Introduction

Over the past few decades, the United States military has introduced unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones for use in intelligence gathering and warfare activities. Drones are perceived as less risky than manned aircraft and have the ability to gather a large amount of reconnaissance information which intelligence analysts sift through and analyze. A recent Pentagon report suggests, however, that unmanned drone intelligence gathering programs are not necessarily more effective than “on the ground,” HUMINT and open source analysis. These new findings imply that individuals in the field and behind the desk who have a background in intelligence studies are a valuable and vital part of the intelligence gathering process.

New Findings from Defense Science Board

UAVs are used in counterinsurgency, counterterrorism, and intelligence operations. Military UAVs have been used to drop missiles as well as for reconnaissance purposes in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Defense Science Board, a panel which provides advice and analysis to the Pentagon, recently suggested, however, that “the defense budget does not properly direct funding for open-source intelligence collection – information in the public domain and gathered from a wide variety of sources, including academic papers and newspapers.” The report mentions that focusing the majority of intelligence operations and gathering on unmanned drones creates “a crisis in processing, exploitation, and dissemination” as it takes a large number of analysts to sift through the intelligence gathered by each drone and make sense of it. At a 2010 national convention on geospatial intelligence, Marine Corps Gen. James Cartwright, former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, explained that it takes over 19 analysts to process information from one sensor on a predator drone. Drones do provide a wealth of aerial surveillance data, but the manpower and time required to analyze this data often prevents the military from acting in a timely manner on the intelligence collected.

Importance of analysts with backgrounds in intelligence studies

Given the difficulties in processing reconnaissance information from UAVs, the military and U.S. intelligence community must continue to support HUMINT and open-source intelligence gathering activities. Intelligence analysts on the ground can uncover activities and movements that drones cannot detect. Intelligence agents within a particular country or war zone can also make sense of this intelligence without relying upon 19 additional analysts, as Gen. Cartwright mentioned. The Defense Science Board report also suggested that these agencies must provide quality training for analysts early in their careers. A focus in intelligence studies will better prepare new intelligence analysts to collect and sift through intelligence and provide the correct information so that policymakers can make good decisions. Intelligence studies programs provide analysts with the analytical tools to succeed and provide sound intelligence. Technological operations, such as unmanned drones, combined with “on the ground” intelligence gathering, both play an important role in counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations in hot spots across the globe. U.S. policymakers must continue to develop both sides of intelligence gathering in order to have the information to make sound decisions.

Author Bio: Dan Sommer works for Henley-Putnam University, a leading educational institution in the field of Strategic Security. For more info on Henley-Putnam University, intelligence operations, intelligence studies, call 888-852-8746 or visit us online at http://www.Henley-Putnam.edu

Category: Education
Keywords: intelligence operations, intelligence studies