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British Reconnaissance Intelligence Centre vital to ONW mission

Released: 21 Apr 1999

INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey (AFPN) -- Before pilots can drop bombs on targets such as antiaircraft artillery or missile sites, those sites must be identified. One way this is done is through imagery analysis.

For Operation Northern Watch, the Royal Air Force's Reconnaissance Intelligence Centre accomplishes this mission.

The eight people who make up the RIC are either imagery analysts or photographers. Neither the analyst nor photographer can do the job alone or without the help of the Jaguar GR-1B reconnaissance jet.

Before each sortie, someone from the RIC loads the aircraft camera pod with 370 feet of 5-inch-wide film -- enough to record 800-1,000 images.

As the aircraft flies over land, the camera pod, which is the size of a very small fuel tank, snaps photos every few seconds.

After the plane lands and the film is downloaded, crunch time begins. Since the RIC is the only tactical reconnaissance asset for ONW, its staff members are virtually the only people available to interpret photos taken during flying missions.

Time is important, said Senior Aircraftman Mark "Sumo" Sutton, RIC photographer. It takes anywhere from 10-25 minutes to process the film. There is only one processing machine at the RIC but he said it is very reliable.

"So far, we haven't really had any problems. We can do maintenance on the machine if something happens to it," he said. "But, because the film is so long, we can't process by hand, so it is very important we take good care of the processor."

After the film is processed, the photographers make prints or overhead projector-type slides to make the job a bit easier for the analysts. The five imagery analysts then spend anywhere from two to 10 hours gathering information from the images taken from just one sortie.

Not only are they looking for weapons sites or anything that could harm ONW aircraft, they make note of various other things they see in the images.

"We look for build up of forces in the north (in Iraq)," said Flight Sergeant Duncan McWilliam, imagery analyst. "Also, if someone has been shot down or is in enemy territory, we try to plot where they are for the combat search and rescue guys to go get them."

The findings are entered into a daily written report and sent to the United Kingdom Strike Command headquarters at RAF High Wycombe, England, and given to ONW C-2 (intelligence).

C-2 operations officer Maj. Randall Rains said the RIC is vital to their mission.

"The RIC gives ONW C-2 a level of tailored support that we can't get from other imagery sources. They provide us unparalleled speed, quality and flexibility in their products. Accomplishing our mission would be immensely more difficult without them," Rains said.

Flight Lieutenant David Owen, the officer commanding Reconnaissance Imagery Centre, understands the importance. "With tactical reconnaissance, speed and accuracy is of the essence."

The other members of the RIC are: Sgt. Kev Fox and Flying Officer Lois Ford, imagery analysts; Senior Aircraftmen Katherine Chisnell and Mark Sumner, assistant imagery analysts; and Cpl. Gary Wort, photographer.