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Live via Satellite: NATO Aerial Surveillance Video
Factomatic writes "The BBC is reporting 'NATO surveillance flights in the Balkans are beaming their pictures over an insecure satellite link - and anyone can tune in and watch their operations live.' All you need is a satellite dish. John Locker tapped into the NATO aerial surveillance feed over the Balkans from England and has been e-mailing, faxing and calling NATO since November to get them to fix the problem. NATO denies it is a problem at all. I wonder if this would work in Afghanistan, too?" No, the article notes that Afghanistan is taking up all the secure communications bandwidth, and operations in the Balkans are getting kicked over to unencrypted channels. We ran an older story about the military's growing bandwidth crunch.
How stupid are you? You taped and watched the interview and you didn't hear them mention the AIRCRAFT about 20 different times?
Maybe you're just a troll, I donno.
In Soviet Russia...michael would be rotting in Siberia!
The BBC news 24 report says its from nato remote spyplanes not satellites , hence why its shaky
The article makes it clear in the first sentence: Nato surveillance flights in the Balkans are beaming their pictures over an insecure satellite link - and anyone can tune in and watch their operations live.
a government poll taken after the campaign against drugs using the "your supporting terrorism if you buy drugs" showed that the beginning stages of drug use had gone up 30%, not to mention our government shelled out over 2 billion dollars on the adds , paying for a professional director, and then airing them nonstop for several months. Maybe its me but i think its about time we legalized something
Righteousness postpones the inevitable
http://burningaureole.caveism.net
I worked in satellite communications in the army for 8 years. This story is hard to believe. Everything I worked on in the Army was encrypted up to 3 different times before it was transmitted to the satellite. Even GI's phone calls to their wifes were encrypted. There was an bulk encryption stage after the voice to digital encoding/multiplexing. This stream was fed into a data multiplexer and multiplexed with incoming data circuits. The output of that multiplexer was encyrpted again. The other incoming data circuits were probably already encrypted when they got to us. This is all before anything is modulated so it's not like they can't encrypt the data because they are using civilian satellites.
It's either counter-intelligence stuff or just real stupid.
Satellites broadcast to anyone on their path, so anyone with a small budget and some spare time can toy around with them -but crypto is the hard part.
.wav for processing.
A beginner's shopping list:
- A PC-controlled ICOM PCR-1000 SSB receiver ($300)
- A turnstile or better, double-helix antenna ($150)
- Satellite tracking software to know when to listen (eg NovaWin from Northern Lights Software, $60)
- Frequency lists, grab them on the web.
Plug the receiver's audio out into your soundcard's audio in, and voila ! save transmissions as
http://www.gravitywell.org/ is a good example.
Have fun!
Denis the menace
The Goelette Project
The video or though not visible on the streamcast but visible on my TV (BBC) are overlayed with a fine transparent Airscan text logo which a quick google turned turned up a "Airborne Surveillance Security" company based in Murrell Road, Rockledge, FLorida
presumably its their equipment/responsibility/fault as they seem to be a 3rd party contractor for the US Army/Security, below is taken from their About page
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
AirScan was created in 1989 to provide airborne surveillance security for US Air Force launch facilities. During seven years of surveillance missions, AirScan supported every mission on time. AirScan has in-depth knowledge of the space launch program and the vital service airborne surveillance provides in supporting this program. Sensor aircraft equipped with infrared, TV, LIDAR, and multispectral and hyperspectral sensors operated by experienced crews using innovative tactics combine to form a responsive, dedicated airborne surveillance operation. The result is proven capability based on operational expertise, thorough planning, and carefully chosen mission objectives.
Over the years, AirScan has greatly expanded its capabilities to perform a wide range of airborne surveillance missions. We are currently conducting surveillance and remote sensing missions in Africa, Europe, and throughout the US in support of diverse governmental and private projects. We also remain under contract to NASA and the US Air Force in support of the space and missile programs. AirScan is under contract to the National Response Corporation to respond to any major oil spill in US inland or coastal waters. We also conduct maritime surveillance, ground security, wildlife surveys, research and development, and aircraft modifications and systems integration.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
So is this their fault or the Armys or both ?
According to the Guardian article, it's on Telstar 11 - which is a Ku only bird. Check the footprint to see if you are in the beam. Plus, of course, you'll need a Ku LNB.
According to the guy they interviewed last night about this (someone from the US army), the planes send their surveillance to a ground station, which then sends the data to Virginia (?) via an encrypted link. The surveillance footage is analysed in Virginia, and then anything rated unclassified is sent back unencrypted; the implication being that anything rated classified is sent back encrypted.
Since (I guess) anything rated unclassified is probably available to anyone anyway, this means that this whole story is a storm in a teacup.