AFMC Command News

Electronic Systems Center intel system gains warfighting role

  • Published
  • By Monica D. Morales
  • 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  Whether fighting the flames of California wildfires or detecting floating threats off coasts, officials from the 950th Electronic System Group's key imagery collection system are transitioning victories from homeland defense into capabilities for warfighter use around the world.

"We certainly love working to support homeland relief and other disasters, but the thing that excites us is getting into more operational scenarios," said Capt. Daniel Urban, Eagle Vision program manager. "It's great to have a positive impact here at home, as well as abroad."

EV collects and processes imagery by using industry standard software to predict when various commercial satellites will be within range to take a snapshot of a designated area at a designated time. After the antenna points in the satellite's direction, communication takes place between the satellite and ground station. The picture is then downloaded, undergoes low-level processing and is written to a DVD.

Maps with roadways and landmasses can be layered upon the satellite imagery to supply end users with broader context and enough situational awareness to determine how best to act.

For firefighters in a race to quash the flames of wildfires, that might translate into determining if a house is still standing with people inside awaiting rescue. In an operational context, that intelligence data could allow operators to avert future attacks and aid in mission execution and planning. Imagery obtained by Eagle Vision can also be used to augment existing data and intelligence systems like the Distributed Common Ground System and Mission Planning System.

"It's accurate enough that a morning picture can be taken determining potential trouble spots along a highway that may lead to an afternoon ambush," Captain Urban said.

The majority of EV's work falls within the domain of Mother Nature, helping with relief efforts needed after hurricanes, tsunamis, flooding and wildfires. In the last 15 years, the system has deployed to the United Arab Emirates, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, Africa, and provided aid after Hurricane Katrina in 2006. 

After hurricanes, for example, EV captures imagery and compares what stood before a storm to what's left afterwards - making the detection of flooded roads, destroyed homes and future trouble spots easier to distinguish. That imagery can then be handed off to a relief worker to provide aid in more heavily populated areas. The same holds true in situations like the recent California wildfires.

"You can actually get a sense of which direction a fire is moving, in addition to seeing where a house stood or a road is blocked by fallen trees," Captain Urban said.

In addition to work with United States Northern Command and United States Space Command, the EV office has taken part in operational exercises with the United States Navy to develop heightened maritime domain awareness. Working in conjunction with the Navy's Sixth Fleet, EV has taken imagery and been able to classify ships to aid in drug route interdiction.

"Based on the length of the ship and its wake, we can identify to a certain degree of accuracy what class of ship that is," he said. 

Eagle Vision is also working with the Defense Department's joint Operationally Responsive Space Office, based out of Kirtland AFB, N.M. In collaborating, the aim is to mobilize EV for near-real time tasking, determining how quickly imagery at certain coordinates can be produced. 

Air Force Director of ISR Innovations Mr. James "Snake" Clark said in an e-mail message to Air Force Materiel Command leadership that EV's deployability makes it a unique warfighting tool. 

"With the outstanding support of the 950th Program Office and Electronic Systems Center we have invented and fielded the first deployable commercial imagery ground station," Mr. Clark said.

The system's commercial imagery ground stations are located throughout the globe at EV 1 at Ramstein AB, Germany; EV 3 with the California Air National Guard; EV 4 with the South Carolina ANG; EV 5 with the Hawaii ANG; and, EV 6 with the Alabama ANG. 

"EV is one of the great success stories out of ESC -- on time, on budget, and establishing the world standard for commercial satellite imagery. The use of commercial satellites to gather imagery is an out-of-the-box approach to intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance," said Col. David DeNofrio, 950 ELSG commander. "The unit's efforts with Eagle Vision in operational contexts are undoubtedly equipping the warfighter with a valuable mission execution tool."