When transformed into capabilities, information is the currency of victory. Information operations integrate all aspects of information to accomplish the full potential for enhancing the conduct of military operations. Information operations are not new. In their simplest form they are the activities that gain information and knowledge and improve friendly execution of operations while denying an adversary similar capabilities by whatever possible means. Effects of IO produce significant military advantage for forces conducting such operations.
Information is an essential foundation of knowledge-based warfare.
It enables commanders to coordinate, integrate, and synchronize combat functions on the battlefield. Targeting an adversary's information flow to influence his perception of the situation or prevent him from having or using relevant information contributes directly to decisive operations. Realizing that absolute and sustained dominance of the information environment is not possible, commanders seek to achieve information dominance at the right place, the right time, and in the right circumstances. They seek information dominance that defines how the adversary sees the battlespace, creating the opportunity to seize the initiative and set the tempo of operations. The accuracy, lethality, and range of modern weapons have forced commanders to disperse their formations, decentralizing control and execution.