Deliberate targeting prosecutes anticipated or known targets within a given operational area and timeframe,[1] and normally supports the joint force's future plans effort, which is overseen by the plans directorate of a joint staff (J-5).
Technologically advanced countries can generally select their targets in such a way as to minimize collateral damage and civilian casualties.
A target is an entity (person, place, or thing) considered for possible engagement or action to alter or neutralize the function it performs for the adversary.
Physical, functional, cognitive, environmental, and temporal are broad categories that help define the characteristics of a target.
General Stanley A. McChrystal wrote in 2014 about a targeting cycle called "F3EA" used in the Iraq War, which stands for: