Spy Planes Were Crucial In The Bin Laden Mission

Spy Planes Play An Indispensable Role In Mission -- Wall Street Journal

The raid on Osama bin Laden's compound in Pakistan represents probably the biggest success so far of a revolution in military technology: the ability to relay vast amounts of digital imagery through the unblinking eye of robotic aircraft or other spy gear.

Details about the surveillance equipment that may have been hovering overhead, or carried on the ground by Navy commandos, remain undisclosed. But the known state of the military's technology and the insights of informed military insiders suggest that real-time images of the elaborately scripted raid were likely broadcast in situation rooms and command posts halfway around the world.

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Update: With Drones and Satellites, U.S. Zeroed in on bin Laden -- Danger Room

My Comment: Who would have thought this was possible 10 years ago .... and one can only predict on what will be possible 10 years from now.

The Next Generation of Spy Plane

Watch CBS News Videos Online

From CBS:

"Early Show" Gets Exclusive Clearance into Global Hawk Spy Plane's Mission Command Center.

(CBS) "Early Show" weather anchor and features reporter Dave Price was to fly in a U-2 spy plane Thursday in the "Edge of the Earth" series.

However, before doing that, he gave viewers an inside, exclusive look into what just might be the future of U.S. espionage aviation -- the Global Hawk.

Though the U-2 still provides the most detailed photo images for intelligence gathering, the Global Hawk could one day replace the 50-year-old U-2.

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My Comment: What can I say ... the future is now.

U.S. Shifts Spy Planes To Afghan War

A greater share of U.S. reconnaissance aircraft, including Project Liberty planes like the one shown here, have been sent to Afghanistan. US Air Force

From USA Today:

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military has sent more spy planes to Afghanistan and moved others there from Iraq, reflecting President Obama's emphasis on Afghanistan and the difficult fight there.

In July 2008, 75% of spy planes, including drones such as Predators and Reapers, were devoted to Iraq and 25% to Afghanistan, according to Pentagon figures. As of this month, 66% are in Afghanistan compared with 33% in Iraq.

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My Comment: I am sure that the commanders and soldiers on the ground in Afghanistan are going to be happy with this support.