All Source Intelligence Centres
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All Source Intelligence Centres (ASICs) are field intelligence units of the Canadian Army, which serve in the deployed Task Forces that Canada deploys to support the operations of the Canadian Armed Forces.[1] CANSOFCOM utilizes a similar force employment concept, with its equivalent units being termed "Special Operations Intelligence Centres" (SOICs).[2] The Canadian Army began to implement the ASIC concept during the War in Afghanistan.[1] Canadian Army ASICs have subsequently seen active service in support of Op IMPACT, the Canadian contribution to Operation Inherent Resolve.[3]
Origins in Afghanistan
The catalyst for the ASICs' establishment can be traced to Canada's deployment into Kandahar in February 2002.[4] The deploying battalion included a Battle Group Intelligence Section staffed by Intelligence Branch personnel. The Battle Group, operating within an American brigade, faced challenges with the release of American NOFORN (No Foreign Nationals) intelligence products.[5] This proved to be a significant hurdle in the information sharing process at a dynamic period within the campaign.[1]
In lieu of a Canadian National Intelligence Centre (CANIC) capability, secure signals intelligence communications were established to support the contingent commanders.[5] This marked the first steps towards a more integrated, comprehensive intelligence apparatus, which would later evolve into the ASICs.
Evolution and Expansion
The concept of an ASIC took shape with the deployment of a battalion into Kabul in August 2003 during Operation Athena. The transition to Kabul coincided with the establishment of a new concept: the ASIC. In establishing an ASIC, the CAF was departing from recent deployments such as the Stabilisation Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where intelligence support had come from a CANIC or contingent J2 capability.[6]
Despite minor differences in structure and operation between countries, the Canadian model shared many foundational concepts with its counterparts in the United Kingdom and the United States. Key principles of ASICs include:[1]
***Cleaned close paraphrasing***
In Afghanistan, the ASIC's core was formed around an intelligence cell drawn from one of the Canadian Mechanized Brigade Groups (CMBG), reinforced with a Geomatics, Imagery, and SIGINT Team (GIST) comprising national assets drawn from the Canadian Forces Intelligence Command. With a truly all-source intelligence team, an ASIC can focus on long-term analysis and exploitation. In Afghanistan, the ASIC was co-located with the Battle Group, and offered secure intelligence communications and was tasked with providing a Liaison Officer to the Commander of Kabul Multinational Brigade (KMNB).[7]
The ASIC's relationship with the battalion in Kabul was such that the battalion relied upon the ASIC's collection assets for support but operated independently in terms of analysis and operational targeting. Meanwhile, the ASIC worked directly for the Canadian Commander of KMNB and received tasks through the deputy G2, marking a significant step towards the integration and collaboration that would characterize ASIC operations in the years to come.[5]
Legacy
Following the conclusion of Canada's combat operations in Afghanistan in 2011, the ASIC formally ceased to exist within the Canadian Army's order of battle. In 2014, the company-sized intelligence elements of the Regular Force in Edmonton, Petawawa and Valcartier were re-designated 11, 12 and 15 All Source Intelligence Companies respectively, as part of the formation of the Canadian Army Intelligence Regiment (CA Int Regt).[8] These sub-units have been subsequently renamed to Military Intelligence Companies (while retaining their numeric designator), their function remains fundamentally the same as those of the ASICs in Afghanistan, and has been preserved within CA Int Regt and 6 Canadian Combat Support Brigade.[9]
The ASIC's legacy continues to shape Canada's military intelligence framework, with an ASIC being deployed to Kuwait as part of Op IMPACT.[10] The integrated, all-source model the ASICs embodied has informed transformations in Canadian military intelligence procedures and policies and continues to influence the practices of the Intelligence Branch, showcasing the enduring impact of the ASICs in the realm of modern warfare. In summary, the ASICs' legacy extends well beyond the conclusion of Canada's military involvement in Afghanistan.
Perpetuation
The Canadian Intelligence Corps perpetuates the identity, ethos and methodologies of its disbanded ASICs in the Military Intelligence Companies of the Canadian Army Intelligence Regiment.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Remillard, L.H. (2007). "The "All-Source" Way of Doing Business – The Evolution of Intelligence in Modern Military Operations". Canadian Military Journal. Autumn, 2007: 19.
- ↑ Brown, A.K. (2012). "SHARPENING THE SPEAR: OPTIMIZING CANSOFCOM'S INTELLIGENCE FUNCTION TO MEET APPROACHING CHALLENGES" (PDF). Canadian Forces College. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
- ↑ Landry, Daniel (14 August 2017). "The Digital Age and Joint Targeting". Vanguard Canada. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
- ↑ Veterans Affairs Canada (2011). "The Canadian Armed Forces in Afghanistan" (PDF). Veterans Affairs Canada. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Dowell, J.A.E.K. (July 2011). "INTELLIGENCE FOR THE CANADIAN ARMY IN THE 21ST CENTURY "ENABLING LAND OPERATIONS"" (PDF). The Canadian Army Occasional Papers Series: 32.
- ↑ Skaarup, H. (23 Jul 2023). "Author's Military Service in Bosnia-Herzegovina, SFOR, CO CANIC, Sarajevo, 21 June to 30 Dec 1997". Silverhawk Author. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
- ↑ Afghanistan Canadian Story (23 July 2023). "Afghanistan: A Canadian Story - Canada Afghan Mission 2001-2014". Afghanistan Canadian Story. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
- ↑ Mannard, A.W. (2015). "LAND COMPONENT INTELLIGENCE FORCE GENERATION" (PDF). Canadian Forces College: 7.
- ↑ LaFortune, Marc (5 April 2019). "6 Canadian Combat Support Brigade Overview" (PDF). Government of Canada. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
- ↑ Williams, Peter (2017). "TARGETING-QUALITY VIDEO: OPTIMIZING THE TACTICAL DATA LINK WIDE AREA NETWORK" (PDF). Canadian Forces College: 3.
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