Robot Spies

The game of Surveillance and Reconnaissance has changed dramatically since James Bond took to the cinema screen in the early 1960's. More and more electronic devices are being developed to watch, listen, feel and even smell the target. They still don't replace boots on the ground, but in the Games of Espionage technology is King.

The latest upgrade to the major UAV's is to enable them to search out and destroy targets, finally bringing "00" status to the robots in the air. The same applies to the ground robots, they too can search and destroy. With remote robots scouring the countryside, and hunter killer robots looking for intruders the world of intelligence gathering by humans suddenly got more difficult. The modern spy does not even have to leave his desk to watch and learn enemy secrets. Thanks to global satellite links technology can create a virtual world on his laptop, and allow him to watch and listen in complete safety.

Political Intelligence

The leading Spies in Washington, London, Berlin or Beijing may not be military, or even cast in the mould of the traditional Movie Secret Agent, they will probably be Lawyers, from the biggest legal and accounting firms. The major focus for espionage and legitimate intelligence has moved away from technology and military, to political. Trillions of dollars are at stake, and knowing what is planned, before anyone else give time to move assets, people, even armies and stockpiles of weapons. In peacetime it gives investors the "Heads Up" to buy, or sell to be ahead of the market. The reading of the results of elections determines the aid, or military threats to a nation, especially in the Middle East.

In Washington, DC tens of millions of dollars are made available for "Influencing" legislators and political leaders. Even more money is available to monitor their activities, and even who they meet, or speak to. Sophisticated computer programs track every statement, news release or details of trips and visits.

Political Intelligence has been around for 10,000 years, especially as not knowing the whims of Emperors and Kings could result in falling out of favor, even to being in line for a swift execution. Today the Geopolitical Intelligence community carefully monitors speeches, visits, even body language of world leaders, and their challengers. Political Intelligence is at the core of every other branch of intelligence, and the most important for a global view.

Spy Satellites

The recent much publicized shooting down of a US Spy Satellite, out of control (or so they say) and plummeting towards Earth has raised the level of interest in what is up in Space, looking down on us, watching our every movement, and listening to our every electronic transmission.

Any one can look up civilian satellite images thanks to Google, and other image providers. The resolution of these free images from space are better than the Top Secret satellite images of only a few years ago. Today you can begin your Spy Games on your browser, at home.

The many spy satellites are these days tracked by a network of amateurs around the world, and military and intelligence agencies know when enemy spy satellites are within range, and for how long. They know to cease activities during this observation window, and hide anything mobile they do not want the satellites to see, or hear. For every spy there is a counter spy.

These real time systems have come a long way from the days of Corona, where cans of exposed film were returned to Earth, and carefully grabbed by specially fitted aircraft.