MILITARY THOUGHT (USSR): A NEW METHOD OF CONDUCTING RECONNAISSANCE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP10-00105R000201800001-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 12, 2012
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: April 20, 1976
• Content Type: MEMO

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20'505
20 April 1976
MEMORANDUM FOR: The Director of Central Intelligence
FROM William E. Nelson
Deputy Director for Operations
SUBJECT MILITARY THOUGHT (USSR): A New
et o 0 on uct~.ng econnaissance
1. The enclosed Intelligence Information Special Report is part of a
series now~in preparation based on the SECRET USSR Ministry of Defense
publication Collection of Articles of the Journal 'T?ilita Thou ht". This
article cites t e pro lem o low re is ility an o er s ortcoms.ngs of
existing individual air and ground reconnaissance methods in making a case
for the production of anew automated system combining unmanned aircraft
and mobile data processing equipment. The author asserts that the proposoxi-HUM
system would
im
lif
th
p
s
y
e processing and interpreting of certain
reconnaissance information while increasing its accuracy and reliability.
-r~.,.. __.~_-~- ------ -, _ r .. ,. .--- ----
2. Because the source of this report is extremely sensitive, this
document should be handled on a strict need-to-know basis within recipient
agencies. For e se ication have been
assigned
William E. Nelson
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Distribution:
The Director of Central Intelligence
The Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Director, Defense Intelligence Agency
The Assistant to the Chief of Staff for Intelligence
Department of the Army
The Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence
U. S: Air Force
Director, National Security Agency
Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
Deputy Director for Intelligence
Deputy Director for Science and Technology
Deputy to the Director of Central Intelligence
for National Intelligence Officers
Director of Strategic Research
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COUNTRY USSR
DATE OF
INFO. Mid-1965
Intelligence Information Special Report
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50X1-HUM
DATE ZO April 1976
MILITARY THOUGHT (USSR): A New Method of Conducting Reconnaissance
Documentary
Summa
~e following report is a translation from Russian of an article which
appeared in Issue No. 2 (75) for 1965 of the SECRET USSR Ministry of
Defense publication Collection of Articles of the Journal 'T~4ilita
Thou h~t_". The author o t is article is ieutenant olonel orozov.
i`I~i`s article cites the problem of low reliability and other shortcomings of
existing individual air and ground reconnaissance methods in making a case
for the production of anew automated system combining ground and air
components. The air component would consist of a drone carrying various
sensors and equipment to transmit the recorded data to a ground component
mounted in a motor vehicle, which in turn could process and interpret the
data using a computer, then transmit the results to the staffs concerned.
The author asserts that the proposed system would simplify the processing
and interpreting of certain reconnaissance information while increasing its
accuracy and reliability. End of Summary
'omment
the SECRET version of I~ti.litary Thought was published three times
annually and was distributed down to the level of division co er
re ortedl ceased ub i
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A New Method of Conductin Reconnaissance
Y
Lieutenant Colonel K, rlorozov
Reconnaissance, as is lrnown, is rightfully one of the principal
factors determining the success of an operation and a battle as a whole,
and the effectiveness of the combat actions of each branch of the armed
forces and each branch arm. Reconnaissance has an especially responsible
role in supporting the combat employment of the rocket troops and
artillery. There is no need to prove that it would be impossible to make
up for the lack or even untimely acquisition of reconnaissance data with
any number. of missiles, including even those with nuclear warheads. The
delivery of nuclear strikes against areas not occupied by the enemy could
not be justified.
On the pages of our military press there has been repeated discussion
of the fact that the currently existing reconnaissance means are still
incapable of fully satisfying the demands of the staffs and troops for the
reconnaissance information necessary to prepare and conduct an operation
and a battle. Accordingly, many authors have stated varying opinions about
how to increase the effectiveness of reconnaissance, how to bring it into
accord with the nature of modern combat actions, and above all how to
shorten the time needed to pass reconnaissance information. In particular,
it has been proposed that the quantity of reconnaissance means be increased
and their quality improved, that automation be introduced, that the methods
of organizing and conducting reconnaissance be improved by completely or
partially changing the system of reconnaissance, and so on. All this is
well known to the reader, and we will not repeat it. Moreover, the
correctness of one opinion or another could be proven only after a
practical verification of it in the troops.
We would like to say that the time has come to change to a new method
for conducting reconnaissance, to a new principle for the operation of
reconnaissance equipment.
Earlier, as is known, such a method was always used by which enemy
targets could be detected by recording one of his many characteristic
reconnaissance indications, usually visible. This corresponded to thcse
means of reconnaissance (ground and air) which the troops had in service,
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and satisfied the conditions and nature of the combat actions during the
Second World War.
The adoption of nuclear weapons and missile equipment into service,
the sharply increased decisiveness of the operation and battle, their
dynamism and fluidity have heightenend the role of reconnaissance even
more, and they have presented it with more rigid requirements as far as
time, reliability, and completeness of reconnaissance data, but at the same
time, they have made its organization and conduct significantly more
complex.
At the present time, the reconnaissance means have also taken a great
step forward in both quality and quantity. However, it must be stated that
they nevertheless are solving the problem of reconnaissance only partially,
since they continue to be produced and used according to the old principle
-- the acquisition of data about a target which delineate only one of its
indications.
For example, the optical, photographic, and television equipment now
available to the troops is capable of detecting targets only by their
visible indications, while sound ranging equipment records the acoustic
phenomena of a weapon being fired or a missile being launched. The
physical indications of targets are determined by infrared, radiotechnical
and other equipment. Various radar sets are employed to detect targets by
recording reflected electromagnetic energy.
Thus, the final data concerning a target can be established by
processing the reconnaissance information received from several
reconnaissance means successively from various points. Data from a single
means of reconnaissanceaave become absolutely insufficient. And it _is not
by chance that we have introduced final reconnai ce (it is necessary in
c c ion wi t e re oca ion o ), the assistance o w i ~o some
extent es up or t e insufficient ca abilit es o each reconnaissan~~
means by using of ers, t ereby, naturally, losing time.
It is true that more and more often opinions are being expressed to
the effect that air reconnaissance is sufficiently effective. This is
actually true. In successfully overcoming the enemy's air defense system,
it like no other form of reconnaissance is capable of rapidly penetrating
to a great depth, scanning a considerable area and obtaining a great deal
of diverse reconnaissance information. However, these positive qualities
are reduced to a significant degree by the low capabilities of the
reconnaissance equipment of the aircraft, which can detect only visible
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targets (those located in the open). In addition, it requires a great deal
of time to process and interpret the reconnaissance data, and as a result
they often lose their value and become unfit for use. Finally, information
acquired by the reconnaissance equipment of air reconnaissance does not
always make it possible to differentiate a real target from a simulated one
and, as a result, the reliability of the information often is low.
Analogous to this is the matter of ground reconnaissance.
One should also note that the striving to improve the various
reconnaissance means inevitably leads to making the equipment more complex
and increasing its weight and dimensions, which in turn bring about
difficulties in its use. For example, the production of various computer
units, indicators for the display of information, video monitors and so on,
is naw required.
The detection of enemy targets simultaneously from the very same place
(point) by all their lrnown reconnaissance indications or by several of them
(mainly physical) might be such a method.
The new principle for the operation of the reconnaissance equipment
consists of a sin le functional dependence (on time and place) of the
operation of various sensors w ic1~ recor3 the indications of the target,
and of the processing of all the information simultaneously received and
the display and transmission of it to the staffs.
Only the new types of reconnaissance equipment -- the automated
reconnaissance s stems -- can operate on this principle. They should
consist o various sensors (receivers), which record the physical
indications of the targets, and a single unit for processing, displaying,
and transmitting the reconnaissance data.
For example, the automated reconnaisance s stem of air reconnaissance
could be created on the basis of an tuunanne aircra t and consist of two
components: air and ground. The air component would be the unmanned
reconnaissance aircraft itself, with a set of reconnaissance equipment
consisting of heat, magnetic and spectral sensors, radar and television
equipment, a computer unit, a transmitter unit, and flight control
equipment. The ground component should consist of flight control
equipment, receivers for reconnaissance information, equipment for 50X1-HUM
converting and recording it, as well as for high-speed processing and
interpreting of data concerning the target.
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In addition, the ground component should have equipment which will
determine the coordinates of targets and automatically encode the
reconnaissance data and transmit it to the staffs.
All this equipment of both components of the reconnaissance system
should operate in strict synchronization.
Depending on the purpose of the system (it could be tactical or
operational, low altitude or high altitude), its composition naturally will
vary, but the weight and dimensions should be such that it could fit in an
aircraft. When reconnaissance is being conducted with such a system, the
area of coverage could be from three to 20 kilometers or more, depending on
the flight altitude.
As the reconnaissance aircraft is flying over enemy territory, it
"scans" the terrain with the equipment of this system and records targets
according to physical and visible indications, which are transmitted to the
ground component of the system by telemetry channel. The equipment of this
component reproduces the image of the terrain with the targets located on
it and the blips from the sensors which have recorded evidence of these
targets. This image is continuously photographed from the indicator unit,
is processed by high-speed means and interpreted. Simultaneously with
this, the signals which have been recorded by the sensors are supposed to
be interpreted on the computer unit, which is especially important in those
instances when the targets are camouflaged.
The results of interpretation are automatically encoded and
transmitted to the staffs in the form of data containing the name of the
target, the coordinates of its location and dimensions in frontage and
depth, its concealment (degree of protection), important elements of the
target and their coordinates, its activity, the nature of the terrain, and
others. When necessary the staff is presented with photodoc~unents of the
detected target.
From what has been said it is apparent that the proposed automated
reconnaissance systems of both air and ground reconnaissance will be
capable of rapidly and reliably detecting a target, will make it possible
to simplify the process of processing and interpreting the reconnaissance
information somewhat, and will significantly increase the reliability of
reconnaissance data, their accuracy and completeness. The presence of
several different sensors in the system will ensure a still greater
informational capacity. Thus, preliminary calculations have already shown
that when an automated system for troop control is in use, the total time
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from the moment the target is detected until the reconnaissance data are
received by the higher staff will not exceed one to two minutes. As well,
the entire ground system of the reconnaissance equipment will fit into
conventional motor vehicles, and the air system, as we have already stated,
will fit into conventional aircraft, including unmanned reconnaissance
aircraft, for example, the LA-178.
It is not necessary to prove that such systems of both air and ground
reconnaissance will be significantly more effective than the existing
individual means. Each of them will be able to perform a wide range of
tasks (the air system -- practically all possible tasks).
The development of science and technology is now in a state in which
the production of automated reconnaissance systems, possessing a high
informational capacity, is completely possible. And the sooner this can be
done, the more rapidly and even higher the level of combat readiness of the
troops will rise, and the more successfully any tasks will be performed
during a battle or operation. It is true that in the area of developing
and producing such reconnaissance systems, there are still technical
difficulties, and a certain amount of time will be required. But this
should not be a reason for rejecting such promising means. It is necessary
only to resolutely allocate scientific and scientific-technical cadres, and
even entire institutions, to this work.
The production of reconnaissance systems does not at all preclude the
future need for certain reconnaissance means now being used by the troops.
Thus, for example, research has shown that the radiotechnical means
employed to detect enemy radar sets and to determine their parameters and
coordinates, as well as means of radio reconnaissance for the purpose of
detecting enemy radio sets and intercepting traffic on the radio nets are
needed as before to carry out certain reconnaissance tasks. r.~oreover, work
must be done to improve them even more, and to create new models of them.
They will undoubtedly find wide employment in the future as means of ground
reconnaissance. In air reconnaissance it is more desirable to include in
the automated reconnaissance systems sensors which detect radar and radio
sets by their electromagnetic energy emissions.
As concerns television, radar, photographic and certain other
individual (nonintegrated) means of reconnaissance, it is clear that when
the new reconnaissance systems become available they obviously will beccsoxi-xuM
unnecessary.
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The production of automated reconnaissance systems will raise
reconnaissance to a higher level and to a significant degree will eliminate
the disparity between the capabilities of the strike means and the
reconnaissance means .
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