Updated Navy instruction for Operations in the Information Environment expected this spring

SAN DIEGO -- A new Navy instruction for Operations in the Information Environment (OIE) is expected to be released this spring, a Navy official said today.

This follows the debut of OIE’s formal definition in December, a method which uses public messaging and military operations to shape adversary attitudes, beliefs and behaviors. These methods are meant to deter the threat and achieve a warfighting advantage, according to the Navy.

“I expect we will be releasing a new Navy instruction for OIE this spring to replace the 2013 Information Operations instruction and to drive Navy doctrine and Navy tactics, techniques and procedures in this space,” Rear Adm. Charles M. Brown said today at the West 2025 conference.

Brown is the director of Operations in the Information Environment, which falls under the Office of the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Warfare (OPNAV N2N6). The new Navy instruction will “lead doctrine and tactics, techniques and procedures for operational commanders,” he said.

OIE and public messaging will also be integrated into this year’s Large Scale Exercise, along with other regional and global exercises, Brown added.

Regarding real-world displays of OIE successes, Brown said the run-up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a prime example.

“In my 30-year career, I've never observed the United States pursue such a brilliant and effective information operation or information influence campaign, as we did in the run-up to Russia's invasion in February 2022,” Brown said.

The U.S. predicted the impending invasion, he said, and the “smart” declassification of sensitive information and informing allies built the credibility of the U.S. once the invasion took place. This was a “macro lesson” of how information warfare and public messaging can be used to expose the bad behavior of countries like Russia and the People's Republic of China, Brown added.