Subject: Operation Bird Watcher – Preface
Classification: TOP SECRET // HCS-P/SI-G/TK // ORCON/NOFORN
Date: September, 1989
Prepared by: Joint Intelligence Cell – Northern Europe
Operation Bird Watcher is a strategic reconnaissance and analysis mission tasked with penetrating the occupied region of Östertörn, following a decisive and catastrophic engagement between Swedish armed forces and an attacking force. The operation's objective is not to engage but to observe, assess, and report on the operational status, original intent, and post-battle condition of the Swedish units involved.
Initial aerial photographs and intercepted communications indicate severe material and structural losses across multiple Swedish defensive positions. However, little is known about the pre-engagement objectives, tactical intent, or the current state of cohesion and resistance capability within these units. The Swedish government has maintained silence on the matter, and on-ground visibility is limited due to occupation forces.
Bird Watcher aims to address these intelligence gaps through Intent & Battle Damage Assessments (I-BDA), which will:
1. Estimate the original mission objectives of the Swedish forces based on troop disposition, movement patterns, and defensive structuring.
2. Assess the scale and nature of losses, including personnel, equipment, infrastructure, and command structures.
3. Establish whether objectives were aborted, disrupted, or pursued to completion despite losses.
This assessment is critical for shaping regional response plans, supporting diplomatic positioning, and forecasting the strategic intentions of Swedish forces.
Operatives assigned to Bird Watcher are to prioritize operational safety, thorough intelligence gathering, and situational analysis. All findings are to be reported via encrypted channels for centralized review and assessment.