FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK
Satellite Role in Bin Laden Operation Emphasizes Importance of R&D
According to accounts and details of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) operation to locate Osama bin Laden that have emerged over the past two weeks, satellite technology should be credited for its silent, crucial role in the mission’s success.
Once the CIA located bin Laden's potential hideout in Abbottabad, Pakistan, the agency was able to share intelligence with the Pentagon, which was then able to draw upon its military satellite imagery constellation, in a variety of wavelengths, to trace the history of the Al-Qaeda stronghold as far back as 2001. While the reports are short on details due to the classified nature of the operation, the satellite industry is well aware that this intelligence came courtesy of imagery companies such as GeoEye and DigitalGlobe. Satellite also were used to track the progress of the Navy SEAL operation that ended in bin Laden’s death, as well as to intercept calls coming over satellite networks.
What’s both ironic and tragic about this situation is that the U.S. military’s research and development budget, which is largely responsible for acquiring the technology used to bring bin Laden to justice, is now under the congressional chopping block. The situation brings me back to an interview I once conducted with a particular satellite imagery company, during which an executive told me that when U.S. military forces first arrived in Afghanistan nearly 10 years ago, they relied on Russian maps from the 1980s for geolocation intelligence. It took the military years to acquire the technology it needed to properly plan and execute its operations. The latest budget resolution tells me that congress hasn’t learned its lesson and is willing to wait another 10 years if it has to bring another wanted terrorist to justice.
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