By Tech. Sgt. Craig Lifton
332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq -- High above Iraq, Air National Guard
F-16 Fighting Falcons fly over suspected terrorist areas, taking
high-resolution images with a sophisticated photographic system
contained inside a Theater Airborne Reconnaissance System, or
TARS, pod.
Ground commanders use the imagery from these 332nd Air
Expeditionary Wing TARS pods to help them achieve their tactical
objectives.
Tucked in a small trailer here, the 332nd Expeditionary
Operations Support Squadron TARS team plays a key role in the
production of imagery that is critical for ground forces'
mission planning, providing battlefield operators with
up-to-date imagery of roads, houses, structures, neighborhoods
and other areas of interest.
The missions begin with target selections made by officials at
the Combined Air Operations Center and other customer units.
Next, Staff Sgt. Matt Dallas, an imagery analyst with the 332nd
EOSS, starts to plan out the next day's missions.
"I develop maps with targets and route plans the pilots will
take to the targets," said Sergeant Dallas, a Williamsburg, Va.
native who is deployed from Langley Air Force Base, Va. "If the
pilots don't know where to go, they don't get the imagery we
need."
After the pilots return from their missions, other specialists
download and process the imagery. An Airman sits in front of a
set of computer monitors to look at the highly detailed
pictures.
"I analyze the imagery based on the needs of the customer," said
Senior Airman Katie Boston, a 332nd EOSS imagery analyst. "I
look for things like the heights of walls, vegetation, windows
and entry points on buildings for raid planning.
"I also do improvised explosive device detection," said the
Milwaukee native who is also deployed from Langley AFB. "(I look
for) things like disturbed dirt, piles of rocks or any
suspicious objects on the side of the road. We keep our
customers better informed of the environment. We help them see
the area before they even get there, which helps with their
planning."
Master Sgt. Stephen Clingerman closely observes the process to
ensure his analysts don't miss anything.
"We supply the decision makers with imagery intelligence, so
they'll be informed for future operations," said Sergeant
Clingerman, an imagery analyst with the 332nd EOSS. "We are here
to be a part of making sure the safety and security of Iraq is
maintained."
Sergeant Clingerman, a native of Waterloo, N.Y., explains that
unlike unmanned aircraft like the MQ-1 Predator, which loiter
for long periods over target areas for surveillance but risk
discovery, a fast-moving and high-flying F-16 with a TARS pod
can capture imagery virtually unnoticed. That difference gives
ground commanders a chance not to alert insurgents of possible
future tactical operations.
"With TARS-pod imagery, we receive a high-resolution image that
warfighters can use for planning," said an intelligence
collections manager with the Combined Joint Special Operations
Task Force - Arabian Peninsula who has used TARS in previous
missions supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. The collections
manager's name was withheld for operational security.
The capability provided to ground commanders helps achieve
effective tactical planning, the intelligence collections
manager said. It also provides flexibility in capturing
difficult-to-reach target locations, which could present a
critical advantage, depending on the desired objectives.
The TARS data link capability, or DLC, upgrade has allowed the
system to provide real-time imagery in Iraq since August 2007.
It is that change which has become the highlight of
reconnaissance in Iraq.
The TARS pod has had a major technical upgrade in response to
the Air Force's need to deter insurgent activity before it can
unfold. BAE Systems has equipped the TARS pod with a
data-linking capability and new ground system to provide the
warfighter that advantage.
The enhanced TARS DLC pod can transmit and receive
high-resolution image data over long distances. Its ability to
provide ground commanders real-time imagery data provides
immediate response and countermeasure actions.
The TARS DLC pod has been in operation in Iraq since August 2007
and is still operating today. A total of 13 pods are equipped
with this upgrade.
The No. 1 benefit to the warfighter is the lives TARS is saving
by identifying and deterring insurgent activity.
"As with all intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, it's
another low-density, high-demand asset, enhancing the
warfighters battlespace awareness," the intelligence collections
manager said.
According to Sergeant Clingerman, without the TARS pod imagery
and his analysts doing their jobs, an important piece of the
intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance would be missing.