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What's SIGINT And How Is It Used

What's SIGINT And How Is It Used

Intelligence-driven determination-making is on the heart of day by day operations and strategic planning for modern militaries and intelligence businesses, and Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) is a big part of what makes it possible. Right now we’ll talk about how SIGINT works and why it is so vital, particularly as it applies to Digital Warfare applications.

SIGINT Explained
SIGINT is the interception of signals for the purpose of gathering intelligence. It is divided into three sub-disciplines:

Communications Intelligence (COMINT) which is the interception of communication between individuals and teams
Digital Intelligence (ELINT) which is the intercepting of digital signals which are not specifically used for communication
Overseas Instrumentation Signals Intelligence (FISINT), which is the collection of signals created by the testing and use of overseas weapons systems.

The origins of SIGINT could be traced back to the first world war when British forces started intercepting German radio communications to realize intelligence about their plans. This led to the use of cryptography to hide the content of radio transmissions, and as such, cryptanalysis became an integral part of SIGINT as well.

As technology has advanced, so has the sphere of SIGINT. Today, the US military gathers signals intelligence via unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) like the Global Hawk and Reaper drones, which are geared up with powerful infrared sensors and cameras, as well as Light and Imaging Detection (LIDAR) and artificial aperture RADAR systems to collect and transmit back valuable raw intelligence from the operational atmosphere for analysis.

One downside of UAVs is that they fly slower and at lower altitudes than manned plane, leaving them more vulnerable to anti-plane measures. One answer is the EA-18G Growler. This airplane is an updated version of the F/A-18F Super Hornet, which has been repurposed from a pure combat aircraft to an advanced, supersonic ISR platform. It could fly a lot faster and higher than a drone and is provided with sensors that may detect enemy RADAR and even cell phone signals.

One other more down-to-earth example of contemporary SIGINT capabilities could be interception of digital communications data by the NSA, which can provide motionable intelligence in real-time by capturing data like emails, texts, phone calls and more.

When raw SIGINT is captured, it must then be translated, interpreted or represented, as the case may be, into data which can then be analyzed and used for determination-making.

How Does SIGINT apply to Digital Warfare?
The time period Electronic Warfare (EW) applies to military action involving the usage of the electromagnetic spectrum. The goal of EW is to maximise the ability of pleasant forces to access and exploit the spectrum while disrupting and denying the enemy’s ability to do the same. It also encompasses the usage of technology to defend towards attacks on spectral capabilities and using offensive directed energy weapons. Examples of EW embrace radar jamming, communication jamming, and digital masking, as well as countermeasures towards such techniques.

As with SIGINT, EW will be divided into three sub-disciplines. These embody:

Digital Attack (EA), which contains offensive use of directed energy in opposition to the enemy
Electronic Protection (EP), which is defensive, like the Electronic Warfare Self-Protection (EWSP) suite built into fighter jets
Digital Warfare Assist (ES), the apply of locating and identifying the sources of electromagnetic energy signals for the purpose of supporting decision-making
It's in this third class of ES that we see the overlap of digital warfare and SIGINT because the systems and equipment used for ES can concurrently acquire intelligence. While ES is more centered on fast threats in the operational setting, a lot of the data obtained can be utilized to enhance raw signals intelligence and SIGINT determination-making.

ES can detect the source of an electromagnetic signal, the type of equipment producing that signal, and related data like frequency, modulation, etc. For example, ES personnel can detect an unknown radar signal emanating from somewhere within the battlespace. They can analyze the signal and determine the type of radar that is getting used, and evaluate their findings with nations known to make use of this type of radar, and what vehicles, ships, plane, etc. it is typically used with. They will then confirm the character of the radar supply, and make intelligent predictions on what the unknown actor’s intentions are.

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