Use of Satellites by the US Military to Improve Battlefield Awareness - Essay Example

? Use of Satellites by the US Military to Improve Battlefield Awareness Task: Use of Satellites by the US military to ImproveBattlefield Awareness The United States military has embraced satellite technology in ensuring improved battlefield awareness. Satellites are machinery installed in space to take pictorial outlook on the earth's surface. There are advanced technologies associated with this method of keeping watch applied by the US while in the battle field. Evidences in support of this are the depth and range of research on this topic carried out by various scholars and interested parties. Their recent operations and raids have utilized space surveillance as a method of staying alert in the battle field. Technology and military theory, as well as the manner, in which it is applied during war and the impact of the aforementioned on the society, will be looked into keenly with the analysis of the works of various researchers on the topic. Another aspect will be that of information warfare. There are other researches on related topics, which support this view from different angles but with similar findings as will be realized subsequently. Revolution in military affairs has put technology in the right perspective when it comes to battlefield awareness. The US military as history has it, made heavy investments on military technology with space craft's as a priority1. Use of devices that collect data before putting up a plan of attack while at war takes center stage in the US military operation layout. The socioeconomic paradigm of each era in the US reflects on the investments made in ensuring victory over the wars. In so doing, poor return on technological investments scales escalate. Errors in judgments are associated with such technologies resulting to retarded economic progress. This may be referred to as information war that involves a lot of tact in locating targets and monitoring the movement of the opposite parties. Other theorists have made attempts to predict how information warfare has capabilities of providing dominant information awareness about the battle space. Manipulation and exploitation of the enemy electronic system or even destroying the enemy station comes as a preference in times of war. Aerial bombing falls as a strategy of intimidating the enemy. In order to apply it effectively, the US must survey the ground structure and set ups so as to locate the targets. Defenseless cities become devastated and terrify societies other than demoralizing the enemy. Air strikes are the most applied methods of attack; the US military air jet fighters have precise technological devices that take care of space view other than the satellites. The ability of any military to combat the enemies from advancing using cyberspace uses information technology. Information warfare has been the yardstick to cyberspace application in the warfare. A network of satellites acts as a bridge between ideas and action universally. This has enabled a god's eye view of the planet including all ongoing activities. A typical application of this is border incursion, which may be thwarted immediately advances are made. New technology changes the application used in the space warfare at a relatively fast rate2.Technological innovations increase the risk of vulnerability hence the Americans military to keep up their research and advancement in space satellite surveillance. This is not only applied during the war, but through the day to day activities in the military and space science research fields. Peer competitors of the US on a face off proved it all with an attack on US space satellite system, GPS and other communication systems. What followed was a nuclear, electromagnetic burst within the space this destabilized more than 50 percent of the military infrastructure on information that the weapon systems rely. Innovations have brought about changes in the warfare with dramatic change of doctrines within the military. Revolution in the US military may be given a non conclusive definition. Warfare carried out in the previous centuries took different dimension from the currently held wars. As such the US military must be aware of the current events and preparing for any future eventualities. This dictates the importance of satellite technology application in improving battlefield awareness. The real application of advanced satellite technology includes the intercession of making precise strikes, dominating information warfare, maintaining highest levels of maneuvers and involvement in space warfare3. The essence of precision striking is holding the enemy at a distance and destroying operation efficiency facilitated by space satellites4. Time urgent targets apply this technology in the battle fields for the US military. Such attacks made by the US would blind the enemy from determining the correct action to take after the strike. The US maybe enabled by space warfare to project force with speed in response to any contingencies unlike the enemy who would not be able to retaliate. Considering the competitors, the US has to do a lot of fine tuning in space technology through satellite surveillance and security. One relevant example of the application of satellites is the operation desert storm where the US for the first time employed a new class of military machinery. These included intelligence sensors and other technological satellite devices with potential to deter regional conflict involving confrontation5. . In order to remain competent in the battle field, the US military must introduce a number of changes. The outlook on the future regarding satellite technology and security in preparation for any eventualities, in future must be considered. The military must look into alternative the future and abandon the old, conventional mode of operation. The consequences of failure to change may make it rather challenging for the military to put up with the rate of advancement in technology. This would bring down the levels of satellite surveillance security hence vulnerability to attack. The competitors may take advantage of the situation just as witnessed in the gulf war in dealing with emergencies and quick response. In order to maintain military superiority, the leadership must guide the desired change which then flows down the chain. The education system is the yard stick for such a change and so the change must be applied in the right perspective6. The entire organization must take personal initiative in ensuring that high technology applies in the military satellite and other machinery development. There are massive uncertainties faced by the US that calls for clarity on the goals and allies together with competitors7. It is more evident from the works of various researches that the American military rely heavily in satellite technology in the warfare. Collection of intelligence and locating targets are mostly enabled by the satellite surveillance. Movements of the enemy can also be monitored through this technology. The security of the installed satellites becomes the challenge. An increase in technology development rate and competition in technology requires better strategies. Failure to set up correct measures may lead to high risk of losing battles in case of attacks. References Clausewitz, Carl. On War, trans. Michael Howard and Peter Paret. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton Univ. Press, 1976. Department of Defense. Joint Chiefs of Staff, "Information Warfare: A Strategy for Peace . . . The Decisive Edge in War." Washington: Department of Defense, 1996. Department of Defense Directory of Military and Associated Terms, 1 December 1989, 218., JCS Pub 1-02 Douhet Giulio. Command of the Air, trans. Dino Ferrari. New York: Coward-McCann, 1942. Bracken Paul. "The Military after Next," Washington Quarterly, 16, no. 4 (Autumn 1993) 157- 174. Rosen Stephen. Briefing on Future Competitors, US Army Roundtable Conference on the Revolution in Military Affairs. Fort Monroe, Virginia: HQ US Army TRADOC 27 September, 1993. Sprout, Margaret. "Mahan: Evangelist of Sea Power," in Makers of Modern Strategy, ed. Edward Mead Earle. Princeton, NJ: Princeton Univ. Press, 1941. Read More