Defense Technology International - March 2008 - (Page 15)

AH-64 Apache gunship is a workhorse in Israel’s counterinsurgency operations. change detection or movement indication, assist in real-time target tracking. Other features, like automatic target tracking, have signiﬁcance for reliable intelligence collection. Modern systems can turn observations into intelligence. The TerraSight system from Pyramid Vision, for example, is used by U.S. forces for automatic tracking of an individual through crowds, and to plot precise geolocation coordinates for each place the subject goes. The image surveillance data can be used in real time or stored for analysis. Examining video records lets intelligence teams review suspicious patterns of enemy movements. Integrated data allow them to locate and track centers of activity. And by watching for any increase in activity, analysts can estimate when an attack is imminent. In urban combat, human intelligence (Humint) is still the most important intelligence-gathering method. Humint does not necessarily involve the use of specialized operators. Troops and patrols operating in an area can provide excellent Humint if properly trained. The U.S. Army’s Every Soldier Is a Sensor program is developing the skills necessary to utilize regular soldiers for intelligence gathering. Humint does not always require direct contact between operators, agents and a local population. Internet, mobile phones, commercial telephones, cameras and text messaging replace secret radio transmitters and codes. These collaboration techniques facilitate the recruitment of informers. I BOEING ISRAELI AIR FORCE that shorten the kill chain are a ecting military doctrine. The Army Digitization program is Israel’s new joint counterterror/insurgency warﬁghting doctrine. This connects sensors and shooters across all command levels, using UAV links transmitting real-time information down to the individual soldier. Put into e ect last year for counter-insurgency operations, it dramatically reduced hostile activity. During such operations, each segment working in the joint C4ISR sector centers is responsible for its part in preparing a mission. The Israel Security Agency provides real-time intelligence through its channels; the air force extends and veriﬁes the information through UAVs and other airborne platforms; and IDF ﬁeld intelligence supplies updated combat resources from forward observation units. After intelligence is verified and updated, ﬁeld commanders decide on the best plan to carry out the mission in the shortest time. The mission is monitored throughout by the C4ISR command center, which also debriefs the commander afterwards. During a lecture on new Israeli sensorto-shooter tactics, retired air force Gen. Gideon She er pointed to the stringent process facing pilots before they attack a target. “Aircrews have powerful weapons in their hands. This commits them to restraint and self-control.” Questions they must consider, She er said, include: “Is the target, such as a moving vehicle, in a ‘clean’ (i.e., low-collateral-damage) area? When the bomb or missile hits in a few seconds, will the target still be in suitAviationWeek.com/dti able surroundings? Should the weapon be released now and not let the target escape to initiate an attack in Israel?” Most terror targets are small and mobile. A terrorist’s life as a target is usually short and limited to a few surroundings. This space becomes an aircrew’s window for decision and execution. It is distinctly di erent from the range of possible decisions in general warfare. Several systems under development in the U.S., Europe and Israel push the sensor-to-shooter concept to the limit, with the ability to simultaneously control numerous sensors and UAVs over a large combat area in support of multiple missions. When mature, these systems will be integrated into regional command centers to support intelligence gathering and facilitate rapid engagement of time-critical targets. One capability these systems offer is monitoring multiple video streams to give command centers an overall grasp of the battlefield situation. Automated processes, such as Precision-guided missile is ﬁred from U.S. Army Apache gunship. New technologies permit airborne assets to swiftly close the sensor-toshooter gap. MARCH 2008 DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL 15 http://www.aviationweek.com/dti

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Defense Technology International - March 2008 Contents Sweden Cancels SEP; Israel Launches Imaging Satellite; Geotextiles Secure Ammo Dump U.S. Navy Taps Neural Architecture Software to Assure Job Satisfaction Shrapnel-Like Pieces of Reactive Materials Increase Explosive Force of Bombs Technology is Rapidly Closing the Gap Between Sensors and Shooters Italian Army Program Aims to Develop a Fully Networked Land Force Political and Military Uncertainties Plague U.S. Defense Budget Democrats Put Pentagon on Notice Over Spending and Policy at DTAR Conference Russian Combat Vehicle Protects Tank Formations from Anti-Armor Weapons European Battlelabs Use Simulation to Verify Technologies and Stretch Defense Funds Malaysia Accelerates Fleet Modernization to meet Long-Term Goals U.S. Navy Says Composite Raiding Boat May Reduce Injuries From Wave Shocks Seeing Isn’t Believing When it Comes to Deciphering Funds for Secret Projects Advances in Sensors and Propulsion Make Torpedoes Ever More Lethal FAA is in No Rush to Approve Rules that Let UAVs Fly in Civil Airspace USS Truman Carrier Strike Group Patrols a Rough Neighborhood 24/7 U.S. says Sino-Russian Space Disarmament Plan is Riddled with Pitfalls Hyperspeed Projectile; “Sound Cloak” Hides Subs; Improving Nuclear Forensics Dutch Air Commodore Theo ten Haaf Analyzes the Impact of Rotary-Wing Operations One Soldier’s War is a Behind-the-Headlines Look at Russia’s Campaigns in Chechnya Black Budgets are Huge and Growing, and Often Conceal Amazing Failures

Defense Technology International - March 2008

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