RAF Phase 2 Training

Question 1

Where is Phase 2 Intelligence Officer training conducted?

Answer 1

Defence College of Intelligence (DCI), Chicksands in Bedfordshire

Question 2

How long is Phase 2 Intelligence Officer training?

Answer 2

Approximately 18 weeks.

Question 3

What is the primary aim of Phase 2 Intelligence Officer training? (3)

Answer 3

To develop leadership, operational intelligence skills, and the ability to integrate intelligence into military operations.

Question 4

What does OPINT stand for?

Answer 4

Operational Intelligence.

Question 5

Who runs the training at DCI Defence (defence college of intelligence (DCI), Chicksands).?

Answer 5

Defence Intelligence Training Group (DITG).

Question 6

What is the difference between officer and analyst training?

Answer 6

Officers focus on command -> ISR tasking (what intelligence needs to be collected, which ISR assets to use and how to prioritise collection to support the mission), and briefing (turning ISR outputs from analysts, into clear, actionable recommendations for decision makers; analysts focus on specialist technical intelligence production.

Question 7

What types of intelligence does an officer manage?

Answer 7

All-source: SIGINT, HUMINT, IMINT, OSINT, GEOINT, and counterintelligence.

Question 8

What leadership responsibilities does an Intelligence Officer learn in Phase 2? (4)

Answer 8

Commanding a section, tasking analysts, coordinating ISR assets, and briefing commanders.

Question 9

What is a junior Intelligence Officer’s role in a deployed unit?

Answer 9

Leading a small intelligence section

manage collection and analysis by tasking analysts, (what imagery, SIGNIT etc is worked on),

coordinating ISR assets (requesting or deconflicting collection, ensuring collection priorities don’t clash)

advise commanders via daily updates, threat briefs etc.

Question 10

What is the function of an Intelligence Officer section commander?

Answer 10

Ensure effective collection, analysis, and dissemination of intelligence during operations.

Question 11

How does leadership training in Phase 2 differ from initial officer training?

Answer 11

Phase 2 focuses on intelligence-specific command and operational decision-making, not general military leadership.

Question 12

Why is team management important for intelligence officers?

Answer 12

To coordinate analysts, ensure efficient workflow, and provide timely, actionable intelligence.

Question 13

What is the importance of cross-branch liaison?

Answer 13

Ensures intelligence is integrated with operations across army, RAF, navy, and joint forces. Without it, each service risks working in isolation, duplicating effort or missing the wider picture. For intelligence to be effective, commanders must have a fused understanding of the battlespace.

Question 14

What is a key quality an intelligence officer must demonstrate? (2)

Answer 14

Critical thinking and the ability to make decisions under uncertainty.

Critical thinking - questioning assumptions, fusing multiple sources, and being alert to deception or bias. What do we know? What don’t we know? What could explain this?

Intelligence is never 100% complete and I will need to be able to brief commanders with data that is partial, ambiguous or conflicting. Role will be to give the best possible assessment with the information available.

Question 15

How does an officer prioritise intelligence tasks?(explain each, 3)

Answer 15

Based on operational priorities, commander requirements, and threat assessment.

operational priorities (ie deny airspace, protect a supply route, support humanitarian relief)

commander requirements - officer must ensure analysts focus on what the commander needs to be make decisions, ie is the SAM site active - this should become immediate task for collection and analysis.

threat assessment - if SIGINT suggests an enemy missile system has just gone live within range of a friendly aircraft, the ISR task (locating and confirming the threat) overrides other planned intelligence even if not in the day’s original priorities.

Question 16

What is the primary focus of operational intelligence (OPINT)? Explain it briefly

Answer 16

Supporting commanders with timely, actionable intelligence to inform decision-making.

• Commanders operate under tight time pressures, operational intelligence must be delivered fast enough to inform the Air Tasking Order cycle.
• Actionable intelligence that can guide air operations, targeting and force protection

Question 17

How do intelligence officers use ISR assets? How does this work in practise?

Answer 17

Intelligence officers task platforms (air, UAV, maritime, ground) to collect required information.

Commander wants to know ‘Are enemy using Route Red for logistics’

• Intelligence Officer converts that into a collection requirement - task a Reaper UAV to watch Route Red from 06:00-12:00. That request is prioritised against others and if approved, written into the next ATO

he request is submitted to the collection management process, where it is prioritised against other requirements from across the theatre or operation.

If approved, the requirement is written into the next Air Tasking Order (ATO), which assigns specific aircraft or ISR platforms (e.g., Reaper, Rivet Joint, Sentinel) to carry it out.

Question 18

What is the difference between intelligence collection and analysis? What is the Intelligence Officer’s job?

Answer 18

Collection is gathering of raw data (could be from Reaper/Protector video, Rivet Joint SIGINT, Imagery etc etc); analysis is the process of evaluating, fusing and interpreting collected information to produce an assessment that answers the commander’s questions.

Intelligence officer pulls these stream together. This stage adds meaning and context turning information into intelligence.

Question 19

How is intelligence integrated throughtout operational planning? + give an example

Answer 19

Officers provide assessments on the threat picture, adversary capabilities and likely intent to commanders before options are developed.

Intelligence Officers highlights not only threats but opportunities ISR has revealed. (e.g enemy resupply patterns)

Intelligence Officers compare courses of action (COA) against the adversary’s likely actions, and recommend courses of action.

Intelligence Officers then monitor ISR outputs and battlefield reporting updating the plan dynamically. E.g a Typhoon tasked on the ATO might be re-tasked mid-sortie if intelligence shows a higher-priority target emerging;

Question 20

What is an All-Source Intelligence Summary (ASIS)?

Answer 20

A report combining multiple intelligence sources to provide a complete operational picture.

Question 21

Why is timeliness and conciseness critical in operational intelligence? and why specifically for the RAF? (2) and give one example

Answer 21

Delays can reduce relevance and effectiveness for decision-makers. In operations where decisions need to be made in minutes, if officers delivered long, layered reports, the key insight can be lost.

1) in the RAF, aircraft are airborne for finite windows (fuel limits, tanker slots, weapon loads) and so if intelligence isnt delivered quickly, the opportunity to act may be lost.

2) Air defences (SAMs, radars) can switch on suddenly, Commanders may have literally minutes to redirect flight paths or hold back on a strike

QRA
- When Russian aircraft approach UK airspace, Typhoons scramble on Quick Reaction Alert. Intelligenec Officers feed concise threat assessments into the control chain: type, course, likely intent. This timeline is measured in minutes, not hours. By being timely, you don’t miss a window of opportunity to deter or intercept a threat

Question 22

How does an officer assess intelligence reliability? (3)

Answer 22

Evaluate source credibility, corroborate with other data, and consider potential bias.

• Was the information collected by a reliable ISR platform, or via a less reliable human source
• one report on its own is weak, multiple sources strengthen confidence (SIGINT indicates increased comms in a village, and reaper/protector imagery shows vehicles dispersing
• could the adversary be trying to deceive? In Afghanistan, insurgents sometimes planted fake IED signs to slow coalition patrols

Question 23

How is HUMINT used by intelligence officers?

Answer 23

To provide context, local knowledge, and human-source insights for operational decisions.

The RAF can then cross check and fuse this with other intelligence sources, e.g tasking a reaper/protector to watch a compound. This can then be used in a report to say HUMINT _ ISR confirm unusual movement.

Question 24

What is the significance of SIGINT and how is it used by intelligence officers?

Answer 24

SIGNINT provides electronic and communications intelligence that intelligence officers turn into operationally useful assessments for sorties, planning and commanders.

• Mapping air defences: SIGINT builds a picture of enemy radar and missile sites, so routes can be planned to keep aircraft in “blind spots” where the enemy is less likely to detect them.

Officers will evaluate reliability, cross check and fuse with other intelligence sources and produce assessments linking enemy activity to commander’s needs.

Question 25

What is OSINT and how is it used (real example)?

Answer 25

Open-source intelligence is dervived from publically available information e.g academic studies, think tanks, social media posts, civil aviation etc Officers use it to supplement other intelligence (OSINT adds context to SIGINT, HUMINT etc) and maintain situational awareness (During Op Ellamy in Libya 2011, news and social media posts often provided first indicators of regime movements, then validated by ISR)

Question 26

What is ISR?

Answer 26

Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance — collecting information to support operations.

Question 27

How does an officer task ISR assets?

Answer 27

Define mission objectives, select platforms, prioritse targets, and communicate collection requirements.

Question 28

Name examples of ISR platforms an officer might task.

Answer 28

MQ‑9B Protector, P‑8 Poseidon, E‑7 Wedgetail, satellites

Question 29

How does an officer determine which asset to task? Explain what goes into it.

Answer 29

Consider range, endurance, sensor capability, and mission priorities. For example, a Typhoon from Akrotiri might need tanker support to reach northern Iraq, but a Reaper/Protector RG1 would have no problem. Intelligence officer would need to check whether tanker availability makes a manned platform viable. Typhoon also can only loiter for 15-30 minutes whereas a Protector RG1 can loiter for over 30 hours, Reaper 12+. Protector would be the best for video surveillance and imagery over a target, great for having eyes on a single route and can strike targets itself. However Rivet Joint is best for SIGINT, it can't provide video or images but its can map who is talking, what systems are active and where emitters are located.

Question 30

What is a Forward Operating Base (FOB) in intelligence operations?

Answer 30

A forward operating base is a deployed location from which intelligence assets are managed closer to the operational area.

Question 31

How do officers integrate ISR into joint operations?

Answer 31

RAF Intelligence officers integrate ISR into joint operations by ensuring that air and space collection directly supports the join commander's priorities. They will fuse outputs from platforms like Reaper/Protector, Rivet Joint and Poseidon with Army HUMINT and Navy maritime sensors to build a common operational picture.

Question 32

How does an officer assess risk when tasking ISR? (4)

Answer 32

Consider enemy air defenses, weather, platform endurance, and operational priority.

Question 33

What is the purpose of an intelligence estimate? (4)

Answer 33

An intelligence Estimate is a structured assessment that provides commanders with a forecast for the most likely and most dangerous enemy courses of action, based on available intelligence and supports decision-making. It can also highlight gaps for ISR tasking and provide a common operational picture

Question 34

How do officers ensure their reports are actionable? How will they be confident to do this?

Answer 34

Focus on relevance, clarity, and timeliness for commanders. This confidence will come from corroborating across sources, linking assessments to the commander's requirements, and presenting them clearly with a recommended course of action.

Question 35

What is the difference between tactical and strategic intelligence reporting?

Answer 35

Tactical: immediate operational relevance (ie. QRA) such as briefing Typhoon crews on air defence threats before a sorties 0Strategic: broader, long-term planning and threat assessment.(ie assessing Russian air doctrine (long-rang SAMs etc) or Chinese missile developments to inform national defence planning.

Question 36

Why is situational awareness critical in intelligence briefings?

Answer 36

because commanders and aircrews can operate under severe time pressure and risk. Intelligence officers provide concise updates on threats, opportunities and enemy intent so that decisions can be made with confidence. Without accurate situational awareness, operations could fail or forces be exposed to unnecessary danger.

Question 37

Why is security emphasised in officer training?

Answer 37

To protect sensitive information from adversaries and prevent operational compromise.

Question 38

How do intelligence officers handle classified information?

Answer 38

Follow security protocols, limit access, and ensure secure dissemination.

Question 39

What professional skills are emphasised for intelligence officers? (5)

Answer 39

Leadership, critical thinking, decision-making, communication, and operational planning.

Question 40

What is the value of cross branch liason for an officer?

Answer 40

Ensures intelligence is effectively integrated across army, RAF, navy and coalition forces, creating a common operational picture and ensures intelligence flows both ways.

Question 41

How should an intelligence officer prioritise tasks in a high-temp operation? Please expand

Answer 41

Focus on operational priorities, commander's requirements, and the most critical intelligence gaps. 1) Everything starts with the Commander's intent and campaign objectives. This ensures intelligence directly supports mission success. 2) Intelligence Officers align work with the commander's CCIRs (Critical Information Requirements) - ie. is this route clear of IED's' 'Are enemy SAMs active in the area'. Prioritising against CCIRs ensures commanders get the answers they need to make timely decisions 3) Identify intelligence gaps that could jeopardise the mission. I.e if there is uncertainty about whether there are MANPADS in an area where Typhoons are flying, that becomes a top priority. (shoulder fired surface to air missiles, man-portable)

Question 42

What is the primary purpose of Phase 2 training?

Answer 42

To equip newly commissioned officers with skills to integrate intelligence into operational planning and execution.

Question 43

What is all source intelligence integration?

Answer 43

Combining information from multiple intelligence disciplines (SIGINT, HUMINT, IMINT, OSINT, GEOINT) to form a comprehensive operational picture.

Question 44

What is the focus of threat analysis and assessment and why?

Answer 44

The focus of threat analysis and assessment for RAF Inteliggence officers is to develop the ability to analyse and assess both conventional threats, like aircraft and SAMs, and asymmetric threats, such as MANPADs or IEDs, to inform operational decisions. This analysis directly informs operational decisions ie tracking IED trends to protect RAF convoys. The aim is to ensure commanders and aircrew have the clearest possible threat picture to make safe, effective choices. conventional - state style threats: aircraft, SAMs, radars, armour, submarines asymmetric - insurgent style threats, IED- improvised exploding device-, MANPADs, drones , VBIED - vehicle borne improvised explosive device.

Question 45

How are briefing and reporting skills developed?

Answer 45

Through exercises in presenting intelligence findings clearly and concisely to commanders and stakeholders.

Question 46

What leadership skills are practised in Phase 2?

Answer 46

Phase 2 training doesnt explicitly advertise a leadership module, but the role clearly involves managing analysts, delivery briefs, and representing RAF Intelligence in joint contexts - all of which are leadership tasks.

Question 47

Give a real world example of when a junior officer may need to deconflict collection of ISR assets?

Answer 47

We need UAV coverage of Route Red between 06:00-12:00 tomorrow to detect possible IED activity. I could need to draft the collection requests, argue for priority, and feedback outputs to analysts and other units who may need them and brief commander on what was found

Question 48

What is the ATO (Air Tasking Order) ?

Answer 48

It is the daily battle rhythm document that directs all air operations. For RAF Intelligence Officers, its both a planning tool (feeding ISR requests into it) and an execution tool (briefing crews on their missions from it)

Question 49

What is an ATO?

Answer 49

Air Tasking Order

Question 50

What is an intelligence officer accountable for when briefing intelligence?

Answer 50

Not just what the intelligence says but also - how confident you are in the assessment -risks of error (gaps, uncertainty) -potential bias or deception affecting the information

Question 51

What type of intelligence sources are covered in Phase 2 training?

Answer 51

a broad range ,including GEOINT, SIGINT, HUMINT, OSINT, plus how to fuse all these into all source assessments

Question 52

simply explain what GEOINT is and which aircraft and provide this?

Answer 52

the fusion of imagery, mapping and spatial data to show where activity is happening and how its changing - Protector RG1 provides GEOINT by showing movement, patterns, routes and terrain-linked activity

Question 53

In Phase 2 Intelligence Officer Cadets will learn the fundamentals of Air Intelligence. What are the 5 subjects you will learn (amongst others)

Answer 53

1) the components of intelligence work, 2) different intelligence sources, 3) various analytical techniques, 4) the structure of air-defence systems, and 5 ) the details of complex equipment that pose a threat to aircraft.

Question 54

In Phase 2 Intelligence Officer Cadets will learn the fundamentals of Air Intelligence. These are the 5 subjects you will learn (amongst others) 1) the components of intelligence work, 2) different intelligence sources, 3) various analytical techniques, 4) the structure of air-defence systems, and 5 ) the details of complex equipment that pose a threat to aircraft ^ Can you explain what would be involved in the first briefly?

Answer 54

1) this refers to the basic building blocs of the intelligence cycle - direction. what decision makers need to know -collection. gathering information from different sources -processing & exploitation. turning raw information into usable form -analysis & production. making assessments, drawing meaning -dissemation. getting it to the right people. This is about understanding the full cycle of intelligence work, from setting requirements to delivering assessments that can inform operations

Question 55

In Phase 2 Intelligence Officer Cadets will learn the fundamentals of Air Intelligence. These are the 5 subjects you will learn (amongst others) 1) the components of intelligence work, 2) different intelligence sources, 3) various analytical techniques, 4) the structure of air-defence systems, and 5 ) the details of complex equipment that pose a threat to aircraft ^ Can you explain what would be involved in the second briefly?

Answer 55

These are the main categories of collection - HUMINT - from people - SIGINT - from intercepted communications/ electronic signals - IMINT/GEOINT - from satellites, UAV's, reconnaissance aircraft - OSINT - media, internet, public data Training covers how each source provides different insights, and how combining them gives a fuller, cross-checked picture

Question 56

In Phase 2 Intelligence Officer Cadets will learn the fundamentals of Air Intelligence. These are the 5 subjects you will learn (amongst others) 1) the components of intelligence work, 2) different intelligence sources, 3) various analytical techniques, 4) the structure of air-defence systems, and 5 ) the details of complex equipment that pose a threat to aircraft ^ Can you explain what would be involved in the third briefly?

Answer 56

Includes: - Trend analysis (spotting changes over time) - Comparative analysis (comparing different data sets) - Red- teaming (challenging assumptions by thinking like the adversary Learning ways of weighing evidence and avoiding bias, so assessments are objective and reliable.

Question 57

In Phase 2 Intelligence Officer Cadets will learn the fundamentals of Air Intelligence. These are the 5 subjects you will learn (amongst others) 1) the components of intelligence work, 2) different intelligence sources, 3) various analytical techniques, 4) the structure of air-defence systems, and 5 ) the details of complex equipment that pose a threat to aircraft ^ Can you explain what would be involved in the fourth briefly?

Answer 57

To understand how potential adversaries defend their airspace. This includes - Early warning radars (detecting aircraft at range) - Command and control nodes (where decisions are made and information is passed) - Surface to air missile systems (SAMs) - Fighter interceptors Its about understanding how adversary air defence networks are built, so that RAF operations can plan around or against them

Question 58

In Phase 2 Intelligence Officer Cadets will learn the fundamentals of Air Intelligence. These are the 5 subjects you will learn (amongst others) 1) the components of intelligence work, 2) different intelligence sources, 3) various analytical techniques, 4) the structure of air-defence systems, and 5 ) the details of complex equipment that pose a threat to aircraft ^ Can you explain what would be involved in the fifth briefly?

Answer 58

This goes deeper into the specific capabilities of weapon systems - Missile ranges, radar coverage, engagement envelopes - Electronic warfare systems - Advanced aircraft capabilities This is about recognising what threats exist to our aircraft - from radars and missiles - and knowing their strengths and limitations, so commanders can make informed decisions about risk and tactics.

Question 59

Once an RAF Intelligence Officer raises a collection requirement, what happens next?

Answer 59

The request is submitted to the collection management process, where it is prioritised against other requirements from across the theatre or operation. If approved, the requirement is written into the next Air Tasking Order (ATO), which assigns specific aircraft or ISR platforms (e.g., Reaper, Rivet Joint, Sentinel) to carry it out.

Question 60

What are Expeditionary Air Wings for?

Answer 60

Often for temporary missions or as a response to emergent threats in a particular region.

Question 61

In your final exercise you will be tested on your ability to work within an Expeditionary Air Wing intelligence environment in a range of mutually supportive and varied intelligence roles, including that of a squadron intelligence officer. Can you break down what this could look like?

Answer 61

E.g Operation Chessman. Tasks: Daily briefs to Typhoon pilots on possible Russian activity drone flight paths from Belarus, expected tactics, electronic warfare threats. Sharing intelligence directly with Polish and Swedish counterparts to make sure everyone had the same air picture. Post Sortie debriefs, using pilot reports and sensor data to refine assessments High tempo, coalition setting, constant updates, and coordination with NATO command.

Question 62

In the subject in Phase 2 'components of intelligence work' what would this entail (4)

Answer 62

- the intellifence cycle: direction, collection, processing, dissemination - How commanders set intelligence requirements, and how analysts turn raw data into usable assessments. -roles at differeent levels -importance of accuracy, timeliness and clarity of delivery intel

Question 63

In the subject in Phase 2 'various analytical techniques' what would this entail? (4)

Answer 63

- spotting patterns in adversary activity - mapping enemy forces and their readiness -red teaming/wargaming -tools to avoid bias

Question 64

In the subject in phase 2 'the structure of air defence systems' - what would this entail?

Answer 64

Layers of air defence: long-range radars, SAMs, fighters, short range guns. How these are linked together in an integrated air defence system Key adversary examples How NATO and RAF operations are planned with those threats in mind. a