What is the process normally performed by trained and certified personnel at various echelons?

• A. Collateral damage estimation (CDE)
• B. Field CDE
• C. CDE level 1
• D. Collateral object (CO)

Answer: (A)

Collateral Damage Estimation is the systematic process used by trained and certified personnel at different levels of command to predict and quantify potential harm to civilians and civilian objects from a planned strike or operation. This estimation informs decisions on target selection, weapon choice, timing, and methods, ensuring the expected collateral effects are weighed against the military objective in line with laws of armed conflict—especially proportionality and discrimination. Because it carries legal and ethical implications, specialists undergo formal training and certification to apply standardized methods, data, and tools consistently across echelons. Other phrasings describe particular implementations or subcategories, not the overall process itself, and terms like collateral object do not describe the targeting planning assessment.