FOX SPECIAL REPORT WITH BRIT HUME January 10, 2003
Satellite Jamming
SNOW: Thousands of Marines from Camp Lejeune in North Carolina will be leaving for the Persian Gulf in the next few days as the U.S. military build-up continues. But there is a new wrinkle that may jam some possible U.S. war plans.
Fox News Pentagon correspondent Bret Baier explains.
BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The U.S. military is working hard to make sure its satellite-guided bombs could hit their targets in Iraq. Why? Senior defense officials tell Fox the Iraqis may have purchased several hundred jamming devices like this from a Russian firm. Electronic devices used to jam a satellite signal in order to make Smart bombs confused.
Fox News has obtained this photograph that comes from a Russian air show where the devices were being sold. The map on the left is of Iraq. And the circles on the map are potential placement options for the jamming devices. Senior defense officials concede that up to 80 percent of the bombs that is would be used in Iraq would be satellite-guided. Analysts say global positioning system jammers or GPS jammers could make a war with Iraq messy.
JOHN PIKE, DIRECTOR, GLOBALSECURITY.ORG: If the satellite signal is interrupted by these jammers, that the bombs are not going to be as accurate, you're going to hit fewer of the intended targets, more unintended orphanages and hospitals going to be hit, and I think that's basically part of Saddam's strategy.
BAIER: Secretary of State Colin Powell asked today about the possible Iraqi purchase of the GPS Jammers, said he has seen the reports and, if true...
POWELL: We, of course, would be concerned.
BAIER: Concerned, but not deterred, according to senior defense officials. They say the Air Force has been working hard on the GPS jamming issue for months and is looking for ways to overcome the effects. Weapons like the satellite-guided J-Dams have their own internal navigation to at least partially be able to overcome even effective jamming. And laser- guided bombs are also an option like the ones used extensively in Afghanistan.
MAJ. GEN. DAN LEAF, U.S. AIR FORCE: I would not put much stock, if I were any potential adversary for the United States, in betting the farm, if you will, on GPS jamming. We're ready right now to encounter and address and be successful even in a GPS jamming environment.
BAIER: Meantime, more of the military is on the move. Three Navy ships left Norfolk, Virginia today to pick up thousands of Marines in North Carolina this weekend. Seven thousand Marines from Camp LeJeune have been ordered to embark and prepare to deploy to the Persian Gulf.
Meantime, psychological operations continue in Iraq. We have seen a number of different ways for this to happen. For example, leaflets, commando solo radio broadcasts in Iraq, even direct telephone calls to Iraqi military personnel. Tonight, senior defense officials confirmed to Fox News that the U.S. military is e-mailing some of those Iraqi military agents, military soldiers saying that they should defect, they should not be on Saddam's side, and whatever they do, they should not use weapons of mass destruction or they will be tried after a potential war with Iraq -- Tony.
SNOW: Bret, thank you.
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