C4I stands for Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence. The ability to have full C4I integration is unarguably the singular element needed to significantly improve tactical, operational and strategic effectiveness. History has proven C4I to be a critical aspect of military and law enforcement actions.
But these lessons have been studied by terrorists who have now integrated C4I into their operational plans. This has become even more evident since Indian authorities announce they discovered five BlackBerry cell phones that forensic experts have discovered were used during the two day siege.
Experts tell us that integrated command, control, communications, computers and intelligence capabilities within the multiple terrorist groups that luanched the Mumbai operation significantly enhanced their abilities and allowed the terrorists to coordinate their sinister efforts. The terrorist used the live TV streams and news broadcasts from Indian and foreign media to their advantage during the two day siege. By monitoring these broadcasts, they were able to have near real time surveillance of what was going on the thwart their attacks. According to Brian at Spy-Ops, “The terrorists had information superiority and that was achieved by simply using a commercial off-the-shelf product, including BlackBerry smart phones.”
The terrorists also had access to satellite imagery during the preparatory stages of the attack. Evidence shows that satellite imagery from Google Earth was downloaded and used in the attack. This is yet another case of COTS products being used to aide in the planning and execution of the attacks. If that’s not bad enough, investigators learned that the terrorists also relied on satellite phones and GPS — two more COTS products — to navigate their way and coordinate timing to their targets.
We live in a high-tech society with capabilities previously only available to the military now in the hands of the general public. This group of terrorists was technologically sophisticated. One thing is a given and that is that law enforcement and military leaders are rethinking their policies surrounding media access to ongoing events. One sure bet would be that the media parameter will be pushed out and away from direct line-of-site visual access to the scene of the event. It is also possible that cell phone jammers will be used to disrupt communications “5“among the actors at similar events. The availability of high tech COTS products creates an enhanced challenge to counter-terrorist efforts around the world. Counter-terrorist units must be equipped with the latest technology in order to combat the action of terrorists.
There are over 154 known terrorist groups in 56 countries throughout the world.
International and domestic terrorist events totaled 14,499 in 2007.
INTEL: The average dollars required to fund a terrorist attack are in the hundreds or low thousands, not hundreds of thousands.
INTEL: Indian investigators suspect the terrorists that carried out the Mumbai attacks may have British links after examining BlackBerry phones they used to monitor news reports.
INTEL: The captured terrorist — Azam Amir Kasab told police that he was shown video footage of the targets and Google Earth images before the attacks.
INTEL: Robot drones, mine detectors and sensing devices are now common on battlefields abroad and at the scene of terrorist attacks.
INTEL: The Indian security forces, including the elite special-forces unit known as “Black Cats,” had little access to high tech equipment including night-vision goggles or thermal-imaging capability
While I appreciate the concepts the article is attempting to achieve. I think it’s pushing things a tad too far, to claim these tangos had a real C4I structure & “information superiority”.
In regards to law enforcement. Cell phone jammers (area jamming) will more than likely play an increasing role in future events, but probably not just on the side of the police. A solid real-time intel asset that law enforcement has, are it’s citizens with cell-phones. And cutting off possible sources of info, as well as the bad guy doesn’t make much sense. And not to mention, that police officers often rely upon their own cell phones for work, because the department issued equipment can simply suck.
A real challenge for police & counter-terrorism units, will be to find a way of quickly localizing, identifying, & taking control of a tangos specific comms link. It’s plausible, to create a program that would automatically correlate time, events, and signals in order to identify & track suspected devices in an area. Although, pushing actionable information forward to the appropriate line units (without creating information overload) will still be a battle within itself. But if one were able to do so, the “bad guys” “technological advantage” could quickly become their “Achilles heal”.
C2I, C3I, C4I, C4ISR, C4ISTAR, RIP, BGP, BFG, WTF… does the world really need more abbreviations?
Anyone remember the name of this little program? 8O)
http://hardocp.com/image.html?image=MTIyNzU0MTA3N05TMElPT0FwREpfMV8zX2wuanBn
Time to update Indian Armed forces with latest systems & drones, Apaches or Hueycobras & estd SEAL force in US Emb?
Concealed carry time
& super encrypt data?
Or face Mumbai 2 someplace in the world?
Well some good poins and some spy want-a-bes. RIP? Give me a freeking break. The US intel community is so far ahead of what you are talking about it is not funny.
India does need to update their response and intel capabilities big time!
Good Evening Spy Guy,
If the U.S. is so far ahead of the terrorists how come they are winning. Al Qaeda can has struck at will any place at the time of its choice. The U.S. by its own admission has said that is unable to predict any al Qaeda actions either time or place.
American Intelligence is to fractured and bureaucratically fractured to deal with the open ended, nimble and flexible operational organization that al Qaeda has built. To many self interest in the CIA and DoD cripple U.S. efforts.
Although I think the recent prediction of an al Qaeda CBR attack some place in the world by 2013 is over the top, there almost certainly will be more conventional terrorists attacks before that date.
The U.S. will only be able to react to what has taken place. The only saving grace here is that al Qaeda lacks the where with all in several critical are to carry out a CBR attack that would be more or as even as effective as what they did on 9/11 and now in Mumbai. There will be bodies and property damage but nothing that can’t be cleaned up.
ALLONS,
Byron Skinner
They have not struck the U.S. no have they? We continue to capture and kill terrrorists all over the world. Finally NO ONE CAN PREDICT WHAT IS IN THE MINDS OF EVIL MEN!
Last week’s terrorist attack on Mumbai was unsettling partially exposed the vulnerability of one of the worlds largest growing cities.
Could the violent acts could actually strengthen counter-terrorism strategies the US? The Takeaway explores this with Paul
Cruickshank. Cruickshank says that it may be more difficult to pull off this type of attack in the United States because we are
protected by geography and demography.On 26th Dec we lose 100 people who pays for these lives.