FM 3-55 — Information Collection
FM 3-55 governs Army information collection planning, assessment, tasking, and direction across operational echelons.
- Publication number: FM 3-55
- Title: INFORMATION COLLECTION
- Date: 05/03/2013
- Proponent: T2COM
- Status: ACTIVE
View FM 3-55 on armypubs.army.mil
FM 3-55 covers information collection foundations, commander and staff roles, planning and assessment, collection assets, and joint ISR. It requires synchronized collection plans, prioritized tasking, and integration of assigned and attached assets.
Applies to: FM 3-55 applies to the Active Army, Army National Guard/Army National Guard of the United States, and United States Army Reserve unless otherwise stated.
Topics covered
- Information collection planning
- Information collection assessment
- Collection asset tasking
- Information collection overlays
- Information collection schemes of support
- Network-enabled information collection
- Joint intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance
Questions and answers
What are the five tasks of security operations?
The five tasks of security operations commanders may employ are screen, guard, cover, area security, and local security. (paragraph 1-79)
What must staffs do to keep collection focused?
Staffs ensure the collection activities remain focused on the commanders critical information requirements (CCIRs). (paragraph 5-3)
How is the information collection plan published?
The information collection plan is an execution order. It should be published in the five-paragraph operation order format as a warning order, an operation order, or a fragmentary order. (paragraph 4-3)
Can commanders task civilian organizations to collect information?
Commanders cannot task civilian organizations to collect information. (paragraph 6-30)
What does DCGS-A provide?
Distributed Common Ground System (Army) (DCGS-A) provides a network-centric, enterprise intelligence, weather, geospatial engineering, and space operations capabilities to maneuver, maneuver support, and sustainment organizations at all echelons from battalion to JTFs. (paragraph 5-42)