Blanket statements like these are meaningless. Reconnaissance satellites are becoming more powerful and capable with passage of time, with relevant upgrades in a series of BLOCKS (and periodical replacements), just like in the case of other military assets. To put things in perspective, SAR imaging resolution have increased to 2 cm by now, and complex EO/IR operations (e.g. midcourse discrimination) are possible in the Earth Shadow at present.
However, every single platform have mission-specific limitations (specializations); this is why different types of reconnaissance satellites are developed and deployed, to address operational and functional limitations of a single platform (there is no such thing as one-shoe-fit-all).
Different types of reconnaissance satellites:-
1. Optical Imaging
2. Electromagnetic Spectral Imaging - EO/IR (Infrared and Ultraviolet)
4. Radar Imaging - SAR
5. Laser Imaging
6. SIGINT
7. Hybrid solutions
8. Oceanic*
9. Special purpose (e.g. tracking other satellites)
*Interesting read:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/as-new...444?ns=prod/accounts-wsj&ns=prod/accounts-wsj
Reconnaissance satellites exist and function in the form of constellations (networks). They provide extensive coverage of agenda-relevant developments around the world while working in tandem (from multiple angles and perspectives), to relevant ground control stations where such information is processed by powerful computers for desirable ends.
Satellite communications is also an area where significant advances are taking place, and these advances are reshaping modern-era battlespaces in ways like never before. By now, all reconnaissance satellites have digital communications capability with relevant ground control stations (no need for 'recorded films' to be extracted from satellites like in the Cold War era); information processing-time is also reducing in accordance with the advances in computing technologies (near real-time satellite-driven surveillance for certain ends is possible now). Some reconnaissance satellites have onboard information processing capabilities and can even talk to each other for a mutual objective.
General information about military-specific satellite communications in this link:
http://www.defence-and-security.com...of-military-satellite-communications-6097723/
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I do not know much about others but I shall inform you that Radar imaging (SAR) and Electromagnetic spectrum imaging (EO/IR) reconnaissance satellites are MOTION SENSITIVE. They certainly have limitations in this respect because they are designed to track movement of certain types of objects [not everything in the world]. Their tracking capabilities are only a part of the story; satellite data processing software systems [in the relevant ground control stations] do the MAGIC.
"Within five weeks, the first Onyx—also designated 3101 for the satellite program number (3100) and the mission
number (one)—used its on-board rocket engines to reach its operational orbit. It then transmitted its digital imagery,
with resolution in the five-to-10-foot range, to its ground station at White Sands, N.M.
The imagery helped monitor Soviet SS-20 missile movements, transportation of nuclear weapons, and other nighttime Soviet military activities. It also assisted in monitoring Iraqi tank movements during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm." - Jeffrey T. Richelson (2009)
Radar imaging satellite can detect moving targets on the ground; radar pulses reflecting off moving targets has a different Doppler shift than that of the radar pulses reflecting off the surface around them. Through high-quality signal processing, differences in Doppler shift can be detected and used to highlight locations of moving targets.
An SBIRS EO/IR class satellite is equipped with two types of sensor systems (scanner and starer) - multi-function platform. It can obtain a lock on a particular object with SCANNER sensor and track its movement with STARER sensor in near real-time (extremely fast refresh rates).
"The scanning sensor continuously scans the earth to provide 24/7 global strategic missile warning capability. Data from the scanner also contributes to theater and intelligence missions. The step-staring sensor, with its highly-agile and highly-accurate pointing and control system, provides coverage for theater missions and intelligence areas of interest with its fast revisit rates and high sensitivity."
Source:
https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104549/space-based-infrared-system/
"SBIRS GEO-1 carries a scanning sensor similar to, but more agile than, the already-deployed SBIRS HEO sensor, and a staring sensor. The scanning sensor will generally provide global surveillance, with the staring sensor intended to interrogate areas of interest around the globe with even more enhanced sensitivity and revisit time. Support to the theater missile warning mission, missile defense mission, technical intelligence mission, and the evolving battlespace awareness mission area, were the drivers for design of the GEO staring sensor. As a result, it will provide very fast re-pointing ability, high sensitivity, and small revisit time for areas of interest, as well as for tracking dim ballistic missiles to booster burnout. The staring sensor will also provide a mode of operation that allows it to continuously stare at a site with very high refresh rate, as well as flexibility in spectral band selection. Enhanced sensitivity and revisit time from the SBIRS sensors bring opportunity for earlier detection of missile launches, higher confidence detection of new dimmer and shorter-duration events, and more accurate estimation of missile trajectory parameters."
Source:
http://science.dodlive.mil/2011/05/05/modern-missile-defense-sbirs-satellite-set-to-launch/
SBIRS satellite design (notional):
Some information about the capabilities of these satellites below.
Now, satellites have their role in providing meaningful INTEL, but is this the end? No. Long-range surveillance drones are known to patrol near global flashpoints and they can plug potential gaps in the coverage of satellites in such regions [if necessary]. To give you an idea:
"Among the largest UAVs in use for tactical and ISR applications is the Global Hawk (Fig. 1) from Northrop Grumman. Considered a high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) UAV, it is designed to provide near real-time ISR over large geographic areas. The electronics on board the Global Hawk are designed to match its impressive flight capabilities, with run times exceeding 32 hours. It is designed to carry an Enhanced Integrated Sensor Suite (EISS) payload, as well as an Airborne Signals Intelligence Payload (ASIP) for long-range detection and intelligence gathering.
The Global Hawk’s EISS contains a synthetic-aperture-radar (SAR) system, a moving target indicator (MTI), an electro-optical (EO) digital camera, and an advanced infrared (IR) sensor. All of these detection systems operate using a common signal processor, with the on-board computer enabling simultaneous operation of the SAR and MTI, coupled with the capability of transferring ISR data to warfighters in real time."
Source:
https://www.mwrf.com/systems/uavs-keep-eye-enemy-movements
Constellation of SBIRS class EO/IR platform:
3rd party modeling:
Constellation of Mercury class SIGINT platform:
In fact, some satellites are SIGINT and SBIRS in the same package (SBIRS HEO layer).
Constellations of Optical imaging, SAR imaging and Laser imaging reconnaissance satellites exist separately from the aforementioned. Largely unknown experimental platforms out there as well (ghost platforms). Above all, different types of reconnaissance satellites are in different orbits such as HEO, GEO and LEO to provide consistent coverage of mission-relevant developments on the surface in various regions of interest at a time.
And who knows what so many supposedly commercial satellites are equipped with and doing? Some are too high-end for commercial applications only. To give you an idea:
"Satellites—like DigitalGlobe’s WorldView-3 orbiter—can be used to take photographs in the shortwave infrared spectra, for example, detecting a clandestine reactor that is putting off heat. Electro-optical and radar satellites could help complete the picture. (That’s one of the ways that the U.S was able to find Iran’s previously secret underground nuclear facility in 2009." - Tim Mak (Daily Beast)
Open advertisement:
https://mdacorporation.com/docs/def...ial-services/radarsat-2-products.pdf?sfvrsn=2
The responsibility of controlling, and processing information received from reconnaissance satellites, is undertaken by the Air Force Space Command:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Force_Space_Command
38,000+ individuals, at 88 locations, are involved in AFSC missions (highly trained and vetted). They have supercomputers and numerous failsafe arrangements at their disposal to manage their tasks on a 24/7 basis (routine tasks are fully automated, and experts concentrate on analyzing information in large part).
I [honestly] do not have the time (and energy) to explain to you the scale and scope of American surveillance operations. One can write a thesis on this subject, and it won't be enough. But I will give some pointers.
Take a look at how many satellites are up there (active at the moment):
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/...hingYou-satellites_ai2html-desktop-medium.jpg
Now suppose that a country turns into a battlespace (e.g. Iran); then in this situation, reconnaissance satellites will not be the only layer of surveillance. A range of powerful airborne surveillance assets from USAF and USN will join the show, and do the needful. Under these circumstances, the subject country is essentially *uc*e*.
Some of the most powerful (long-range) airborne surveillance platforms such as Global Hawk, MQ-9 Reaper, RQ-180 (VLO; top secret) and X-37B are known to complement surveillance operations over the regions [of interest] from time to time (to plug 'remote sensing' coverage gaps, and more), even in peacetime situations.
FYI:
https://www.mwrf.com/systems/uavs-keep-eye-enemy-movements
RQ-180 feature the very best of VLO technologies in existence, and is so capable in its missions, that it is yet to leave a trail of its activity over any region it has operated since 2014. This is a ghost platform among UAV.
This is an excellent read:
http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...ica-keeps-watch-over-north-korea-from-the-sky
All of them are [more than] early warning systems in reality, and they are powerful enough to obtain a lock on even a tank shell in motion.
"Because SBIRS high-fidelity sensors, which are said to be at least three times as sensitive as older systems, it is rumored that these satellites can detect and possibly track many other things than just ballistic missile launches. These speculations include surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles, artillery fire, and even aircraft in flight."
Source:
https://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/these-are-the-doomsday-satellites-that-detected-the-exp-1737434876
“What SBIRS brings in capability…is the ability to find dimmer targets with shorter burn times, and those are representative of the tactical threats we see both in Asia and in the Middle East today.” - Col. Dennis Dennis Bythewood
The older generation DSP was this much capable:
"DSP not only successfully detected ICBM launches, but was sensitive enough to detect tactical missiles and even Soviet bombers on afterburner." - SatelliteObservation.net
SBIRS platform have an experimental LEO layer as well - STSS satellites [2 in total, to provide STEREO coverage of stealthy objects in motion from birth-to-death]; these are among the most powerful in existence by any measure - and these are not defunct (intentional disinformation), but better than ever (upgrades). You also need to keep in mind hybrid solutions in a constellation (SBIRS HEO layer). On the whole, SBIRS platform pack lot of surprises.
You need to think on the lines of what a constellation can do on the whole (not on the lines of what a single satellite can do).
Next step is to think above a constellation; multiple constellations working together for shared ends (multi-spectral imaging; hyper-spectral imaging; and more). Simply put, American satellite-driven surveillance capabilities - ALONE - offer virtually persistent coverage of important developments around the world. Think on the lines that this surveillance is non-stop and the entire geography of Earth is mapped. Think on the lines of how much information they have amassed over the course of years. Think about what they have learned from commercial uses of GPS and smartphones.
And next step is to think about long-range surveillance drones complementing surveillance operations of reconnaissance satellites in a region of interest. There isn't a damn thing that can operate undetected over Syrian airspace given the amount of attention it is receiving from US forces in the region.
Back to this point of mine:
"How would you know? Nobody (from the other side) will tell you whether the drone was being watched or not. Keep in mind that USAF is up there patrolling Syrian airspace very often. They have a good view of the activity over Syrian airspace (hint: electro-optical equipment), and even F-22A Raptors are known to patrol Syrian airspace."
I have connected the dots for you.
Who is high on Hollywood now?
FIRST: Satellite movement tracking is literally open-source activity in current times (part-time hobby of some); thanks in part to such efforts, Iran (or any country) does not need to do much on its own in this regard.
SECOND: Efforts to tag (illuminate)/blind reconnaissance satellites with particle beams (lasers) is not a new phenomenon [this is Cold War era stuff]. However, this is not Star Wars either.
Any country that can launch its own satellites is likely to have Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) technology at its disposal, to track their movements with a high degree of precision. This is important for both scientific and defense applications, and a number of satellites are equipped with retroreflectors to facilitate SLR activity (cooperative satellites).
FYI:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_laser_ranging
I am aware of Chinese and Iranian experiments to illuminate a reconnaissance satellite or two [happened in 2006 and 2011 respectively]; SLR efforts in reality.
Excellent read:
https://www.princeton.edu/sgs/publications/sgs/archive/17-1-Butt-Effects-of-Chinese.pdf
Satirical piece of writing:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blog...us-satellites/2011/10/03/gIQAHvm7IL_blog.html
Problem is that reconnaissance satellites are among the non-cooperative types by design, and heavily shielded on top. Ranging them can be useful in regards to tracking their movements [under the right circumstances], but blinding them and/or damaging them is far from easy. Continue to read below.
THIRD: Reconnaissance satellites are [always] designed with potential threats in mind - [always]. They can be a billion+ USD a piece and a chunk of this cost goes into shielding each from extreme forms of stresses (and potential threats) via special substances and design approaches.
To give you an idea:
"Lacrosse is a nuclear war, laser, and battle hardened spacecraft to the extent possible. The spacecraft carries in addition one auxiliary earth imaging IR payload instrument of some kind also in addition to its Harris Corp. (Air Force Magazine, Aerospace World, 3/1986, p. 28) primary gimbals mounted imaging phased array radar deployable dish which is resistant to interference. The open mesh dish was designed to prevent earth or space based interference of its imaging radar that is not possible with flat plate imaging radars."
Source:
https://www.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/lacrosse.htm
Reconnaissance satellites are subjected to extreme forms of stresses before deployment:
https://warisboring.com/testing-satellites-by-nuking-them/
Look at this infographic:
Some reconnaissance satellites are even equipped with efficient deflectors (e.g. MISTY class).
FYI:
https://gizmodo.com/5162837/misty-stealth-satellite-hides-perfectly-while-watching-you
Cold War with USSR was a great teacher, and (laser shielding) is a thing.
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Certain elements tend to sensationalize certain developments for public consumption [efforts to maintain the HUBRIS of vulnerabilities] because their agenda is seek FUNDS from politicians to improve existing assets, and to develop new assets. You might have noticed that media was being flooded with reports of China thrashing the shit out of US in a hypothetical fight not long ago because 2019 DEFENSE BUDGET was pending approval.
Mission accomplished:
https://militarybenefits.info/2019-defense-budget/ (Approval process was incredibly smooth too, LMAO)
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There is no cost-effective method to defeat a reconnaissance satellite. HTK approach is most reliable, but easier said than done. Reconnaissance satellites tend to move in the MACH 22 - 24 range, feature alert mechanisms, and can change course on the fly. US is deploying a special type of maneuverable satellite which can serve as a kill vehicle in space: MiTEx micro-satellites [but this is an incredibly challenging endeavor in itself]
Did it ever occur to you that why Iran is unable to prevent reconnaissance satellites from uncovering its secrets?
REMINDER
"Satellites—like DigitalGlobe’s WorldView-3 orbiter—can be used to take photographs in the shortwave infrared spectra, for example, detecting a clandestine reactor that is putting off heat. Electro-optical and radar satellites could help complete the picture. (That’s one of the ways that the U.S was able to find Iran’s previously secret underground nuclear facility in 2009." - Tim Mak (Daily Beast)
Numerous observations
https://worldview.stratfor.com/article/satellite-images-iran-builds-s-300-missiles-sites
https://www.thenational.ae/world/me...new-missile-site-at-mashhad-airfield-1.784046
https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB439/
Keep in mind that strategic facilities tend to be DENIED spaces for observation on the surface (and otherwise) - in any country. They feature a large number of jamming and camouflaging arrangements as well. However, reconnaissance satellites are designed to observe such spaces and render their defensive arrangements invalid.
Images of Iranian, Pakistani, Indian, Chinese, Russian and North Korean strategic facilities - are virtually impossible to obtain from standard equipment. Try to operate a UAV near a Iranian strategic location and see what happens [unless you work in one].
Even powerful commercial solutions such as Google's GeoEye-1 have caught lot of INTERESTING developments in the act around the world. And these solutions are exploding in numbers:
https://www.satimagingcorp.com/
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In case of war with US (God forbid), reconnaissance satellites will be the least of your concerns. USAF and USN will step in and will not only blanket Iranian airspace with their powerful EW measures, but deliver volley after volley of kinetic strikes to degrade Iranian defenses to the point that they will become insignificant. To give you an idea, Iraqi armed forces were reduced to using couriers for communications during the course of SHOCK & AWE campaign.
USAF and USN can establish a battlespace-relevant airborne surveillance layer as a substitute for satellite surveillance, should the need arise.
Good luck with laser-blinding each reconnaissance satellite out there. Facepalm.
Take a good look at my disclosures above.
When you understand the bigger picture, then it is easy for you to read between the lines.
US military is a huge force with multiple branches, and their assets are spread across LAND, SEA, AIR and SPACE around the world. It is not necessary for troops in a particular location to have access to every form of INTEL on the fly; operational realities in a particular location are not necessarily clear to 'distant observers' either, because troops are not reporters.
Col. Sean Ryan pointed out that Iran did not (officially) notify US forces of its intent to utilize ballistic missiles to strike potential targets in a location which was only 3 MILES away from their positions. An official communication channel is important between military forces of different countries when they are operating in the same region [precautionary measure]; Russia, Turkey, US and Israel have a deconfliction line in Syria for this purpose. In no way or form, is this an indication that American surveillance agencies were not doing their job at the time, and US forces did not knew that Iranian forces were conducting operations near their positions.
Same soldier also alluded to post-strike damage assessment; this is an SOP of any military force. Troops do not stick to [political] disclosures on the web, to assess situation on the ground. They commit to a thorough post-strike assessment after each operation.
The statement "we see open source reports stating that they were targeting militants it blamed for the recent attack on an Iranian military parade in the Middle Euphrates River Valley" - does not imply ignorance in the battlefield, but to understand who were the targets. More on the lines of what compelled Iran to consider Ballistic missiles to strike a region (these weapons rarely employed to kill some terrorists). Post-strike damage assessment is conducted to distinguish political rhetoric from concrete facts.
He did not mention drones by the way; you are connecting the wrong dots.
