Satellite Reconnaissance

Use of satellites equipped with photo-optic, electro-optic/ infrared, or radar technology to provide detailed reports of geographical areas, military installations and activities, troop positions, or other picture-based intelligence. Satellite reconnaissance relies on data provided by image intelligence (IMINT) satellites, which operate in low, near-polar orbits at an altitude of between 500 and 3,000 km and maintain the same orbit around the earth. They make about 14 revolutions per day and scan a new swath of ground with each orbit.

The IMINT satellites depend on three general technologies. Using photo-optic technology, an image is recorded on film, which must then be retrieved, processed, and analyzed. Because there is a one-to-three day time lag from the time the data is requested to the time the image can be used, photo-optic satellites are more useful for strategic planning than for tactical combat situations. Photo-optic satellites cannot penetrate clouds or darkness and can be fooled by camouflage.

Electro-optic/infrared (EO-IR) satellites provide full-spectrum photographic imagery, including infrared. Images from EO-IR satellites can be further sharpened and defined through digital enhancement. Although IR sensors can spot heat sources at night, [Page 644]they cannot spot vehicles or aircraft on the ground once their engines are cold. Like photo-optic satellites, EO-IR satellites are unable to penetrate clouds and darkness and are only slightly less likely to be fooled by camouflage. IR sensors can also be fooled by dummy heat sources and can be blocked to some degree by special IR-netting.

The northern VIP palace of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, which was looted and vandalized by Iraqis during the Iraq War in 2003. Located in the city of Mosul, the palace, one of many owned by Saddam Hussein, was occupied by the 101st Airborne Division as a command-post headquarters after U.S. forces captured the city. The occupation of the palace and its grounds was part of a shifting of operations from Baghdad, the Iraqi capital, to Mosul to help ensure the security of that city. The entire site, which occupies 2.6 square miles, includes several palaces and other residences as well as three lakes and artificial waterfalls.

U.S. Army.

In satellites using radar technology, an image is created by high-energy radar pulses reflected off the earth's surface. Synthetic aperture radar technology, a technique used to generate radar images in fine detail, allows imaging at any time of day or night. Long wavelengths allow penetration of cloud cover and imagery even in dusty conditions. Dopplerradar technology is used to spot movement of ships and aircraft, and ground moving-target indication (GMTI) radar is useful for detecting ground movement of vehicles. Radar ocean reconnaissance satellites (RORSAT) are primarily used over oceanic regions to search for shipping. Resolution is not as good with radar satellites as with photo-optic or EO-IR satellites, however, and analyzing the imagery requires a higher level of skill. Images can also be subject to noise due to backscatter (a form of electronic static) caused by unfavorable conditions such as rough seas or nearby large, metallic surfaces. Radar satellites are also susceptible to active jamming.

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