MILNET: Overhead Reconnaissance

Overhead reconnaissance provides a new "high ground" for military intelligence. In fact every asset placed in space by the military serves a number of differing roles, not excluding useful and timely peaceful uses as well. Overhead Reconnaissance is nothing more than another means for intelligence collection . There are two types of overhead reconnaissance, that performed by surveillance aircraft such as the SR-71 (retired and rehired), the TR-1 ( U-2), the RC-135 (with the versions sporting side looking narrow apeture radar such as Joint STARS), the F-117 (with its ability to sneak in undetected) and that performed by Satellites.

Satellite Reconnaissance

Satellite reconnaissance is a "modern" method for intelligence collection. From space, high overhead, the satellite can peer down with cameras, and with modern resolution, make out remarkable details. So efficient is this technique, that the major powers are said to chart where suspected recon satellites are orbiting, so that secret installation operation, movement of aircraft, ships or troops can be scheduled when these satellites are not overhead.

Because of the incredible capabilities, as well as the highly sophisticated nature of satellites used in this role, few real details of performance or even operation is available. Suffice to say that orbital physics are fixed, thus the military must use the same techniques for launch, tracking, and on-orbit maintenance as for either the close orbit or geo-synchronous commercial communications satellites.

And of course, one would suspect that film, camera, communications, and electronic sensor technology used in military satellites is at the leading edge, and most likely exceeds that found in the commercial satellite field. See also U.S. Satellite Summary.

Aircraft Reconnaissance

The use of aircraft for reconnaissance has a long history, the first being that of a Capt. Pizazz who reconoiterred in an aircraft and returned to report on troop positionings. Later that same year, he took photographs of enemy troops from the air.

Today, a number of aircraft are used for reconaissance. To limit the discussion, we will not provide details on the various ECM, EM, and other ELINT aircraft, instead we will concentrate on four representative types of aircraft, the SR-71 (high speed, high altitude), the U-2/TR- 1 (low speed, high altitude), the lower altitude RC-135 (Electronic eavesdropping), and stealth (viturally undectable future aircraft).

The SR-71 was the fastest aircraft in the world when retired in June of 1990, and today still holds most speed and altitude records. The aircraft is so unique, that only its ancestors the YF-12 and the A-12 reside in the same class of aircraft. At greater than Mach 3, and higher than 85,000 feet, the SR-71 was a formidable reconaissance platform. And unlike satellites, the SR-71 could be on target in two days under normal circumstances, or significantly sooner if required. And of course the coverage pattern of the SR-71 (and for that matter its cousin the U-2) is far more flexible than a satellite. With its "blazing" speed, the SR-71 was also extremely hard to attack successfully, and in its 30 year history, it was never shot down. Just recently, Air Force Magazine reported that the SR-71 was again being pressed into service...a total of 3 aircraft being placed in service as recon platforms. This would tend to dispell the rumors of a hyperspace plane as a replacement or could simply be disinformation.

In any case, the SR-71 was used to take photographs and of course carried a variety of other sensors.

The U-2, also a high flyer, is subsonic, and thus is much more vulnerable to surface-to-air missiles. In fact, in its history, the U-2 has been shot down at least twice that we know of (Francis Gary Powers over the Soviet Union, and another shot down over Cuba during the most tension filled days of the Cuban Crisis).

The TR-1 and its predecessor the U-2 are capable of carrying just about any kind of recon payload above 80,000 feet, and they have been in operation since the early fifties. In fact the SR-71 was designed to be a follow on as it was felt the U-2 had a useful life of only three years (due to the prediction of the discovery, and the subsequent design of weaponry to bring the aircraft down).

The RC-135 is essentially an COMINT bird, designed to eavesdrop on their target's electronic emissions. The aircraft bristle with receiving attenna of many various types, and some even carry side cheeks such as that used for Side Looking Apeture Radar, used to peer over a border deep inside the target area without encroaching into the target country's airspace. Another derivative of the RC-135 called Joint Stars is also useable as remote targeting sensor, allowing battlefield commanders to get relays of details of targets over the horizon. This of course increases the desirability of the RC-135s as targets, and any other RC-135s which may be mistaken as a Joint Stars aircraft.

Equivalent to the RC-135 in many respects is the EP-3E surveillance aircraft. Based on the Lockheed Electra commercial airliner of the 60s, this four turbo prop aircraft was famous for its use as the P-3C Orion maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft. The EP-3E however, does not carry any armament and is solely a SIGINT recon platform. The aircraft is quite maneuverable however, is no match for modern military fighter interceptors. The EP-3E became quite visible to the public in late March of 2001 when a Chinese fighter pilot attempting to shake up the EP-3E surveillance crew with a "booming" underneath climbing maneuver accidentally struck the EP-3E forcing it to crash land on the island of Hainan. The incident resulted in long negotiations and some terse moments between the U.S. and Chinese governments.

The fourth type of reconaissance aircraft is likened to the F-117 Stealth Fighter. Since this aircraft has just recently been publicized, no details of its mission are available. But it is clear that a stealthy aircraft like the F-117 has great advantages when used in the aerial recon role. To be able to "sneak-up" and be virtually undetected allows for a near perfect reconaissance aircraft. If the stealth implementation is good enough, acquisition by attacking aircraft or surface-to-air missiles radar is extremely difficult. So even if the aircraft is detected, unless the guiding radar (from the ground or from the air) can continue to lock on and guide the attacking craft directly to the stealth aircraft, it may slip away. Moreover, at night, visual acquisition would be near to impossible, and a bad lock-on would make the aircraft impossible to shoot down.

Of course the F-117 is proported to be a sub-sonic aircraft, so once a lock-on occurs or visual contact is made, it would most likely be a sitting duck. In any case, the possibilities are tremendous. Also note that in 1986, there was to have been designed the Covert Survivable In- weather Recon/Strike (CSIRS) aircraft (according to the ARCO Illustrated Guide to Spy Planes). Other reports have indicated the concept had lost funding. Perhaps another aircraft similar in function could have replaced it. Certainly, with the nearly untouchable SR-71 out of service, there may a gaping hole left in the Strategic Reconaissance role.

For further information on this and other intelligence topics, see the MILNET Bibliography for:

The U.S. Intelligence Community , by Jeffrey T. Richelson, and

Deep Black , by William E. Burrows.

ARCO Illustrated Guide to Spy Planes , Bill Gunston