HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass., March 26 (UPI) -- A U.S. Air Force unit is rapidly developing new applications for the Eagle Vision program to aid troop deployments.
The Air Force 950th Electronic System Group has successfully used the satellite-based Eagle Vision imagery collection system to support homeland-security and emergency-response personnel during natural disasters like hurricanes and forest fires. Officials said the group is working to expand on the capabilities of Eagle Vision to support current U.S. military operations, the Air Force reported.
Eagle Vision uses software to predict when commercial satellites will be in an orbiting position helpful to strategic locations on the ground and then capture imagery data. The information is then sent to a ground station for analysis of roadways and landmasses that can be used to provide advanced situational awareness.
"The use of commercial satellites to gather imagery is an out-of-the-box approach to intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance," Col. David DeNofrio, 950th Electronic System Group commander, said in a statement.
"The unit's efforts with Eagle Vision in operational contexts are undoubtedly equipping the war fighter with a valuable mission-execution tool."
