US Air Force, BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE: The 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron worked with Airmen from Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., for a demonstration in October.
The event showcased how airborne video through the LITENING targeting pod from a B-52 Stratofortress can be uploaded to a communications network. During the demonstration, aircrews looked at the Silver Flag exercise site, a civil engineering runway used for damage repair at Tyndall AFB.
“Basically, this demonstrated our ability to go over an area of interest,” said Maj. Scott Stoltz, 49th TES chief of standardization and evaluation.
One example how this technology could be used is, after a natural disaster, to transmit pictures through a satellite to intelligence agencies. The technology could also be used for gathering battlefield intelligence, assessing battlefield damage, assessing terrorist activities and countering drug activity.
“We can gather video of anything from the sky and send it to multiple agencies,” said Maj. David Gordon, 49th TES director of the test.
This provides short-notice visuals of an area within a matter of hours, whereas in the past, it may have taken several days for the president or governor to view a disaster area.
“This allows any situation where command authorities need pictures now, without waiting for satellite coverage or predator, if they would like an airplane over an area for an extended period of time,” Major Stoltz said. A B-52 has four to six hours of loiter time to circle around to look at an area, he added.
“We can view a target in wartime environment and send intelligence to commanders and then offer them options to attack the target, if needed,” Major Gordon said. “A predator is limited if destroying the target becomes necessary.”
Aircrews can take pictures of any area leadership requests. “News helicopters provide coverage but government agencies can't tell them to look at a specific target or area,” Major Stoltz said.
Major Stoltz said he believes this is a unique use of an airframe. “I don't think Curtis E. LeMay envisioned using a B-52 to take pictures of a natural disaster or for homeland security as we could use it today,” he said.
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