Department of Defense
DIRECTIVE
NUMBER 3115.16
December 5, 2013
USD(I)
SUBJECT: The Defense Warning Network
References: See Enclosure 1
1. PURPOSE. This directive:
a. Establishes policy, assigns responsibilities, and provides guidance for the Defense
Warning Network (DWN) within the DoD in accordance with the authority in Title 10, United
States Code (Reference (a)). Pursuant to DoD Directive (DoDD) 5240.01 (Reference (b)),
Defense Intelligence must provide warning of threats, foreign capabilities, and intent in an
accurate and timely manner to provide national and defense decision makers with the widest
range of options.
b. Consistent with DoD Instruction (DoDI) 5105.18 (Reference (c)), establishes the Defense
Warning Council (DWC) as a forum for reviewing DWN initiatives and issues requiring timely
senior-level attention, concurrence, and support (see Enclosure 2).
2. APPLICABILITY. This directive applies to OSD, the Military Departments, the Office of
the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) and the Joint Staff, the Combatant Commands
(CCMDs), the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Defense, the Defense
Agencies, the DoD Field Activities, and all other organizational entities within the DoD (referred
to collectively in this directive as the “DoD Components”).
3. POLICY. It is DoD policy that:
a. DoD has the earliest possible awareness of potential threats, vulnerabilities, and
opportunities that may emerge from any circumstance.
b. DoD has requisite capability to identify and assess relevant events, situations, and
environments over broad time horizons to provide the earliest possible alert, to appropriate
leadership within the DoD, of potential risks to U.S. interests.
c. DoD warnings are a function of:
