to other doctrine publications are made in the text, where appropriate. AJP-01 Allied Joint Doctrine AJP-2 Allied Joint Doctrine for Intelligence, Counter-Intelligence and Security AJP-4 Allied Joint Doctrine for Logistics AJP-5 Allied Joint Doctrine for the Planning of Operations AJP-6 Allied Joint Doctrine for Communication and Information Systems NATO BI-SC CFAO Conceptual Framework for Alliance Operations, 11 June 2013, as amended on 18 July 2013 ix Edition C Version 1 AJP-3 NATO BI-SC Dir 40-1 Integrating UNSCR 1325 and Gender Perspectives in the NATO Command Structure NATO BI-SC Dir 080-006 Lessons Learned ACO Directive 80-1 Lessons Learned ACO Directive 80-70 Campaign Synchronization and Joint Targeting in NATO ACO Directive 080-104 NATO Force Integration Units dated 09 August 2016 AC35-D1040 REV 6 Supporting Document on Information and Intelligence Sharing with non-NATO Entities ACP 190 NATO Supp-1 Guide to Spectrum Management in Military Operations EAPC(C)D(2014)0019 NATO/EAPC Action Plan for the Implementation of UNSCR 1325 and Related Resolutions 3000 TC-530/Ser: NR 0034//2100/SHPPX/10/05-102978 NATO Response Force Minimum Military Requirements AFS Vol. IX Allied Command Operations Forces Standards, vol. IX Commercial publications International Organization for Standardization Risk management – Principles and guidelines (ISO 31000-2009(E), 2009) Edition C Version 1 x AJP-3 PREFACE Scope 1. Allied joint publication (AJP)-3(C) Allied Joint Doctrine for the Conduct of Operations is the keystone North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) doctrine for the conduct of joint operations from preparation to termination. AJP-3(C) builds on the principles described by AJP-01(E) Allied Joint Doctrine, is adjacent and closely related to AJP-5 Allied Joint Doctrine for the Planning of Operations, and it is the foundational doctrine for the AJP-3 series. Purpose 2. Though every operation is unique their conduct can be approached in the same manner. AJP-3(C) provides joint commanders and staffs with a common framework to command, coordinate and synchronize Alliance operations. Application 3. AJP-3(C) is intended primarily as guidance for joint NATO commanders and staffs. However, the doctrine is instructive to, and provides a useful framework for operations conducted by a coalition of NATO members, partners and non-NATO nations. It also provides a reference for NATO civilian and non-NATO civilian actors. xi Edition C Version 1 AJP-3 Intentionally blank Edition C Version 1 xii AJP-3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Summary of changes vii Related documents ix Preface xi Table of contents xiii Chapter 1 – Fundamentals Section 1 – Introduction 1-1 Operations themes 1-2 Requirements 1-3 NATO Command Structure 1-4 NATO force structure 1-6 Linkage between the NATO Command Structure, NATO force structure headquarters and national headquarters 1-8 Section 2 – Principles and operational considerations of joint and multinational operations 1-9 Principles 1-9 Operational considerations 1-12 Section 3 – Contribution to Allied joint and multinational operations 1-16 NATO’s contribution to a comprehensive approach 1-16 Multinational approach 1-17 Component contribution to joint operations 1-17 Stages of a joint operation 1-20 Operations framework 1-21 Joint functions 1-21 Section 4 – Joint action framework 1-27 Section 5 – Types of operations 1-28 Section 6 – Command and control 1-36 Introduction 1-36 Principles of joint and multinational command 1-36 Chapter 2 – Preparation Section 1 – Introduction 2-1 Section 2 – Forming the joint task force 2-1 NATO forces generation, activation and deployment procedure 2-1 xiii Edition C Version 1 AJP-3 Establishing the joint task force headquarters 2-3 Integrating the components 2-4 Challenges of multinational operations 2-6 Training and training responsibilities 2-7 Section 3 – Pre execution activities 2-8 Organizing the joint operations area 2-10 Strategic deployment and reception, staging, onward movement and integration 2-11 Planning and executing the strategic deployment, reception, staging, onward movement and integration process 2-12 Transfer of authority 2-13 Chapter 3 – Execution Section 1 – Introduction 3-1 Section 2 – Command and control factors 3-1 Section 3 – Operations management 3-4 Introduction 3-4 Battlespace management 3-5 Situational awareness 3-6 Section 4 – Information management 3-7 Section 5 – Joint task force headquarters management processes 3-11 Chapter 4 – Operations assessment Section 1 – Purpose 4-1 Section 2 – Stages of operations assessment 4-2 Section 3 – Operations assessment at the strategic, operational and tactical level 4-2 Chapter 5 – Termination Section 1 – Introduction 5-1 Section 2 – Termination 5-1 Section 3 – Transition 5-1 Assessing transition activities 5-3 Effective transition activities 5-4 Transition risks 5-5 Edition C Version 1 xiv AJP-3 Section 4 – Post termination activities 5-6 Annex A – Joint staff functions General A-1 Principal advisors A-1 Staff structure A-2 Other staff functions A-7 Annex B – Related capabilities to the joint functions Annex C – Battlespace management planning and execution Section 1 – Battlespace and enabling