General guidance for the Joint Capability Requirements and Gaps section includes:

- This section specifies capability requirements and assesses associated capability gaps in terms of a comparison between capability requirements and current capability solutions available to the joint force or in development, and should include the following elements:

1. Capability Requirements (CRs): Each CR should be defined in a separate paragraph in the following manner:

- “The ability to [perform a task (Universal Joint Task or Service Task) Operational Activity] against / given a [Threat] in order to achieve [Effect] in a / under [Environmental Conditions] in the [Standard Timeframe].”

- Capability requirements must be general enough so as not to create the appearance of a predetermined capability solution or solution approach (e.g., new system, Family of Systems (FoS), System of Systems (SoS)), but specific enough to evaluate alternative means to achieve the capability.

- Example CR text: “The ability to collect operational information given an advanced A2/AD threat environment in order to maintain situational awareness of enemy movements in an urban environment in the 2030 timeframe.”

- Consider including operational attribute values in a summary table.

- Note: Although the 2021 JCIDS Manual has been rescinded, consider referencing Annex A to Appendix B of Enclosure C to the JCIDS Manual for examples of operational attributes.

- Components of the example CR from above:

- Operational Activity: What the capability must do or perform to satisfy one or more tasks. Although not limited to, the operational activities should be described in the lexicon of the Universal Joint Tasks (UJTs) or Component (Army, Navy, Air Force) equivalents.

- Threat: The Joint Intelligence Preparation of the Operational Environment (JIPOE) alerts decision-makers at all echelons to potential emerging situations and threats. The threat that a capability is designed to neutralize or defeat to successfully complete a specified mission must be clearly identified. The threat should be consistent with the JIPOE conducted for the joint commander. (see JP 2-01.3 ) (CAC required)

- Effect: The operational effect or end state that is required for the capability to achieve that will enable the successful completion of the mission in support of the NMS.

- Physical Areas and Factors: Environmental and other non-threat related conditions in which the capability must operate are also identified. These conditions should be consistent with those found in the JIPOE.

- Timeframe: The expected timeframe the capability needs to be available for, must be consistent with the IOC and FOC in Section 1 (Operational Context).

2. How Capability Gaps Impact the Operational Context:

- Clearly identify how each capability gap identified impacts the operational context identified earlier in the Operational Context section, in terms of inability to execute part or all of an operational plan and/or unacceptable levels of operational risk.

- If workarounds are feasible until the requirements proposed in the requirements document are satisfied by capability solutions, then identify the workarounds and operational risk(s) associated with them.