GLOBAL CYBER THREAT INCREASING

The Global Cyber threat is on the rise . Across the World the rate of  cyber crime being committed has been steadily increasing and experts say this is driven by state-sponsored hackers. The situation is made worse by the open nature of the web, making it difficult to track down the attackers. While most individuals move in the safety of the herd, top companies (especially those heavily involved with  high technology and also conduct broad and intensive science and technology research as well as financial companies)   and governments are much more obvious targets. The sophistication of these cyber attacks which have become more prevalent is steadily evolving leaving experts to worry about the potentials of future cyber wars as governments have now stepped up their response and are spending billions in developing defensive as well as offensive capabilities. Also Companies are also investing heavily in cyber defense to protect their Intellectual property (IP). From nations, to terrorist networks, and organized crime groups the list of sponsors of cyber terrorism is long and growing.  China has been named as a top source of cyber terrorism with a lot these cyber activities targeted at the militaries of other countries with an advanced Industrial base. Chinese cyber attacks also target countries with an advanced civilian Industrial base. The US Cyber Command which is it’s response to Cyber attacks against it’s military recently gained full operational status. Other countries have followed suite establishing  agencies to deal with cyber threats.

IS WIKILEAKS PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF PRESS FREEDOM?

The year 2010 saw Wikileaks making headlines as it’s actions won it both praise and criticism. WikiLeaks is an international new media non-profit organization that publishes submissions of otherwise unavailable documents from anonymous news sources and news leaks. Its website, launched in 2006, is run by The Sunshine Press. But it was until 2o10 that it gained international recognition. First came the posting of a video from a 2007 incident in which Iraqi civilians and journalists were killed by U.S. forces, on a website called Collateral Murder in April 2010. In July of the same year, WikiLeaks released Afghan War Diary, a compilation of more than 76,900 documents about the War in Afghanistan not previously available for public review. In October 2010, the group released a package of almost 400,000 documents called the Iraq War Logs in coordination with major commercial media organizations. Perhaps in it’s most controversial and bold move yet, in November 2010, WikiLeaks began releasing U.S. State department diplomatic cables. The release of these new cables from the US State department has sparked outrage from the US and has seen Wikileaks now become the target and focus of many governments. WikiLeaks and its members have seen  continuing harassment and surveillance by law enforcement and intelligence organizations, including extended detention, seizure of computers, veiled threats, “covert following and hidden photography” and this has gotten worse since the release of the US Diplomatic cables. Even private organizations and companies have also been cutting off Wikileaks. It’s director Julian Assange has felt the pressure the most and has an extradition request against him approved. The US diplomatic cables  are classified documents of detailed correspondence between the U.S. State Department and its diplomatic missions around the world. The contents of the cables describe international affairs from 300 embassies dated from 1966–2010, containing diplomatic analysis of world leaders, an assessment of host countries, and a discussion about international and domestic issues. They take an unaltered look and describe in detail events and incidents surrounding international affairs from 274 embassies dating from 28 December 1966 to 28 February 2010. The diplomatic cables revealed numerous unguarded comments and revelations: critiques and praises about the host countries of various U.S. embassies, discussion and resolutions towards ending ongoing tension in the Middle East, efforts and resistance towards nuclear disarmament, actions in the War on Terror, assessments of other threats around the world, dealings between various countries, U.S. intelligence and counterintelligence efforts, U.S. support of dictatorship and other diplomatic actions. While the extent of the Damage done by the cable leaks is yet to be seen, reaction to the US cable leaks has been split along two lines. Western governments have led the criticism and a wide range of efforts to undermine Wiki leaks which is paying off while News outlets, Human right organizations and left leaning Nations have praised Wikileaks and it’s director Assange. The support for Wikileaks and the lack of crticism by several influential media organizations has raised fears that Western governments which might now begin to curtail media freedom more than ever and that this could be done in the shadows. The Diplomatic cable leak has once again spurned the debate on Press freedom. Experts argue that these leaks which gives access to information that is suppose to be secret would force the US and other western governments to begin to take black actions in order to protect their secrets. This kind of leak would not be tolerated by Russia or China who would do anything to prevent such a leak.  Since 9/11, press freedom in the West has come under attack as governments argue that national security is more important than transparency. The Diplomatic cable leaks by Wikileaks only gives more credibility to this claim. In countries that have enshrined the right to free speech in their constitutions, it has until now been taken for granted that disclosures of confidential government information must be measured by the yardstick of the law. The Wikileaks saga has seen talks about limiting Press freedom for National security reasons arise again in western nations. While Julian Assange claims to have done good in publishing the diplomatic cables by claiming that it will help keep the US government in line, these so-called "legitimate and newsworthy" government secrets which entail publications of secrets that may harm national security and have substantial "value as a step to truth", it’s effects and blowback has not been fully seen. Western Governments might be forced to refrain from taking action against organizations like Wikileaks in public because of their nations Ideals and Values but what is to stop them from doing so in secret.

ASTUTE CLASS SUBMARINE

 The Astute class submarines are the next generation  Nuclear attack submarine of the British Navy. The Astute class submarines is the first new class of  submarines to be fielded by the British navy in over three decades. These boats are expected to set a new standard for the Royal navy in terms of weapons load, improved communications facilities, stealth and crew comfort.  The boats are being built by BAE System Submarine.

DEVELOPMENT OVERVIEW

The end of the Cold war has seen the Royal Navy change it’s submarine employment strategy from emphasis on anti-submarine warfare to the concept of “Maritime Contributions to Joint Operation.” This called for a new class of submarines in order to replace Cold War-era submarines which were developed around the concept of deep sea underwater operations. In an age were

terrorism is a constant threat, the design called for a new class of submarines would be able to perform a wide range of operations while retaining it’s primary task as an anti-submarine platform. Some of these operations include; intelligence gathering, underwater reconnaissance, and special forces insertion, task which older classes of submarines could not perform.

Plans by the navy is for seven boats to replace the existing two classes of submarines (Swiftsure and Trafalgar).

SERVICE

The first of the Astute Class submarine, the HMS Astute was commissioned

on 27 August 2010. The 7,400 ton vessel is the most capable submarine ever operated by the British navy. The submarine is equipped with some of the most sophisticated technology in the world. It’s sonar is capable of identifying and tracking vessels across thousands of square miles of ocean. It is also the first submarine to replace a conventional periscope with two optical mast incorporating digital video technology. The Astute  carries a heavy weapons payload. It’s six  torpedo tubes can launch a variety of weapons which include: harpoon anti-ship missile, spearfish torpedoes, and naval mines. The submarine can also launch the latest Tomahawk cruise missiles at targets more than a thousand miles away with pinpoint accuracy in support of land operations. The submarine’s design to undertake a wide range of tasks makes it a formidable force at sea. The submarines  operations range is only limited by food and maintenance requirements. The Astute class submarine has been designed with long-term technological innovation in mind and would be one of the submarines at the  fore-front of open-ocean and littoral operations for decades to come.

EYE IN THE SKY-THE UAV CHANGING THE FACE OF WARFARE.

Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) refers to the sets of collection and processing systems, and associated operations, involved in acquiring and analyzing information about foreign countries. Intelligence is a more general term; surveillance refers to systematic observation of a targeted area or group, usually over an extended time; reconnaissance refers to an effort or a mission to acquire information about a target and can mean a one-time endeavor. ISR collection is broad covering a whole range of targets from Natural resources, Domestic and Foreign policies, Strategic  Economic strengths and Military capability. But  ISR targeting military capabilities is perhaps of greatest importance and grave consequences. It is an advantage that modern day militaries and intelligence agencies strive to get and cannot do without. Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) functions are principal elements of the defense capabilities of the world’s major militaries, and include a wide variety of systems for acquiring and processing information needed by national security decision makers and military commanders of these militaries. From UAV’s, advanced reconnaissance satellites, signals intelligence (SIGNIT), electronic intelligence (ELINT) and human intelligence (HUMNIT), ISR collection   processing and dissemination by a military is very broad, crucial, difficult, dangerous and extremely complicated. But it has proved to be an invaluable part of modern day warfare and also in the military strategy of deterrence.  Since all three arms of ISR function to serve a single purpose to gain advantage over an enemy, they are considered as part of the greater whole. ISR is typically carried out by the various national intelligence organizations in the world. Some of the most powerful include: the Central intelligence agency (CIA) and the National Security Agency (NSA) in the  US, the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) in the UK, the Institute for Intelligence and Special task (MOSSAD) in Israel. Powerful militaries also have impressive ISR capabilities with commands, agencies or several units within the services (mainly the Air Force Army and Navy, few nations have Marines operating as a separate service) of these militaries tasked with ISR. In some countries such as France, the National intelligence organization is under the direction of the military. While in other countries such as the US and UK the National intelligence organization is independent from the military though they both carry out their ISR function in concert with one another. 

ISR gathering throughout it’s history mainly features espionage activities  and features the use of both sophisticated and basic techniques and technologies. One technology has in recent years stood as from the rest as a simple yet very effective tool for ISR gathering-the use of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (the UAV). The UAV is an aircraft that is remotely piloted from a remote location with some of the most advanced   able to fly autonomously using pre-programmed flight plans. The UAV   has been in existence for quite a while but has only recently had it’s impact felt on the battle field. Although UAV’s are used to carry out a wide array of functions, no function of it is more appreciated than it’s remote sensing function which is central to it’s reconnaissance role and it’s combat role. There are a wide variety of UAV shapes, sizes, configurations, and characteristics. From basic UAV’s equipped with simple camera’s that have a flight time minutes and a very short range, to UAV’s equipped with synthetic aperture radar (SAR), electro-optical (EO) sensors and infrared (IR) sensors that have a very long range and flight time in tens of hours. UAV’s  provide a very effective platform for  integrating the intelligence process with surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance as the data they relay back to the ground are invaluable to a commander in decision making as well as in the effectiveness, coordination and lethality of a military. The UAV has proved itself as an invaluable ISR tool which provides tremendous ISR capabilities in support of military operations. Some of the most known and capable UAV’s include the: MQ-1 Predator (US), MQ-9 Reaper (US), IAI Heron (Israel), and perhaps the most advanced UAV currently in service RQ-4 Global Hawk. UAV’s with the prefix MQ have attack capability while those with RQ are only for reconnaissance and surveillance.  The MQ-1 Predator and the MQ-9 Reaper which is the most powerful UAV in terms of it’s attack capabilities have built up a reputation in the War in Afghanistan where they have been used in Targeted killings of Al-Qaida and Taliban operatives.