Surveillance

INT, SURV AND RECCE
Introduction
1. The various systems that collect, collate and disseminate intelligence are known as Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR). ISR covers a multitude of programs ranging from billion dollar satellites to hand-held cameras. Sophisticated sensor systems provide commanders real-time (RT) or near-real-time (NRT) information on adversary locations, composition and disposition. A variety of surface, airborne and space-based surveillance and reconnaissance assets provide sensor coverage. The fundamental responsibility of ISR is to provide intelligence information to decision makers at all levels of command to give them the fullest possible understanding of the adversary.
2. This understanding directly supports formulating military objectives and strategy, acquiring and sustaining, planning and conducting military operations besides identifying the adversary’s strategic, operational and tactical centers of gravity. ISR doctrine provides a framework within which meaningful intelligence should be developed and used to support the commander’s military objectives.
ISR Fundamentals
3. ISR- Definition. ISR are integrated capabilities to collect, process, exploit and disseminate accurate and timely information that provides the battle space awareness necessary to successfully plan and conduct operations.
4. ISR goal. The goal of ISR operations is to provide precise and timely intelligence to the war fighters. We can best achieve this goal by capitalizing on the inherent synergies that exist among our ISR systems. Synergy is defined, as the interaction of individual parts so that the total effect produced by their working together is greater than the sum of their individual efforts. Together ISR provide the key pieces of intelligence information that help achieving information superiority. The synergistic effect of ISR operations also provides the best possible intelligence to the combat commander, producing ‘actionable’ and...