ATP 3-53 — The Psychological Operations Branch And Unit Activities
ATP 3-53 governs the Psychological Operations Branch, its units and force, and their influence activities across military operations.
- Publication number: ATP 3-53
- Title: THE PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATIONS BRANCH AND UNIT ACTIVITIES
- Date: 04/20/2026
- Proponent: T2COM
- Status: ACTIVE
View ATP 3-53 on armypubs.army.mil
ATP 3-53 covers the branch’s role, core competencies, influence process, organizations, employment contexts, target audiences, intelligence, sustainment, and legal considerations. It describes the individual skills required for influencing foreign audiences and analyzing target audiences, including active listening, communication, critical thinking, and emotional control.
Topics covered
- Psychological Operations Branch
- Influence activities
- Target audience analysis
- Psychological Operations units
- Adversary information
- Command relationships
- Intelligence support
- Sustainment support
Questions and answers
What is the role of the Psychological Operations Branch?
As stated in the introduction, the role of PO Branch is to create and reinforce desired behaviors in selected foreign individuals and groups to achieve military and U.S. national objectives across the range of military operations. (paragraph 1-8)
What are psychological operations?
Psychological operations are operations to influence the behavior of targeted foreign audiences in support of a commanders objectives. Also called PSYOP. (paragraph 1-9)
What are the core competencies of the PO Branch?
The PO Branch core competencies are analyzing target audiences (TAs) and influencing foreign audiences. (paragraph 1-11)
When do Psychological Operations units consult legal support?
Psychological Operations units consult legal support when planning and executing operations. (paragraph 5-220)
What is disinformation?
Disinformation is incomplete, incorrect, or out of context information deliberately used to influence audiences (ADP 3-13). Disinformation is derived, primarily from adversary intelligence organizations or other covert entities. (paragraph 5-162)