Joint Publication 3-72

Joint Publication 3-72
Name	Joint Publication 3-72
Subject	United States Department of Defense joint doctrine
Issued by	United States Department of Defense
First published	2012
Latest revision	2018
Status	Active

Joint Publication 3-72 is a United States Department of Defense doctrinal manual that codifies principles for joint force targeting, weapons employment, and effects-based operations across the United States Armed Forces, the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff, and allied partners such as North Atlantic Treaty Organization members. It provides doctrinal linkage between operational planning processes used by the United States Central Command, United States European Command, United States Indo-Pacific Command, and theater components that coordinate with civilian agencies like the United States Department of State and international organizations such as the United Nations.

Overview

The publication articulates foundational targeting concepts that align with strategic guidance from the National Security Council, the United States Secretary of Defense, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, while interoperating with tactical procedures used by the United States Army, United States Navy, United States Air Force, United States Marine Corps, and United States Space Force. It frames relationships among campaign design tools referenced by the Goldwater-Nichols Act, contingency plans authored by the United States Northern Command, and multinational doctrine promulgated by the NATO Standardization Office and the Australian Defence Force.

Purpose and Scope

The document's purpose is to standardize joint targeting processes to support operational objectives established by combatant commanders such as those in United States Central Command and strategic direction from leaders like the President of the United States and the Secretary of Defense. Its scope covers deliberate targeting, dynamic targeting, collateral damage estimation, and assessment frameworks used in campaigns involving actors like Coalition forces in Afghanistan (2001–2021), Operation Iraqi Freedom, and contingency operations in the South China Sea region. It interfaces with legal authorities codified in statutes such as the War Powers Resolution and judicial precedents involving the International Criminal Court where applicable to multinational operations.

Key Concepts and Doctrine

Core concepts include target development and prioritization, effects-based operations, command and control relationships, and battle damage assessment procedures shared across services like the Royal Air Force and the Canadian Armed Forces. Doctrine emphasizes planning constructs derived from the Joint Strategic Campaign Plan, the Joint Operations Planning and Execution System, and best practices seen in operations like Desert Storm and Operation Enduring Freedom (2001–2014). It integrates concepts from the Law of Armed Conflict, principles advocated by figures like Colin Powell in joint doctrine evolution, and technical methodologies used by agencies including the Defense Intelligence Agency and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

Organization and Structure

The publication is organized to mirror joint staff functions such as J-2, J-3, J-5, and J-8 processes practiced at headquarters like the The Pentagon and theater posts including Camp Arifjan and RAF Lakenheath. Sections delineate responsibilities among the Joint Staff, service components, and joint task forces created for operations like Operation Inherent Resolve, with annexes that reference planning templates used by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Instruction and NATO command structures like Allied Command Operations.

Implementation and Operational Use

Commanders and planners apply the doctrine during campaign planning, targeting cycles, and execution of strikes or interdiction operations, guided by oversight from authorities such as the Secretary of the Navy or the Secretary of the Air Force. Implementation examples include coordination with intelligence collectors like the Central Intelligence Agency, strike authorities from combatant commanders in scenarios similar to Libya intervention (2011), and assessments reported to leadership in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. The manual supports integration of capabilities provided by contractors, defense industrial partners like Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Technologies, and allied enablers such as the French Armed Forces.

Interagency and Coalition Integration

The doctrine prescribes mechanisms for deconfliction, information sharing, and legal coordination with interagency partners including the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and the United States Agency for International Development, and for interoperability with coalition partners like United Kingdom Ministry of Defence and the German Bundeswehr. It addresses multinational targeting priorities established in forums such as the United Nations Security Council and operational coordination practiced in exercises like RIMPAC and Cobra Gold.

Development and Revision History

Origins trace to joint concepts refined after operations including Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm and procedural reforms prompted by the Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986. Revisions have been coordinated through the Joint Staff doctrine development cycle with input from services, combatant commands, and partners like the NATO Allied Command Transformation, yielding editions issued in the 2010s and updated to reflect lessons from campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. Ongoing updates respond to technological advances exemplified by platforms from Boeing and doctrinal shifts driven by commissions such as the Defense Science Board.

Category:United States Department of Defense publications