The drone is a highly effective intelligence asset. In fact, USAF testimonials indicate that around 97% of mission time is dedicated purely to reconnaissance.12 The aircraft contributes to the intelligence cycle because it continuously and simultaneously collects and distributes information. Specifically, it collects intelligence efficiently via advanced visual equipment and long loiter capabilities. Both the Predator and the Reaper drones are equipped with high definition and thermal cameras on the undersides of their fuselages. These cameras are powerful enough to zoom and read the license number on a driver’s ID card.13 Pilots use the cameras’ high-powered capabilities when searching for and following potential targets.14 In this way, the aircraft collects useful intelligence about the behavioral patterns of the enemy (ie: family ties, associations, daily activities) while flying at a high altitude, unseen to the target on the ground. Furthermore, aerial imagery technology is vastly improving. For example, the US Air Force is experimenting with a high-tech camera system known as the Gorgon Stare.15 The Gorgon Stare essentially combines the visual capacity of multiple advanced cameras, allowing the aircraft to observe areas that are 4 kilometers in diameter. Some US Air Force Reaper drones have already been equipped with this new system, allowing pilots and intelligence analysts to observe parts of entire cities at one time. In this way, the drone is highly effective for gathering a large amount of visual data.
The drone is a highly effective intelligence asset 97% of mission time is dedicated purely to reconnaissance The aircraft contributes to the intelligence cycle because it continuously and simultaneously collects and distributes info Some Reaper drones have already been equipped with this new system, allowing pilots and intelligence analysts to observe parts of entire cities at one time. the drone is highly effective for gathering a large amount of visual data