Contingency Plans

Contingency plans are developed by Combatant Commanders (CCDR) and Joint Force Commanders in anticipation of a potential crisis outside of crisis conditions. These plans are either directed by the classified Joint Strategic Capabilities Plan (JSCP) or Guidance for Employment of the Force (GEF), or may address scenarios internal to the CCDR’s theater. 

Level 1 Planning Detail – Commander’s Estimate.
This level of planning involves the least amount of detail and focuses on producing multiple courses of action (COA) to address a contingency. The product for this level can be a COA briefing, command directive, commander’s estimate, or a memorandum.

Level 2 Planning Detail – Base Plan (BPLAN). 
A BPLAN describes the concept of operations (CONOPS), major forces, concepts of support, and anticipated timelines for completing the mission. It normally does not include annexes or time-phased force and deployment data (TPFDD).

Level 3 Planning Detail – Concept Plan (CONPLAN). 
A CONPLAN is an operational plan in an abbreviated format that may require considerable expansion or alteration to convert it into an OPLAN or operations order. It may also produce a TPFDD if applicable.

Level 4 Planning Detail – Operations Plan (OPLAN). 
An OPLAN is a complete and detailed joint plan containing a full description of the CONOPS, all annexes applicable to the plan, and a TPFDD. It identifies the specific forces, functional support, and resources required to execute the plan and provide closure estimates for their flow into the theater.

2008. Russia did not accept the U.S. military’s offer of help in providing security during the winter Olympic Games in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. However, the U.S. says it was going ahead with plans to send two Navy ships to the Black Sea in the coming days.

2013. Al Jazeera’s James Bays with the latest details on the world’s contingency plans for a post-Assad Syria. The UN is not alone in planning, Bays has spoken with at least 20 high-ranking officials from NATO and non-NATO countries about possible interventions should Assad fall.

A comment on YouTube:

“I served 6 years, USN as an MT (Missile Technician, C3 Poseidon missile system) aboard boomers in the mid 80’s. We were responsible for every system (from flight control equipment, hydraulics, heating/cooling systems, every aspect from loading to close out) and I remember every time we drilled for launch how much weight everyone carried knowing what it meant if it were an actual launch.

Knowing exactly what would come after, and knowing what the world would be like if we were to actually make it home. We all knew from extensive training exactly what these weapons would do, exactly how it performed when deployed from launch to detonation and the result, and I promise you it’s scarier than what you could possibly imagine.

I also know that it’s a necessary weapon and I pray deterrence will still be enough to prevent an attack on US soil. You cannot put this genie back in the bottle. Contrary to movies and what most believe, there is no detonation button to blow it up in space. When it launches it will reach its targets with precision, and it will destroy everything in it path and would only take our sailors minutes to launch every one of them. Let’s pray we never have to. There’s no do overs.”