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State-of-the-art spying
U.S. Air Force demonstrates computer system used in Bosnia
May 21, 1996
Web posted at: 12:30 a.m. EDTFrom Military Affairs Correspondent Jamie McIntyre
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Air Force released computer graphics Monday that show how NATO commanders in Bosnia use the latest technology to make better sense of reconnaissance photos and other data from spy planes and satellites.
The "Joint Situational Awareness System" uses sophisticated computer software to interpret and compare incoming data to provide a "real-time" picture of the battlefield.
The system was developed by the United States after the Persian Gulf War, and is being deployed for the first time in Bosnia.
By looking at computer screens, U.S. and NATO commanders at the Combined Air Operations Centers in Vicenza, Italy, can see a realistic picture of what's happening on the ground in Bosnia. Commanders can "zoom in" to specific areas, directing planes and satellites to photograph specific sites.
The system combines imagery and other data from U-2 spy planes, AWACS Radar Control Planes, unmanned spy drones, and commercial and military ground mapping satellites.
To demonstrate the system, Pentagon briefers used simulated data of a mock scenario involving Iraq, but also offered reporters a brief glimpse of some "real-time" intelligence from Bosnia. The Bosnia intelligence was classified, however, and cameras were not allowed to record it.
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