What is an Operation Plan (OPLAN)?

What is an Operation Plan (OPLAN)?

• A. A complete and detailed plan for military operations prepared in response to contingencies.
• B. A short-term battle drill for a specific engagement.
• C. A weather briefing for theater operations.
• D. An administrative checklist for unit readiness.

Answer: (A)

An Operation Plan is a complete and detailed plan for military operations prepared in response to contingencies. It lays out how forces will be organized, what tasks each unit will perform, and the sequencing of actions across time and space. It covers who commands, how communications will flow, how intelligence will be gathered and used, and what logistics and sustainment are required. It also includes time-phased force deployment data and the coordination needed among various components to execute the plan if and when the contingency occurs. When a contingency moves toward execution, the plan is refined into an operation order to guide actual actions. This is not just a short-term drill or a weather briefing, nor is it merely an administrative checklist. A weather briefing is a specialized input used within planning, and a checklist focuses on readiness tasks. An OPLAN, by contrast, is the full framework that describes how a potential operation would be carried out.

An Operation Plan is a complete and detailed plan for military operations prepared in response to contingencies. It lays out how forces will be organized, what tasks each unit will perform, and the sequencing of actions across time and space. It covers who commands, how communications will flow, how intelligence will be gathered and used, and what logistics and sustainment are required. It also includes time-phased force deployment data and the coordination needed among various components to execute the plan if and when the contingency occurs. When a contingency moves toward execution, the plan is refined into an operation order to guide actual actions.

This is not just a short-term drill or a weather briefing, nor is it merely an administrative checklist. A weather briefing is a specialized input used within planning, and a checklist focuses on readiness tasks. An OPLAN, by contrast, is the full framework that describes how a potential operation would be carried out.