Psychological operations

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Psychological Operations (PSYOP[US] or PSYOPS[UK, GE, NATO]) are planned operations to convey selected information and indicators to specific foreign and (in certain countries) domestic audiences to influence their emotions, motives, objective reasoning, and ultimately the behavior of governments, organizations, groups, and individuals. Sometimes combined with black operations or false flag tactics, the purpose of psychological operations is to induce or reinforce attitudes and behaviors favorable to the originator's objectives. As such, there must always be sufficient truth to be credible.

This concept has been used by military institutions throughout history, but it is only since the twentieth century that it has been accorded the organizational and professional status it enjoys now.

1 Germany
2 United Kingdom
3 United States
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Germany

In the German Bundeswehr the Zentrum Operative Information and its subordinated Bataillon für Operative Information 950 are responsible for the PSYOPS efforts (in German called Operative Information). Both the center and the battalion are subordinate to the new Streitkräftebasis (Joint Services Support Command, SKB) and together consist of about 1,000 soldiers that specialise in modern communication and media technologies. One project of the German PSYOPS forces is the radio station Voice of the freedom which is used by thousands of Afghans, another are different newspapers and magazines published in Kosovo and Afghanistan.

[edit] United Kingdom

In the British Armed Forces, PSYOPS are handled by the tri-service 15 Psychological Operations Group.

[edit] United States

For main article see Psychological operations (United States).

The purpose of United States psychological operations (PSYOP) is to induce or reinforce attitudes and behaviors favorable to U.S. objectives. In the United States Department of Defense, Psychological Operations units exist in the Army and Air Force. The United States Navy also plans and executes limited PSYOP missions.

Unlike some countries, United States PSYOP units and soldiers of all branches of the military are prohibited by law from conducting PSYOP missions on domestic audiences. While PSYOP soldiers may offer non-PSYOP related support to domestic military missions, PSYOP can only target foreign audiences. Though, it is worth noting that this does not rule out PSYOP targeting foreign audiences of allied nations.

Within the U.S. Psychological Operations community, PSYOPS is generally considered to be an incorrect abbreviation. The correct abbreviation is PSYOP.