The Goal Is To Have The Ability To Watch Everything In Afghanistan

The first MC-12W Liberty Project aircraft, an Air Force manned intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance plane, arrives at Key Field Air National Guard Base in Meridian, Miss., on April 28. By Senior Master Sgt. Richard Davis, U.S. Air Force

US To Expand Eyes In The Sky Over Afghanistan -- Breitbart/AP

WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. military is adding more drones and expanding its video surveillance in the skies over Afghanistan to meet the needs of American forces as 30,000 more troops head into the war zone, a top Air Force general said Wednesday.

The bolstered eyes in the sky will come from a mix of manned and unmanned aircraft and added technology that allows each MQ-9 Reaper drone to collect 10 video transmissions and beam them back to 10 different users on the ground, Air Force Lt. Gen. David Deptula, deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, told reporters.

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My Comment: This surveillance program is behind in its timetable on sending spy planes to combat zones. But with the Afghan surge gaining momentum, the onus is now on having the necessary tools and equipment for our soldiers to be in place ASAP. The fact that Secretary Gates is putting pressure on everyone to speed up deployment of these platforms and technologies only verifies the importance that intelligence has become in fighting this type of counter insurgency campaign.