Civil Preparation of the Battlespace - Necessity in the Irregular or Hybrid Warfare

The lessons learned from the most recent conflicts or theatres of operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine, or Syria prove that the Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield (IPB) process is no longer sufficient. Why? Because in the irregular and hybrid conflicts the centre of gravity is represented by the civilian population, which requires precise understanding of the operational environment, including aspects about the local communities, and profound knowledge of the people, their social structures, their culture, their customs, and their way of thinking and reacting to certain internal and external stimuli. In such an operational environment, protecting the civilian population becomes the main mission of the armed forces. Consequently, we present the most important stages through which the Civil Preparation of the Battlespace (CPB) can be accomplished.