Defense Tech: 'Google Earth' Seen as Potential Space Threat


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Edited by Christian Lowe \| Contact

'Google Earth' Seen as Potential Space Threat

From this morning's front page at Military.com.

The threat from an adversary's use of space is more than just zapping a satellite out of sky. It could be as mundane as grabbing an up-to-date reconnaissance image from a free Web site.

That's a scenario a top Air Force official is trying to counter as more countries push their own commercial payloads into the highest frontier. With the easy access to free online imagery services such as Google Earth and Yahoo Maps, and other paid sites, military officials are worried an enemy might gain vital intelligence on U.S. and allied military positions anonymously and with little investment.

"It could be as simple as how is it that an adversary gets an image off of Google Earth that could somehow threaten American lives or interests," said Lt. Gen. Michael Hamel, who manages space and missile systems development for the Air Force. "That is an example of a space threat that we may face in the future,"

Hamel told Military reporters at a March 11 breakfast meeting in Washington he is pressuring domestic licensing authorities to force satellite imagery providers to reduce the resolution of their images in areas where American troops are engaged, or to delay their image feed so that an adversary can't get up-to-the-minute information on U.S. and allied military moves.

Most free online imaging tools block the resolution of their satellite photos in sensitive regions, though sometimes detailed information does slip through. On March 7, the head of the Northern Command banned Google Earth photo teams from U.S. military installations after one group shot panoramic images of Fort Sam Houston in Texas for the company's "Street View" component.

Google officials quickly pulled the images from its Google Earth site and apologized for the incident, saying it wasn't their policy to photo military bases.

That's the kind of slip up that worries space managers like Hamel.

"We want our aerospace industry to be at the cutting edge of commercial providers" for imagery, Hamel explained. "We also want to make sure that the kind of information that can get out into the public domain and used is not going to threaten our legitimate security interests."

"We'd like to have U.S. companies that are at the forefront of this such that we could ... ensure that there is not data of greater currency than what we believe would be militarily acceptable.

But international commercial operators who aren't beholden to any U.S. laws might balk at protecting America's security interests in the face of cold hard cash. So Hamel hopes to either beat them into space and edge them out of the neighborhood, or cajole them into sticking to the American licensing standards.

"It's part of our national interest to ensure that we set the conditions not only for U.S. companies but also set some of the norms in terms of how systems on an international or allied basis are used," he added.

Though U.S. officials and military brass can try to strong-arm other countries into going America's way, the rapid increase in demand for information that was once the only accessible by governments and the tools to deliver that data means the risk will only increase.

"We're seeing a significant growth in both civil and commercial remote sensing capabilities ... in this country and with friends and in various other nations are actively developing and fielding capabilities," Hamel said. "It wasn't too many years ago that what would have been our cutting edge reconnaissance capability, now are commercially purchasable products.

-- Christian

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Posted by: replica watches at August 3, 2008 10:39 PM

Here in Israel, google earth doesn't zoom in a close as it does elsewhere.

It's not quite as threatening this way.

DoubleTapper
DoubleTapper@gmail.com
DoubleTapper, blogging on Guns Politics Defense from Israel

Posted by: DoubleTapper at March 17, 2008 11:44 AM

For what it's worth, The Telegraph (UK) reported on this phenomenon in late 2005, link here:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/12/18/ngoog18.xml

Posted by: Matt Caplan at March 15, 2008 10:12 PM

"Right... and pigs can fly. Or rather, the good General may wish a Pig Ban because *if* pigs *could* fly they might somehow hurt US interests. Phah! Asteriods and comets are a far bigger threat (albeit a very small chance) but I see no one build anti-lump-o'-spacerock defense systems."

-- Please consider this: the "good General" is a professional who has spent his entire life studying war. He also has a staff of professionals to study the issue in great depth and make recommendations. Therefore, his opinion shouldn't be lightly dismissed. Only another professional with years of experience and a clearly articulated argument can confidently declare that the good general is wrong. The rest of us should be skeptical and ask tough questions without assuming our generals are stupid.

Posted by: mthebold at March 15, 2008 10:15 AM

@ inconel710

I guess you never used GE in a Bad Way... The lay of the land is important too, and you won't get everything off a sattelite picture.

Posted by: Pharsalus at March 15, 2008 03:41 AM

@Mapper99 - Google Streets on military bases is a threat it means the bad guys don't have to do their own recce anymore. Google has done it for them! Access points, guard shacks, vehicle barriers, fence heights - it's all there! At least the guy sitting outside the base taking photos might get noticed by the gate guard and picked up before his mission planning is complete.

You guys are kidding yourselves if you think every terrorist organization with an Internet connection hasn't figured out how to use Google Earth already. Why make it easier?

Posted by: inconel710 at March 14, 2008 08:26 PM

Another fine example of how convenience and privacy/security clash.

Stop taking away our freedoms and conviences for our "protection". The government only helps terrorism by stating that something such as a satellite photo/mapping program available to anyone is unsecure. Why scare the people? Keep us safe but don't take away our amenities and rights as free people.

Ideas like this remind me of the Patriot Act and what a big load of crap it is.

Posted by: Andy at March 14, 2008 12:03 PM

Freedom of information is always a threat.

Posted by: TB at March 14, 2008 11:37 AM

"GoogleEarth can be a very valuable tool for both sides. I've used it A LOT for mission planning."
~DA

>> Me too. Brilliant program. But in this time of GPS-guided gadgets, nothing beats the human "mark one" eyeball. If I'd be planning a raid somewhere, I'd be doing recce. Personally, that is.

GoogleEarth is a marvellous tool that enables us to look beyond our borders and peep into the lives of others in a land far far away. It generates empathy and compassion; ever compared your street with an average North Korean neighbourhood?

"It could be as simple as how is it that an adversary gets an image off of Google Earth that could somehow threaten American lives or interests," said Lt. Gen. Michael Hamel.

>> Right... and pigs can fly. Or rather, the good General may wish a Pig Ban because *if* pigs *could* fly they might somehow hurt US interests. Phah! Asteriods and comets are a far bigger threat (albeit a very small chance) but I see no one build anti-lump-o'-spacerock defense systems.

Posted by: Pharsalus at March 14, 2008 10:36 AM

I certainly don't think Google Street View is such a risk. What's the difference between Google taking the pictures or some guy driving by with a camera? Take a look at this bloggers list of harmless Google Street View sightings:

http://streetviewgallery.corank.com

Posted by: Mapper99 at March 14, 2008 09:37 AM

Aerial reconnaissance has been around since the balloon. With global companies & the technology becoming more obtainable. Maybe the military should take page from the past & start re-incorporating camouflage techniques into base construction, such as was done in WWII... remember Disney? :)

"California Becomes a Giant Movie Set"
http://www.flatrock.org.nz/topics/flying/the_disguise_of_california.htm

"SNAFU - CAMOUFLAGE - 1944"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HTQH3dqOBM

A probably more less likely idea... Since a photographic camera is still a point origin device. It's feasibly possible to create "Dazzler" type laser that could temporarily blind a satellite. Though, it wouldn't do much good for radar based imaging... Stealth Air Force base, anyone?

What about misinformation. Photoshop the images to be totally unreliable, thus when a slip up occurs.. nobody will know. Or for that matter, there is absolutely no reason why a provider can't just keep placing old or false images as part of permanent script. But that doesn't prevent foreign countries from publishing the images, unless there was some sort of treaty. Then again there is always a back door.

And what about little remote controlled airplane & helicopters providing real-time info. Oh well.

One thing to point out about this article... It's not about foreign governments having this information, the concern is about the "Public Domain". Reminds me of discussion about the Soviet Union.

Posted by: Camp at March 14, 2008 09:18 AM

GoogleEarth can be a very valuable tool for both sides. I've used it A LOT for mission planning. However, I don't think it's as big a threat as it is being made out to be. Of course there should be some discretion by the private sector in order to minimize risk.

-DA

Posted by: DarthAmerica at March 14, 2008 09:15 AM

'Google Earth' Seen as Potential Space Threat

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