Effectiveness of Signals Intelligence

3 SEP 2002

EFFECTIVENESS OF SIGNALS INTELLIGENCE

Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) has access to many traditional and non-traditional dynamic elements that provide superior capabilities to collect and monitor visual, seismic, and acoustic signatures of motorized vehicles. SIGINT is the only system that can be operational and maintainable in any type of climate and terrain, which provides an advantage over the United States' (U.S.) adversaries. The process of obtaining the intelligence starts with the collection of any type of signal, whether it be infrared, electro-optical, or electronic. After the signals are collected, analysts encounter the tasks of cryptanalysis, transcription, traffic analysis, and translations of the enemy information systems; analyst then determine size, location, distance, and terrain features. The data is usually processed in overlays and graphic displays within the United States. End products are then populated into National databases for the use of the Intelligence Community. The increasing utilization of computers, the internet, satellites, sophisticated encryption, and cellular telephones have streamlined effective and accurate Human Intelligence (HUMINT); implementation of Signals Intelligence has became an important role to maintain superiority over adversaries.

There are many agencies that have the ability to perform Signals Intelligence, electronic reconnaissance and most of all signals intelligence from all available sources inducive to the environment. The United States Army uses the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) as its main entity for signals collection. The Joint STARS platform was designed to provide a highly effective, real-time, collection tool to the ground task force commanders during battlefield engagements, but for the past ten years, the sensor has been used for peacekeeping missions. Army analysts can predict the enemy's behavior by identifying choke points, potential avenues of approach and operating patterns such as supply routes and logistical points. The analysis gives the ground commander a more complete view of the enemy's weaknesses. The United States Air Force employs the Joint STARS in a different mission than the Army. The Air Force uses Joint STARS as a battlefield management tool versus a collection tool as used for by the Army. The Air Force uses the platform to provide immediate and direct support to the Air Component Commander and continue to observe the enemy's movement from a far distance in the sky. Providing essential data to commanders such as size, direction, and speed of the adversaries, with minimum casualties while under battlefield conditions, makes the Joint STARS an extremely effective tool. The Air Force also employs the Predator vehicles, which are unmanned aerial vehicles that are used for reconnaissance. The Predator is multifaceted; it has the ability to collect signals in many scientific realms. Imagery that the Predator's sensor can ingest can appear in the form of infrared, electro-optical, or synthetic aperture radar. Another signals collection tool used by the Air Force is the RC-135 mission aircraft. With all of the sophisticated equipment onboard, the aircrew has the capability to analyze the entire electromagnetic spectrum, simultaneously being supported by analysts thousands of miles away. The National Security Agency (NSA) is the chief organization that focuses on SIGINT and cryptology. The NSA has two national missions: "(A) The Information Assurance mission provides the solutions, products and services, and conducts defensive information operations, to achieve information assurance for information infrastructures critical to U.S. national security interests. (B) The foreign signals intelligence or SIGINT mission allows for an effective, unified organization and control of all the foreign signals collection and processing activities of the United States. NSA is authorized to produce SIGINT in accordance with objectives, requirements and priorities established by the Director of Central Intelligence with the advice of the National Foreign Intelligence Board." (NSA) There are a large array of technical specialists that are employed through the NSA such as physicists, linguists, researchers, analysts, mathematicians, data flow experts, engineers, and computer scientists that can execute translations of foreign languages and transcriptions, cryptanalysis, and developing Information Systems Security (INFOSEC). INFOSEC is the action of protecting classified and sensitive information that is sent through U.S. Government networks. This culmination of specialists produces an effective tool to protect U.S interest and National Security. The NSA has always been the frontier and leader of numerous highly advance fields that encompass