Satellite Technologies as the Subject of the Broker by Grisham - Book Report/Review Example

 Satellite systems and surveillance in “the Broker” Introduction: 9/11 represents a milestone in the development of satellite spying and surveillance. The threat of terrorism has been posed as the reason for enhanced surveillance requirements, but the rights to privacy guaranteed to every citizen of the United States is in grave peril, as the spy satellites are increasingly directed upon U.S. citizens, in flagrant violation of such rights. How far is surveillance justified to enhance collection of intelligence if it interferes with constitutionally guaranteed freedoms? This is one of the subtle messages that underlies Grisham’s novel “The Broker” inviting an examination of technological advances in satellite technology. Summary of the novel: “The Broker” “The Broker” is Joel Backman, a lawyer/lobbyist who went to prison six years ago for conspiring to sell a satellite system to an unnamed party outside the United States. The outgoing President, Arthur Morgan offers him pardon and he is released from prison, to be scuttled out of the country and hidden away in Italy. Backman had been sent to prison six years ago because he had been the broker in a deal to control the software that operates the latest to-secret spy satellite system. The Director of the CIA convinces the President to pardon him but the motive behind his action is not altruistic. The reason for engineering Backman’s release and helping him to go into hiding is to set him up as bait to fish out the parties involved in the deal for the satellite software. “we'll leak the word in the right places. They'll find Mr. Backman, and they'll kill him, and when they do so, many of our questions will be answered." (Grisham 2006) The CIA figures that whoever owns the satellite will find Blackman and kill him for having allowed himself to be caught six years ago. But since they have Backman under surveillance they will have the opportunity to unearth that vital piece of intelligence. The crucial element of the spy satellite software: Grisham’s book involves politics, espionage and above all the vital element of surveillance that forms an essential component of contemporary intelligence activity. The key element that drives this book on to its climax is the fact that the reader does not know who put up the secret satellites and who’s trying to buy the software and the intense surveillance maintained on Backman as he lives in Italy is geared towards unlocking these secrets. Backman however, has his own plans and he doesn’t plan to let either side get to him. But the information he is privy to about the secret satellite system makes him a prime target. He is constantly under surveillance and the novel demonstrates the extent to which the advances in development of satellite technology have led to its increasingly intrusive role, blurring the lines between military information collected against a potential national threat vis a vis information that infringes upon constitutional rights to privacy of ordinary citizens. Spy satellites: Robert Windrem has pointed out how the incorporation of three dimensional simulations have enhanced the quality of the pictures that are taken by the satellites and have enabled sharper resolution and sharper focus. (Windrem, 2001). Enhanced resolution of the satellite pictures provides a continuous stream of pictures of 5 to 6 inches, which means that the satellite can pick up the image of objects that small, inspite of the vast distances. Moreover, through the use of digital data and enhanced technology using Cray computers, US intelligence is now able to derive a three dimensional view of the images and also animate them, which provides the effect of virtual reality and has proved very useful in training agents and military personnel in getting a feel for the forbidden areas they will be traversing.(Windrem 2001). The visual image from the satellite is combined with technical data, such as temperature at nuclear reactors, combining classified and unclassified data to arrive at a picture that is a close approximation of the actual reality. Classified radar images from satellites such as “Lacrosse” combined with infra red images obtained from unclassified satellites such as “Landsat” can help to detect even camouflaged objects. Pfleger Shrader has highlighted the increasingly intrusive role of satellites into the daily life of ordinary Americans. (Pfleger Shrader, 2005). The National Geospatial Agency is branch of the defense Department that uses sophisticated technology to combine aerial imagery combined with pictures obtained from satellites in order to compose physically close approximations of features and events that are occurring at any place on the earth. This is combined with footage obtained from private security sources such as hotels and airports, etc in order to maintain a constant reconnaissance that helps intelligence agencies to react quickly in the event of a crisis (Pfleget Shrader, 2005). Shrader points out how the rights to privacy that every individual has are sometimes infringed through the intrusive scrutiny by law enforcement officials, who sometimes use the images provided by satellite imagery in order to gain more information – something which is generally not permissible unless the suspect in question poses a definite threat to national security.(Pfleger Shrader 2005). Government agencies such as the National Geospatial Agency are more willing to share information and intelligence available through satellite and this amounts to spying on the activities to individuals, since the fine lines between justified surveillance and intrusive spying are difficult to distinguish easily. There have been sophisticated advances in satellite technology in various parts of the world since the 9/11 incident, as a result of which increasingly intrusive surveillance has been the result. According to Larry Dickerson (2006), the Predator Unmanned Aerial vehicle deployed by the United States Airforce are in great demand because it provides real time reconnaissance and surveillance which is useful in military operations and funding for such vehicles is on the rise.(p 111). In the UK, the development of the Watchkeeper UAV program provides a superior networked intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance capacity that is expected to be useful in military activity. But the alarming aspect is the fact that UAVs are also being developed for civilian reconnaissance, such as for example, the ones being developed by Sukhoi fighter manufacturer Irkut. (Dickerson, 2006: 111). Other nations are also moving into the acquisition of UAVs, which present a potent threat for innocent civilians who could become the targets of surveillance without their knowledge or consent. Grisham’s novel has highlighted the increasingly important role of communications technology in providing an edge in espionage, but the disturbing aspect that comes to the fore is the increasing demand for more sophisticated satellite technology that in effect, performs an intrusive function, penetrating into the lives of common citizens and compromising privacy to an unacceptable extent, so that there is no place a person can go to escape the “agency watching”. (Pfleger Shrader, 2005) Communications is emerging as the area of strategic importance in modern day warfare and Fulghum has highlighted several developments in technology that have been occurring in various countries, equipping them for a superior role in surveillance. For example, Australia has recently developed the sophisticated MESA radar that is not only capable of superior intelligence collection and monitoring but also has the capability to monitor data link communications and introduce alterations to the data.(Fulghum, 2006: 69). In Britain, the ground surveillance system known as Astor can also monitor and disrupt communication signals (Fulghum, 2006:1). Super resolution facilities and advanced audio processing on the “Senior Scout” air lifter of the United States allows the facility of speech processing which can also help to identify a speaker and therefore, offers superior ability to tap into lines of communication that are taking place at a great distance from the home base. (Fulghum, 2006: 19). The National Director of Intelligence has already indicated that information will be the new arsenal and will be processed to a more advanced, networked degree that will be very useful in warfare. (Tuttle, 2006:60) All these advances in technology offer enhanced facilities for interception of information and the increased facility of “eavesdropping” on private conversations and gaining access to confidential information which could earlier be obtained only with court warrants and/or other authorization. Information being shared by agencies such as the National Geospatial Agency on the grounds of intercepting terrorist communications and deterring terrorist attacks may unwittingly be a source of information about private citizens. Conclusion: While most of the major developments in spy satellite technology are being chalked up to the terrorism generated threats, the reality is that increasingly, such devices are being targeted to tap into communications that may be private. Individuals are also becoming the targets of surveillance and their rights to privacy are being intruded upon. In Grisham’s novel, Backman faces a potent threat from sophisticated surveillance which makes his release from prison little more than a technicality, since he is watched as closely and as intrusively as he was in prison and the book is all about Backman’s clever tactics and struggle to escape detection. The book demonstrates how existing political equations are changing to accommodate the advances in technology and the increasing emphasis that is being placed on feedback from spy satellites in shaping foreign and domestic policies. While electronic enhancement has empowered terrorist outfits and provided them increased opportunities to send out anonymous threats with a tremendous capacity to cause damages though the mere click of a button or a mouse, it has also worked to the benefit of intelligence agencies who have access to the same ethnological arsenal to fight the terrorist threat. But intelligence agencies and Government agencies are bound by the principles laid out in the Constitution of the United States and they have to respect the privacy of individuals to ensure that the freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution are not violated. Grisham’s book highlights the potential for misuse of technology and data from spy satellites to impact negatively upon the rights of individual citizens. The book raises the scepter of communications and activities that may never be completely private. Somewhere…..someone…..is watching. References: * Dickerson, Larry, 2006. Demand for unmanned aerial vehicles increases worldwide. Aviation week and Space technology, January 16 at pp 111. * Fulghum, David, 2006. Australia’s agile L-band radar will offer a wide range of capabilities Aviation Week and Space technology March 20, at pp 69 *­­­­­­­­­­­­-------------------------------- Britain’s Astor radar has hidden potential Aerospace Daily and Defense Report. January 31, at pp 1 *--------------------------------- Senior Scout is subtle spy Aerospace Daily and Defense Report, January 20, at pp 17 * Grisham, John, 2006. The Broker. * Pfleger Shrader, Katherine, 2005. Spy imagery agency watching inside U.S. The Associated Press. * Tuttle, Richard, 2006. New DNI CIO vows more efficient use of IT Aviaiton week and space technology. February 27 at pp 60. * Windrem, Robert, 2001. Spy satellites enter new dimension. MSNBC report [online] available at: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3077885/ Spy satellites enter new dimension Computerized 3-D simulations add perspective to surveillance MSNBC - http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3077885/ By Robert Windrem NBC News producer Updated: 3:48 p.m. ET Oct. 9, 2001 Aug. 8, 1998 - For more than 35 years, spy satellites have roamed the skies 100 miles above the Earth. They’ve become increasingly powerful over the years — but intelligence experts say the real revolution in satellite imagery today is taking place on the ground, not in the skies. TRAVELING AT MACH 25, they pass over every spot on the face of the Earth twice a day, grabbing digital snapshots of places that the CIA — and the policymakers and military officers it serves — want to see. From missile fields in China or Russia to environmental disaster areas in the Sahel, the spy satellites provide a steady stream of black-and-white images. Much has been written about these billion-dollar “birds,” five of which are overhead on any given day. Even though their design, code names and capability are classified beyond top secret, there have been enough leaks over the years to sketch out some basic information about them. Three are “visible light” satellites, the most recent of which resemble the Hubble Space Telescope and were built by the same contractor at the same Lockheed Martin facility in Sunnyvale, Calif. They are known in the spy trade as “Keyhole-class” satellites. And they have a resolution of 5 to 6 inches, meaning they can distinguish an object that small, but no smaller, on the ground. Two other satellites are radar-imaging, built by Lockheed Martin in Watertown, Colo. Their resolution is about 3 feet. While satellites cannot read license plates, they can tell if a car has one. While they cannot tell a mullah by the length of his beard, they can help analysts figure out how many people are chanting along with him at a street demonstration. And while they cannot hover over an area and provide real-time images, other “assets” such as unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as drones, can do that. REVOLUTION ON THE GROUND But the news media have concentrated too often on the space-based element of the reconnaissance systems, controlled from the National Reconnaissance Office headquarters in Virginia. U.S. intelligence officials and private analysts tell NBC News that the real revolution has to do with the manipulation of digital data derived from satellites. The National Imagery and Mapping Agency, which was set up to centralize that research, development and analysis, has been quietly improving what U.S. officials can “see” through their satellite eyes. At its Virginia headquarters and its main analysis “factory,” the National Photographic Interpretation Center in southeast Washington, NIMA has created a new era in spying. “It has been the revolution of the ‘soft copy,’ ” says John Pike, space policy expert at the Federation of American Scientists. “By ‘soft copy’ I mean the digital copy.” Over the past decade, digital data has permitted U.S. intelligence to combine visible light imagery with other imagery to make a two-dimensional image multidimensional. Perhaps more importantly, that digital imagery can be transmitted to users around the world. For a long time, U.S. satellites have been taking pictures in stereo-optic pairs, meaning side-by-side images taken at slightly different angles. That permits intelligence analysts to get a 3-D view, like you would through a child’s stereopticon. AN AID TO DIPLOMACY The value is not just in war fighting, but also in “mission rehearsals” of military and intelligence operations. Even diplomacy has benefited. The new capability the public is most familiar with — because of the Bosnian peace accords — is the development of 3-D “virtual reality” animations of land features. During the peace talks, representatives of the warring parties were able to view “Powerscreen” animations of the Serbian countryside derived from unclassified satellite and aerial reconnaissance imagery. The clear message was that combat pilots would be prepared to navigate the real geography unless Belgrade was willing to make a deal. But there are other uses — some of which are derived from classified imagery — that are even more extraordinary. CREATING ‘ENVISIONS’ Using initially a Cray supercomputer and now smaller computers, NIMA analysts create 3-D animations — called “envisions” — for policymakers so they can understand problems faced by peacekeepers or soldiers before they make decisions on deployment. Similar animations were shown to pilots at preflight briefings in 1995 to help them prepare for bombing runs over Bosnia. Multiple route plans have been animated so the pilots know the advantages and disadvantages of each. And the simulations can be just as useful in the battles against terrorism and narcotics. The CIA has pulled together street-by-street urban landscapes that are used to prepare intelligence officers and agents for missions to “denied areas” like South Beirut before they arrive on scene. With some newly acquired technology, those officers and agents can use a joystick to take a virtual “stroll” through such an area long before they arrive. Similarly, U.N. inspectors were given an advance look at Iraqi nuclear facilities before their arrival at the actual sites. In fact, U.S intelligence sources say NIMA has a catalog of virtually every critical Iraqi superweapons facility. Drug Enforcement Agency agents have uncovered the vulnerabilities of well-guarded secure locations, like the hideouts of Cali drug lords, prior to an assault. DEA and Colombian police carried hard copies of the images when they went after the drug lords in 1995 so they could determine routes of escape as well as parapets and other high ground they would have to watch during an assault. ARCHIVING IMAGES Pike says that NIMA now maintains an imaging archive that can be accessed via the closest server. “Until the past few years, the imagery, even though the downlink was digital, had to be converted to film — because physically, the intelligence community didn’t have the bandwidth to move it,” says Pike. “During Desert Storm, an airplane had to fly the pictures to Saudi.” Now, he notes, there is enough bandwidth to sent these multi-gigabyte images to wherever they are needed. These 3-D capabilities can even help intelligence analysts determine what a terrorist or drug lord’s intentions might be. For example, if analysts know that a suspected terrorist has rented an eighth-floor apartment in a particular building, they can order a 3-D re-creation of that neighborhood. By “flying” through the neighborhood 80 feet above the ground and freezing the view in front of the suspect’s apartment, the analysts see what the suspect sees — and perhaps gets a good view of what’s being targeted. BLENDING SOURCES And the analysts are not limited to satellite imagery. They can add information gathered from other sources to create a more complete 3-D image. Here are three examples: a CIA agent covertly takes photographs of a “denied area,” like south Beirut. Those photos can be added to the 3-D animation of the neighborhood, created mainly from satellite imagery, yielding a more realistic look for the CIA officer or commando who will follow him. In the second example, a CIA agent obtains technical data, but not a photograph, on China’s new F-10. When the Chinese roll out a mock-up of the F-10 and a Keyhole satellite snaps its picture, the analyst can take a look at the imagery and then add in the technical data to create a better, fuller and more compelling view for policymakers and military intelligence officers. Finally, an analyst can combine unclassified, low-resolution, multispectral imagery of North Korea’s nuclear reactor — the kind that shows heat and ultraviolet emissions — with classified high-resolution Keyhole imagery of the same reactor. The commercially available low-resolution imagery can sense a rise in heat — and thus the operational tempo at the reactor — while the high-resolution imagery can watch for the movement of fuel rods or other equipment at the reactor. Intelligence historian Jeffrey T. Richelson says the U.S. is relying increasingly on unclassified as well as classified data, combining them for a more complete picture of what is on the ground. “We have become very good at fusing imagery from visible light and radar imaging satellites with imagery from multispectral satellites, which are unclassified,” says Richelson. Richelson notes that each has its strengths. For example, the classified radar-imaging satellites — initially code-named “Lacrosse” — can see through clouds and at night and to some extent can even see underground. The recent discovery of the ruins of ancient Arabian cities provides the best unclassified example of radar-imaging capability. Radar images can also be digitally rearranged to create the perspective of seeing the target from all sides, an immense value in the analysis of foreign weapons systems and military installations. Satellites that have infrared cameras, like the unclassified Landsat, can better detect targets that are camouflaged. “So, multispectral or hyperspectral imagery can be combined with visible light imagery to detect things that each alone can’t detect,” Richelson said. MODELING OBJECTS Another, newer capability of imagery analysis involves “modeling” — creating 3-D computerized models of buildings, ships, planes and other objects, then combining them to obtain further information. One recent example involved manipulating an image of a North Korean freighter to obtain the ship’s internal dimensions, cargo-loading capabilities and maximum load. Then the analyst modeled an image of a North Korean Scud missile. By adding details on the ship’s history and North Korean sales of missiles to other nations, the analyst produced a 3-D model that could help determine how many missiles were loaded on a freighter headed for Iran. The CIA can now use artificial intelligence along with modeling to match a known building to an unknown location. The analyst and computer scientist can take a covertly obtained blueprint, create a digital model of the facility, then “ask” a computer to scan the available imagery and find the completed facility. The key to understanding all these advances is knowing the real value of digital imagery: the capacity to manipulate, model and combine. There is much that can be exploited as computers become more powerful — and as scientists and analysts become cleverer. Robert Windrem is an investigative producer for NBC News. © 2006 MSNBC Interactive Information Technology New DNI CIO Vows More Efficient Use of IT Aviation Week & Space Technology 02/27/2006, page 60 Richard Tuttle Colorado Springs New DNI chief information officer espouses emphasis on information rather than networks Printed headline: Intelligence Transformation The intelligence community will begin to shift toward network-centricity and start making more efficient use of information technology under a plan outlined by the newly confirmed chief information officer for the director of national intelligence (DNI). Dale W. Meyerrose sees a reduction in the number of networks used by the community and increasing emphasis on information itself. "You will find us collapsing our networks," Meyerrose said in his first public comments since being confirmed for the job on Dec. 17. "Are we going to get to one? The answer is, when we get to net-centricity we won't need a network at all. It's the net [concept], not the network, that is important. It's the information, not the network, that has real intrinsic value." He joked that this wouldn't be easy. "I'm not appointed for life like a Supreme Court justice," he said at a conference here. "I've got a few years to work this problem." He added that Congress could "change my job description, even without asking me." Others say Meyerrose does indeed have a steep hill to climb. Achieving the network-centricity goal alone is "far more easily said than done," says John Pike of GlobalSecurity.org, a defense and security analysis web site based in Alexandria, Va. He says the National Security Agency (NSA), for example, one of a number of intelligence agencies now under Meyrrose's boss, John D. Negroponte, is "compartmented seven ways to Sunday," which flies in the face of network-centricity. Before assuming his new post, Meyerrose was director of command control systems for North American Aerospace Defense Command, director of architectures and integration for U.S. Northern Command and CIO of both commands. He said many of the lessons he learned at Norad and Northcom can be applied to the intelligence community. The White House tapped him for the new job in July, and he retired from the Air Force as a major general in November. News Senior Scout is subtle spy Aerospace Daily & Defense Report 01/20/2006, page 17 David Fulghum SAVANNAH, Ga. -- Senior Scout camouflages itself as a standard C-130 airlifter, but inside it offers new weapons for information warfare and network attack. It is a barometer of changing warfighting priorities. The military's principal battlefield targets are changing. Instead of tanks and aircraft, the objects of choice are radars, microwave towers, cell phones, satellite dishes and other communication links. However, the goal is not to destroy them, but to exploit them. Exploitation could mean loosing a torrent of false information into an enemy network or controlling cell phone calls or dropping in a package of algorithms for mining computer data bases. But a key element for any of these scenarios is the initial step of finding the doors -- usually antennas of some sort -- used to get information in and out of enemy networks. Operational work Much of the exploratory operational work in the field is being done by the U.S. Air Force's secretive 55th Wing which either flies or has operational control of the small RC-135 Rivet Joint, EC-130 Compass Call, EC-130J Commando Solo and Senior Scout units. Senior Scout is a containerized signals intelligence facility that has been compartmentalized for installation, with some minor modifications, in a standard C-130E or H cargo-carrying aircraft. During the recent Operation Trident Warrior exercise off both coasts, Senior Scout shared the task of locating electronic emitters using a new Network Centric Collaborative Targeting (NCCT) system from L-3 Communications in conjunction with a variety of aircraft, ships and ground stations, all specialized for signals and/or communications intelligence or ground mover surveillance. A principal objective of Senior Scout's activities was to participate in a joint military utility assessment of NCCT. For example, Joint Stars aircraft provided target tracking while Senior Scout nailed down precise geo-location. Automated correlation provided rapid association of target location and identification while data links moved the data between aircraft. While a number of programs provided multiple feeds, NCCT sorted out the data to make a single composite target/track, which included all contributor data. If doubt about the target's identification remained, the system would automatically task other aircraft to look for additional indicators and continue to track the emitter. Generally, a crew of nine or more intelligence specialists operates from the container. There are only three Senior Scout sigint shelters/containers, which makes it one of the ultimate low-density, high-use systems in the U.S. airborne intelligence fleet. In a peculiar operational twist, there are no aircraft permanently assigned to the Utah Air National Guard's 169th Intelligence Squadron. Unit officials have to negotiate with C-130 squadrons to support the mission. During Operation Trident Warrior, Senior Scout was carried by a C-130H-2 from the Delaware Air National Guard. A single ground support station accompanies the aircraft when operational, although it can also function through the U-2 and Global Hawk's dedicated ground station. Temporary hosts Because they are temporary hosts, the aircraft are only slightly modified with special main landing gear and paratroops doors studded with antenna arrays, as well as small tail and wing tip antennas. While other aircraft, like Rivet Joint, have more extensive sigint capabilities, Senior Scout is hard to distinguish from other cargo-carrying C-130s, and it can fly lower and slower to get closer to targets and maintain surveillance orbits longer between turns. Today's baseline-two, Senior Scout configuration includes NCCT, super-resolution direction finding, tactical communications, multiple National Security Agency quick-reaction capabilities, narrow satellite communications reach-back and advanced audio processing (including speech enhancement and speaker identification). Other upgrades included emitter location improvements, additional frequency coverage and more direction finding analysis tools. Baseline three, scheduled for fiscal 2007-8, is to add dual monitors for crew positions, workstation upgrades, multiple special signals upgrades, receiver replacement, local area network upgrades, advanced tactical communications, wideband satellite communications, Project Suter enhancements (for communications network attack) and Global Positioning System navigation upgrades. To ensure that an aircraft can communicate automatically with other platforms and nodes carrying NCCT, researchers have developed the Platform Interface Module (PIM) that translates data from various systems into a common message set. Operators can then determine who is operationally available and on the network by seeing which systems are actively displayed. On the map display of the exercise area, the platform icon is accompanied by a dialog box that gives the platform type, location, velocity, and sensor status. The NCCT display also provides a chat capability via the same interface between platforms. During the exercises, operators monitored the conversations of convoy truck operators. They also located SA-8 and SA-3 surface-to-air missile radar sites. Also in the mix was an SA-2 radar operating from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. By the exercise's end, the results were considered promising. "We achieved on the first day all the objectives with all the desired players -- all the combinations -- that we wanted to see," says Mike Patterson, an NCCT specialist with Air Force Materiel Command. -- Dave Fulghum, Aviation Week & Space Technology News Britain's Astor radar has hidden potential Aerospace Daily & Defense Report 01/31/2006, page 01 David Fulghum GREENVILLE, Texas -- Britain's new Astor ground surveillance radar aircraft has some hidden, next-generation information warfare and radar weapons effect potential. The 18-foot canoe-like fairing beneath Astor's fuselage houses a 14-foot antenna that could be focused, with the proper modifications, to concentrate the radar's energy into a single beam. That beam can produce jamming noise, disrupt guidance systems, produce false targets or even damage sensitive electronic components. Because of these capabilities, the radar could be used as a self-defense weapon against air-to-air, surface-to-air or jam-following missiles or as an offensive capability against enemy aircraft, helicopters or cruise missiles of a size large enough to carry a one-ton warhead, according to some aerospace industry researchers. Upgrades to make Astor an information warfare node are predicted as being a year or two away yet and reliant on a $55 million modification to the radar and some other Raytheon-financed improvements. Any of the upgrades could be on the aircraft within five years, says an aerospace industry specialist, including air-to-air capabilities, a stealth detection capability, an improved ground moving target indicator and sea surveillance modes. Those involved with the project say not much effort or thought has been expended yet on turning Astor's radar into a directed energy weapon. However, they predict that within five years a capability to defend against air-to-air missiles will be under consideration. Other radar improvements on the horizon include higher resolution imagery, lower minimum velocities for detection of moving targets, improved Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI), and sea surveillance modes including the ability to see objects in sea clutter. These next-generation warfighting capabilities parallel some of the more exotic applications already being developed for U.S. surveillance and intelligence gathering aircraft with similar, large active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars and the precision targeting they permit. Also expected to be compatible with the aircraft's systems is L-3's Network Centric Collaborative Targeting package, which allows the collection and fusion of intelligence data within seconds. The objective is to identify, track and target enemy emitters. A basic concept of operations for NCCT is to locate mobile missiles, convoys or terrorist cells. Britain, although not Astor specifically, is involved with NCCT. In fact, a combination of U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy and Royal Air Force aircraft recently demonstrated NCCT capabilities during Operation Trident Warrior 2005 off the North Carolina coast. The distributed system was used to precisely locate the position of radar and communication sources. Once located with precision, electronic attack capabilities can be used to penetrate enemy networks through the portals provided by those antennas. Researchers with insight into these programs say operators can "see" what enemy radars are seeing, monitor their data link communications or mine computer data bases for intelligence. The large AESA radar could be used to seed enemy communications systems with a wide range of algorithm packages. -- Dave Fulghum Outlook/Specifications Demand For Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Increases Worldwide Aviation Week & Space Technology 01/16/2006, page 111 Larry Dickerson Forecast International/www.forecastinternational.com Military and disaster relief needs may warrant expansion of unmanned aerial vehicle fleets worldwide Printed headline: Wanted: UAVs In just four years, worldwide spending on unmanned aerial vehicles has ballooned to levels unexpected prior to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The market for UAVs to perform various missions such as reconnaissance and surveillance is expected to be worth $7.6 billion through 2010 ($13.6 billion through 2014), with the lion's share coming from the U.S. These figures represent huge anticipated growth from the estimated value of production for 2005-07: $982.24 million in 2005; $958.47 million this year; and $1.165 billion for next year. This market remains in its infancy, with expansion in overall worldwide procurement just getting underway. On top of these amounts is research funding, which is likely to be in the billions of dollars. Also, these figures do not include funding for unmanned combat aerial vehicles, which could add another $304 million in procurement spending by 2014 and another $3.2 billion by 2024. U.S. military operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere have helped fuel a huge increase in UAV demand. However, despite the current success of UAVs, it took their supporters years to field just a small number of systems. Even with the successes chalked up by Israeli UAVs during the 1980s, the U.S. (along with most other nations) was slow to adopt and field this technology. It took successes during the conflicts in the Balkans and then the demands of the new global war on terror to push UAVs to the forefront. The Pentagon wants to invest more in unmanned aerial vehicles over the next two decades. Total funding for them by the Defense Dept. will hold steady in Fiscal 2006 at $1.6-2 billion, and could reach $3 billion by Fiscal 2008-09. Military operations launched after the 9/11 attacks made a star out of the the U.S. Air Force's Predator UAV. A system that few in Congress knew existed prior to 2001--it had limited use in the Balkan conflicts--was suddenly thrust into the limelight and routinely mentioned in Pentagon dispatches concerning the fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. Predators primarily provide theater commanders-in-chief (CINC) with deployable, long-endurance, real-time aerial reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition. However, due to the immediate needs of the battlefield, Predators were pressed into service quickly to perform missions for lower echelon commanders. Now, USAF has announced plans to expand the number of UAV reconnaissance squadrons from three to 15 (some of these systems will be operated by the Air National Guard). Also, the Pentagon wants to put UAVs at the disposal of lower-level unit commanders (battalion, company and even squad). Unmanned aerial vehicles may have won a degree of fame from their exploits in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere, but the meteoric rise in UAV funding since 9/11 is not expected to continue. What remains unclear is when the increase in funding levels will fall and by how much. Even if interest should decline, it will remain at a higher level than before 9/11. European nations are expanding their UAV fleets, although not as quickly as the U.S., as the continent's financial resources remain more limited. European companies currently control just 6% of this market's value, but this share is expected to grow with new contracts. Both France and the U.K. are working to expand their UAV fleets. France's DGA armaments agency is considering study contracts to examine options for a new tactical UAV--a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) system for the army and navy. The army plans to replace its Sperwers with this new system, which could enter service around 2012-13. Sagem, Rheinmetall and Bell Helicopter Textron could jointly offer the Eagle Eye, which has been selected by the U.S. Coast Guard for use from its larger surface patrol ships. EADS could offer its Orka 1200 unmanned helicopter, while BAE Systems might propose a UAV based on technology being developed as part of the Organic Air Vehicle II (OAV II) program Were France to purchase a new VTOL UAV, it could affect other pending orders in Europe. Germany has expressed an interest, as have Spain and Italy. In addition to a tactical UAV, France has shown interest in new endurance systems, as well as a man-portable UAV for use by small infantry units, a mini-UAV for use at the battalion level and a medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) system. In the U.K., Thales is slowly moving ahead with the Watchkeeper UAV program. Watchkeeper will provide the British military with a network-enabled intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (Istar) capability and replace its Phoenix UAV systems. Phoenix saw action in Operation Iraqi Freedom (called Operation Telic by the British), during which 23 out of 89 of the air vehicles were lost or damaged beyond repair. Only a single air vehicle will meet the Watchkeeper requirement--the WK 450--rather than the previously planned two. This UAV could enter service with the British military in 2010. The U.K. may be interested in a high-altitude, high-endurance (HALE) system. Qinetiq may be working on one that would have much longer endurance than Northrop Grumman's RQ-4 Global Hawk. U.S. combat experiences have generated greater interest in high-altitude, longer-endurance UAVs. Qinetiq has won a contract to design and build a HALE UAV. This solar-powered UAV, which could act as a satellite supplement, would operate at an altitude of 60,000 ft. and stay aloft for weeks. The new air vehicle is to start trials in the middle of 2006; Belgium's Verhaert will be involved in this project. Other European countries interested in procuring UAVs include Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy and Greece. All are expected to place new production orders over the next 10 years. EADS, the continent's defense megacorp, will be among the main beneficiaries of a European effort to acquire additional UAV systems. The company is eager to increase market share and has acquired smaller UAV manufacturers to help it achieve this goal. Interest in UAVs is not confined to America and Europe. Japan could increase spending on UAVs due in part to the aggressive military posture of North Korea. To keep an eye on Pyongyang, Japan will need to improve its capabilities to gather intelligence. Japan may procure the Global Hawk, but a final decision is still pending. Tokyo could procure a new long-endurance UAV system while continuing its own research into development of a domestic alternative. Deployment of a foreign-built UAV could begin as early as 2007. South Korea may also turn to Global Hawk to monitor its northern neighbor. India, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, Taiwan and Indonesia, to name a few, are all looking to acquire UAV systems. Financially strapped Russia wants to expand its small UAV inventory. Moscow repeatedly has said its military urgently needs to develop modern reconnaissance and communications systems. So far, the government has failed to provide sufficient funding to develop and procure such systems, the main impediment to the country's military modernization program. Moscow is trying to procure the Stroy-PD UAV system, which would be fielded with army maneuver units. This system, which uses the improved Pchela-1K air vehicle, is a modified Stroy-P. The Splav State Research and Production Assn. has developed a UAV for use with its Smerch multiple rocket launcher (MRL). The UAV can be fired from a 300mm. rocket launcher and remain aloft for 30 min Meanwhile, Sukhoi fighter manufacturer Irkut plans to develop UAVs for civilian, as well as military, customers. The company gained considerable UAV design expertise after acquiring the Yakovlev Design Bureau, knowledge that Irkut plans to use to help increase its share of the UAV market. Tupolev is working on upgrades for its UAVs in service with the Russian military. While U.S. homeland security forces are using at least one UAV to patrol along the Mexican border, Hurricane Katrina could become the event that unexpectedly both pushes forward and stimulates new purchases of UAVs by non-military branches of the U.S. government. Soon after the storm hit the U.S. Gulf Coast, UAVs were available for missions over the area, searching for survivors and assessing damage. This operation has been called the largest non-military deployment of UAVs by any country, although no flights were approved by the FAA. Ten Evolution UAVs, provided by L-3 Communications and ISR Group, were deployed to the disaster area. The Evolution is based on the Dragon Eye UAV, a hand-launched system in service with U.S. forces in Iraq. Also, the University of South Florida's Center for Robot-Assisted Search and Rescue (Crasar) sent two different UAVs to the disaster area: a 4-ft.-long fixed-wing air vehicle and the T-Rex, which is based on the Like90 micro helicopter. "The fixed-wing [UAV] provided a quick overview of an area over several miles, but the use of the miniature helicopter to hover by buildings and on roofs--and to take off straight up--really offers new functionality," said Crasar Director Robin Murphy. Predators and Silver Foxes also were available, but were not employed out of concern about midair collisions with the numerous piloted aircraft (primarily helicopters) operating in the area. In the future, UAVs could provide first responders with an enhanced picture of storm damage. In addition to looking for survivors and assessing damage, UAVs could be used to establish an emergency communications system for responders. In other military uses for unmanned vehicles, the fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq has increased demand for unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs). A few years ago the U.S. had but a few UGVs yet, since the launch of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the number in service has grown substantially. Small robotic vehicles make up the majority of the U.S. inventory. Foster-Miller Inc., and iRobot are providing the Man Transport Robotic System (MTRS) to the U.S. military. Foster-Miller's MTRS is based on its Talon UGV, while iRobot provides a unit built around the PackBot. MTRS was once seen as a modest program to provide new explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) robotic vehicles to the U.S. military, but the Pentagon recently contracted with Foster-Miller and iRobot to provide 2,400 MTRS units. Prior to this contract, Foster-Miller had supplied 250 Talons to U.S. military forces in Iraq. These systems performed more than 50,000 EOD missions. In use in Iraq are larger UGVs, such as the Joint IED Neutralizer (JIN), which uses directed energy (high-voltage electrical discharges) to detonate improvised explosive devices (IED) without endangering troops or engineers. The Pentagon has ordered 12 JIN systems, developed by Ionatron Inc., for slightly less than $1 million each. BAE Systems is working on two armed robotic vehicle (ARV) variants for the U.S. Army's Future Combat Systems. These ARVs are to provide FCS-equipped units of action with the ability to detect and strike the enemy first, while offering soldiers unprecedented protection and survivability in high-vulnerability reconnaissance and assault missions. An ARV is to be about the size of a full-size pickup truck and will be deployable from C-130 aircraft and CH-47 helicopters. One ARV variant will carry a cannon for self-defense, disperse ground sensors and conduct battle damage assessments. The other ARV variant integrates Beyond-Line-of-Sight missiles and a powerful automatic cannon, and offers a high rate of machine gunfire. BAE Systems is scheduled to field the first prototypes in 2010, with FCS-equipped units of action expected to receive their ARVs 2012-14. The period of performance has been extended through March 2013. General Dynamics is developing UGVs that could perform resupply and scouting missions. The U.S. Army awarded the company a contract worth $240 million to transform its robotic technologies into platforms that can be used in the field. Unmanned ground vehicles are to be used to enhance security around U.S. military bases and other facilities. Production of the Mobile Detection Assessment and Response System--Exterior (MDARS-E) will begin in Fiscal 2007, with eight depots to receive a total of 50 UGVs. MDARS-Es will patrol for intruders. The MDARS-I, which was intended to patrol the interior of Army facilities, has been scrapped. Australia's Agile L-Band Radar Will Offer a Wide Range of Capabilities Aviation Week & Space Technology 03/20/2006, page 69 David A. Fulghum Washington Electronically agile L-band radar will offer a wide range of capabilities Printed headline: Bargain Radar Electronically scanned radars are capable of some stunning, but closely held, intelligence and weapons effects. The system designed for Australia's new Wedgetail aircraft is no exception. In its conventional role, the L-band multirole electronically scanned array (MESA) radar will be capable of locating and tracking targets well beyond the 200-mi. range of the higher frequency X-band radars, says Robert Hendrix, Northrop Grumman's director and chief engineer for airborne surveillance. By using a lower frequency, the L-band radar gets longer range, its signal is less attenuated by bad weather, and it's not restricted to narrow-beam operations as is the case with X-band radars. The X-band radars will be carried by a new generation of U.S. surveillance and intelligence-gathering aircraft, such as the E-10 multisensor command-and-control aircraft, the Global Hawk unmanned surveillance aircraft and the F-22--which is seldom recognized for its battlefield intelligence-gathering potential. In addition to their strike roles, the F-22s and, later, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighters will loiter over battlefields collecting intelligence about low-power communications networks favored by insurgents for command and control of small teams and for triggering explosive devices remotely. Australia's MESA radar is expected to be modified to perform similar intelligence-monitoring and electronic attack roles, say Pentagon radar specialists. It is to operate in the same frequency bands as enemy data links and GPS guidance frequencies, which means they could be exploited for information warfare missions. With the right modifications, the MESA radar would be able to monitor data link communications. If desired, algorithm packages could be inserted into those links to monitor traffic, extract information or alter data. GPS signals could be blocked, thereby disrupting navigation and weapons guidance; they also could be altered to offer erroneous information. All of these capabilities fall into the growing field of information operations. It's also part of what's described in the U.S. as "non-kinetic warfare," where effects on the enemy don't depend on explosives or high-velocity impact "IT'S A BIG ANTENNA and it can focus a lot of power," says a longtime Pentagon radar specialist. "It can screw up a [GPS] receiver so that you have a hard time reading it [accurately]. L-band is also good at penetrating light foliage. "But the real beauty of MESA is that it offers a lower cost surveillance system for countries that can't buy [a large] AWACS," the radar specialist says. "This is a small aircraft with large power for countries like Turkey and Australia at about half the cost, or less. Yet it gives you equivalent 360-deg. coverage; and with an AESA [active electronically scanned array radar] you can take advantage of its electronic agility to split the coverage, change focus in an instant, and do so with less size, weight and aerodynamic drag." Those capabilities reflect the Australian MESA's roots in other Northrop Grumman radars carried by the F-22 and E-10. U.S. radars are already scheduled to be modified with these software upgrades over the next few years, allowing them to jam enemy radars and communication, damage the electronics and guidance of air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles and pass huge files of target imagery around the battlefield in real time. The Wedgetail 737-700 aircraft that carries the MESA has more than 50 antennas for various roles, and its engines are modified to each produce 180 KVA, much of which will be used by radar. However, there is a 30% margin for growth of the system. Australia's MESA radar will feature ultra-low, side-lobe technology that cuts out much of the ground clutter returns from errant radar transmissions and also eliminates signals that anti-radiation missiles can home on. Moreover, it removes a path for jammers that can exploit side lobes to cover enemy targets. The metric for assessing electronic counter-countermeasures and clutter rejection in this type of radar is detection of targets less than 1 millionth of the jamming or clutter. Clutter is dominated primarily by main beam reflections from the ground. Also very important are reflections from the side lobes that, without precision control in the antenna, would block detection of aircraft over a wide range of velocities. In the Wedgetail, the radar antennas have been mounted on a pedestal above the fuselage instead of in cheek fairings that would have been partially masked by the wings, or in nose or tail fairings that would limit radar size, Hendrix says. The transmitter/receiver modules are mounted inside the aircraft at the pedestal's base and are shared by a three-face antenna, with broadband operation in mid and high L-band for radar and low L-band for identification friend or foe. There also is a passive electronic surveillance measures capability for locating enemy emitters. This arrangement gives the MESA radar and IFF very long-range performance over the full 360 deg. essential for the surveillance mission," Hendrix says. "The coverage is necessary for survivability from surface-to-air and air-to-air missile attack." "If you could get into the enemy's communications networks, you would, and all the equipment to do so [with the Wedgetail] is there," says the Pentagon specialist. The aircraft achieves its greatest endurance operating at 29,000 ft., but at 40,000 ft. its operational line of sight for very low-altitude targets would grow to 240 naut. mi. from 210. "An L-band receiver can see [the enemy] communications and could interject algorithm packages." U.S. contractors have designed tools that let them use enemy networks for intelligence gathering. Algorithm packages operate covertly while leaving the network intact. Software robots go on the network like a worm, only they extract information and pass it back to the invader. Bots, worms, viruses and Trojan horses are now military weapons that can control networks. "Every time the enemy picks up his phone or sends an e-mail, he could be transmitting data to us telling us what's happening," says a senior U.S. information operations executive. The radar pedestal is 35 ft. long, 5 ft. wide at the cap and 10 ft. high. There are arrays for surveillance to the side. Another set of emitters is inside the cap and tuned to transmit out each end of the cap to give radar coverage to the front and rear. The electronically scanned elements in the cap are laid out horizontally and pointing up. They are then modified to emit only at right angles, fore and aft, an effect called end-fire. This provides range coverage from a large aperture with very low cross section to minimize drag while maintaining radar performance. Moreover, Northrop Grumman has developed a system that makes the series of emitters work in an additive fashion so that the signal gets stronger as it moves across the field of emitters in the cap. The array has 288 T/R modules each about 6 X 10 in. This is several times the size of X-band T/R modules, which means greater power output. The radar can scan 360 deg., but if the surveillance area is reduced to 30-60 deg. the range more than doubles. The radar can track thousands of targets at the same time, including fighters, missiles and helicopters in the air and frigates and fast patrol boats at sea, with high revisit rates on the most important targets. Northrop Grumman designers believe the 737-700 is the smallest platform that could carry an array of the MESA's size and power. And while the aircraft is designed for easy replacement of T/R modules without special equipment, designers say 10% of them could fail without noticeable effect on the quality of surveillance. In addition to the radars for Australia, four systems are being developed for Turkey with deliveries starting late next year. The system also is being offered to South Korea. Spy imagery agency watching inside U.S. By Katherine Pfleger Shrader, Associated Press BETHESDA, Md. — In the name of homeland security, America's spy imagery agency is keeping a close eye, close to home. It's watching America. Since the Sept. 11 attacks, about 100 employees of a little-known branch of the Defense Department called the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency — and some of the country's most sophisticated aerial imaging equipment — have focused on observing what's going on in the United States. Their work brushes up against the fine line between protecting the public and performing illegal government spying on Americans. Roughly twice a month, the agency is called upon to help with the security of events inside the United States. Even more routinely, it is asked to help prepare imagery and related information to protect against possible attacks on critical sites. For instance, the agency has modified basic maps of the nation's capital to highlight the location of hospitals, linking them to data on the number of beds or the burn unit in each. To secure the Ronald Reagan funeral procession, the agency merged aerial photographs and 3D images, allowing security planners to virtually walk, drive or fly through the Simi Valley, Calif., route. The agency is especially watchful of big events or targets that might attract terrorists — political conventions, for example, or nuclear power plants. Everyone agrees that the domestic mission of the NGA has increased dramatically in the wake of Sept. 11, even though laws and carefully crafted regulations are in place to prevent government surveillance aimed at Americans. The agency is not interested in information on U.S. citizens, stresses Americas office director Bert Beaulieu. "We couldn't care less about individuals and people and companies," he said. But that's not good enough for secrecy expert Steven Aftergood, who oversees a project on government secrecy for the Federation of American Scientists. "What it all boils down to is 'Trust us. Our intentions are good,'" he said. Adds Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington: "As a general matter, when there are systems of public surveillance, there needs to be public oversight." Geospatial intelligence is the science of combining imagery, such as satellite pictures, to physically depict features or activities happening anywhere on the planet. Outside the United States, it can be a powerful tool for war planners who may use imagery to measure soil wetness to determine if tanks could travel an area. It can help weapons proliferation experts look for ground disturbances that can indicate new underground bunkers. Before Sept. 11, the NGA's domestic work often meant things like lending a hand during natural disasters by supplying pictures of wildfires and floods. But now the agency's new Americas Office has been called on to assemble visual information on more than 130 urban areas, among scores of other assignments, including maps of the national mall, the country's high-voltage transmission lines and disaster exercises. Sometimes, agency officials may cooperate with private groups, such as hotel security offices, to get access to video footage of lobbies and hallways. That footage can then be connected with other types of maps used to secure events — or to take action, if a hostage situation or other catastrophe happens. The level of detail varies widely, depending on the threat and what the FBI or another agency needs. "In most cases, it's not intrusive," said the NGA's associate general counsel, Laura Jennings. "It is information to help secure an event and to have people prepared to respond should there be an attack, or to analyze the area where a threat has been made." According to Executive Order 12333, signed by President Reagan in 1981, members of the U.S. intelligence community can collect, retain and pass along information about U.S. companies or people only in certain cases. Information that is publicly available or collected with the consent of the individual is fair game, as is information acquired by overhead reconnaissance not directed at specific people or companies. The NGA says it has aggressive internal oversight and its employees go through annual training on what is and isn't allowed. "If they deviated from their own rules, how would it be discovered?" asks secrecy expert Aftergood. "I am not satisfied that they have an answer to that question." One oversight committee in Congress noticed after Sept. 11 that an intelligence agency was snapping pictures of the United States, said a congressional aide, speaking on condition of anonymity. A staff member is now monitoring the issue, and the aide said so far problems have not been spotted. But Aftergood notes that while intelligence budgets have increased dramatically in the last five years, congressional oversight budgets have not. Even the agency concedes gray areas do emerge. Generally, for example, intelligence resources can't be used for law enforcement purposes. So the FBI or another agency could use an NGA-produced aerial photograph to solve a domestic crime. But the NGA couldn't take actions to target a specific individual, such as highlight a suspect's home, unless the information was linked directly to a national security issue. Agency officials call that "passive assistance" and say certain legal tests must be met. Law enforcement officials occasionally ask if the agency has information that could provide evidence about a crime — say, for example, whether a white truck was at a location at a certain time, Beaulieu said hypothetically. "Yes, we will do a check," he said. "But I can't remember a single case where we actually even had an image for that day." Jennings concedes that toeing such fine lines can be difficult. "We look, we check, and it just so happens that we haven't had a situation where there is a smoking gun," she said. "We would analyze each one, case by case." "Everybody wants to do the right thing and provide the information that is appropriate without overstepping their authority," she later added. The NGA says it is working to build trust — with the public and with private companies. Before Sept. 11, for instance, chemical plants and other critical sites weren't as cooperative as they are today, out of fear that aerial photographs might be shared with federal environmental regulators. NGA officials say the Homeland Security Department has been careful to protect proprietary information. What if NGA analysts were to see an environmental crime? "I don't think any of my people know enough to know an environmental crime," Beaulieu said. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten Read More