Barbara A. Lacy Intel 301 – The IC – Week 5 January 31, 2011

[Type text] Copyright 2011

Subject: MASINT ExamplePosted by John W. Knox Sat Feb 27 16:30:23 2010.Message: After reading Chapter 9: from the U.S. intelligence Community, conduct an open source (OSINT) search for an example of a real-world (unclassified) event where MASINT collection would be (or would have been) beneficial. After finding an example, prepare a three paragraph post describing (1) the significance of the event and (2) why MASINT collection would be/would’ve been beneficial.

There are two caveats to this task (1) students are not allowed to use the same specific event more than once and (2) the event had to occur in 1995 or later. To assist everyone in completing this task, please feel free to use the following references:

http://www.fas.org/irp/program/masint.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MASINT (use the references not the article)

http://www.globalsecurity.org/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/webinator/search/?pr=default&order=r&query=MASINT

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/index.html

MASINT

MASINT (Measurement and Signatures Intelligence) is the broadest technical intelligence 1discipline. The term is used to cover nearly every form of technical intelligence capability 2outside of SIGINT and IMINT. “MASINT is scientific and technical information obtained by 3quantitative and qualitative analysis of data” [1]. It includes such diverse collection capabilities 4as RADAR Intelligence (RADINT), Acoustic Intelligence (ACINT), Materials Intelligence, 5Nuclear Intelligence (NUCINT), Chemical and Biological Intelligence (CBINT), Seismic 6Intelligence, Effluent/Debris Collection and Spectroscopic Intelligence. MASINT can be utilized 7successfully at every level of warfare and international relations – strategic, operational and 8tactical. It provides a tremendous advantage to policymakers and warfighters in their global 9tasks. National policymakers regularly rely on various types of MASINT to help determine if 10other nations are adhering to arms treaties, anti-proliferation agreements, anti-drug trafficking 11and other international issues. Warfighters utilize MASINT capabilities to detect enemy 12placements, equipment levels and types (especially under adverse collection conditions) and to 13perform IPB (Intelligence Preparation of the Battlespace) in order to determine terrain, soil 14conditions, weather and numerous other factors that can affect a successful mission on the 15ground or in the air. 16

Some real world examples of MASINT in action on the operational and tactical level can be seen 17in the “war on drugs.” Aside from the criminal and destructive aspects of the drug trade, there is 18growing concern about links between drug and weapons trafficking, terrorism and national 19security. Terrorist organizations often use the drug trade to finance their operations as well as 20combine it with arms smuggling. Additionally, escalating violence from the drug cartels of 21Mexico, Central and South America presents an increasing need to halt the flow of drugs across 22the U.S. border as well as around the world. Thus, identifying and destroying the plants at the 23

Barbara A. Lacy Intel 301 – The IC – Week 5 January 31, 2011

[Type text] Copyright 2011

core of the drug trade in order to almost literally “nip the crime in bud” is becoming an 24increasingly desirable option.[2] Identifying individual plant types growing together, in order to 25spot drugs being grown in the midst of other crops for concealment, is a process known as 26“deconvolution.” The technology for doing so via remote sensing utilizes satellite and airborne27sensing techniques to measure and record emitted or reflected energy (electromagnetic radiation) 28from varying objects and then to process, analyze and apply the information. The varying 29electromagnetic signatures generated by differing types of vegetation allow analysts to determine 30if the given area is growing illegal plants. Government, military and law-enforcement 31establishments can then take the appropriate actions to stem the tide of drug trafficking.32

Since many of the Mexican drug rings have moved their plant growing operations into the States, 33the DEA and other officials have been fighting the war on U.S. soil as well. In 2005, CAMP34agents (an arm of the State Attorney General’s office) used helicopters and visual surveillance to 35identify marijuana fields in California. At first, it was easy to tell where the growers were 36preparing ground to plant uniform, rectangular plots of single crops. However, as the growers 37realized their vulnerability to being spotted from the air and to having their crops destroyed, they 38adapted. They began to plant under the canopy of trees and intermixed illegal with legal crops to 39conceal them from visual spotting or standard imagery.[3] Thus, this is an ideal place to employ 40the Spectrographic analysis that can be provided through MASINT. 41

On the battlefield, MASINT has a variety of tactical uses that are being expanded continually as 42improved technology gives soldiers and marines greater advantages in detecting enemy 43locations, missile, mine and IED placements and to enhance target tracking and elimination. One 44example of MASINT technology is found in the ITAS fire control system used by the TOW 45missile. This fire control system was recently upgraded with a Far Target Location system 46(ITAS-FTL) incorporating a GPS-based Position Attitude Determination Subsystem (PADS).[4]47This system allows gunners to more accurately determine the position of enemy threats well 48beyond traditional ranges – such as on the distant mountainsides common in Afghanistan. ITAS 49has been used both in Operation Iraqi Freedom and in Operation Enduring Freedom since 2003. 50The upgraded system with FTL was delivered to deployed troops in late 2009 to assist in the war 51in Afghanistan. The PADS system provides an instant grid location to the soldier of both his own 52position and that of the target observed in his ITAS sight, eliminating the time-consuming 53compass, map and protractor calculations of the enemy position.[5] According to one of the 54engineers on the development team “ITAS-FTL significantly enhances system lethality and 55Soldier survivability. The superior surveillance capability enables the Soldier to detect targets at 56long range and engage and destroy those targets with TOW missiles or by directing the 57employment of other weapons systems.”[6] Thus, MASINT, in the form of Global Positioning 58Satellite technology, as well as laser and radar technology, is helping our troops on the ground 59complete their mission in a safer and more efficient manner. 60

Endnotes:61

Barbara A. Lacy Intel 301 – The IC – Week 5 January 31, 2011

[Type text] Copyright 2011

1. John Pike and Steven Aftergood, “Measurement and Signatures Intelligence,”62http://www.fas.org/irp/program/masint.htm. Last updated May 8, 2000 (accessed 63February 1, 2011)64

2. James A. Tindall, “Deconvolution of Plant Type(s) for Homeland Security Enforcement 65Using Remote Sensing on a UAV Collection Platform,” Journal of the Naval 66Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security, Vol II No.1: April 2006 67Available from http://www.hsaj.org/?fullarticle=2.1.4 (accessed February 2, 2011)68

3. John Ritter, “Drug Agents Can’t Keep up With Pot Growers,” USA Today, October 13, 692005 Available from http://www.marijuana.com/drug-war-headline-news/24128-ca-drug-70agents-cant-keep-up-pot-growers.html (accessed February 2, 2011)71

4. “TOW System Upgrade Goes to Troops in Afghanistan,” State News Service, September 7211, 2009, Available from: https://www.opensource.gov/providers/nexis/new/results/73docview/docview.do?docLinkInd=true&risb=21_T11143845773&format=GNBFI&sort=74RELEVANCE&startDocNo=1&resultsUrlKey=29_T11143845780&cisb=22_T1114384755779&treeMax=true&treeWidth=0&csi=8058&docNo=5 (accessed February 2, 2011)76

5. Ibid 77

6. Ibid 78