ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance) is a practice that links several battlefield functions together to assist a combat force in employing its sensors and managing the information they gather.
ISR (Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance)
ISR is the coordinated and integrated acquisition, processing and provision of timely, accurate, relevant, coherent and assured information and intelligence to support commanders' conduct of activities. Land, sea, air and space platforms have critical ISR roles in supporting operations in general.Rear Admiral Patrick Piercey, U.S. Navy (Retired) (Sep 2023) Planning for the Next War Must Be a Mixture of Art & Science "In recent decades, military planning has leaned more heavily on science than art, but success in a peer-level fight will depend on commander’s intent and the art of warfare". Proceedings of US Naval Institute vol 149 (9) #1,447Nancy A. Youssef, Michael R. Gordon (6 Sep 2023) Pentagon Plans Vast AI Fleet to Counter China Threat By massing ISR assets, an improved clarity and depth of knowledge can be established.AJP-3.15(A) NATO Allied Joint Doctrine for Countering – Improvised Explosive Devices.Breaking Defense (14 Sep 2023) Earth's a big world with secrets to reveal to those who can sense and make sense of it See 'before and after' images of camp in Belarus (since dismantled after Prigozhin's death) ISR encompasses multiple activities related to the planning and operation of systems that collect, process, and disseminate data in support of current and future military operations.Report to the Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives — General Accounting Office, 2008-03-15THERESA HITCHENS and SYDNEY J. FREEDBERG JR. (4 May 2021) Exclusive: Army Plan May Loosen IC Grip On Sat-Based ISR Tactical Satellite Layer (TSL) experiment Andrew Eversden (6 Sep 2022) Army’s testbed ISR business jets are opening doors to new mission possibilities "With the prototypes, we're able to launch from one area and very quickly get to another area that is much further away in distance. So it opens up the aperture from a mission perspective".Lauren Williams (19 Oct 2022) The U.S. Army Is Testing A Data Platform Just For Intel Officers "We are testing an Army Intelligence Data Platform. So essentially a system that will ingest all of the Army's intel data—data from the intel community, commercial data, whatever data sources our intel professionals may need or want" —Mark Kitz PEO Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors (IEWS)
In July 2021 the NDAA budget markup by the House Armed Services Committee sought to retain ISR resources such as the RQ-4 Global Hawk, the E-8 Joint Surveillance Radar and Attack System (JSTARS) which the Air Force is seeking to divest.Theresa Hitchens Theresa Hitchens (28 Jul 2021) Lawmakers Throw Wrench Into Air Force ISR Divestment PlanMarcus Weisgerber (15 Dec 2022) Inside the Army’s Newest Spy Plane Artemis by Leidos, cf: Ares by L3Harris Theresa Hitchens (19 Dec 2022) SES launches O3b mPower satellites, eyeing government, defense sectors Satellite uses 5000 digitally formed beams, each tuned to a different sovereign user. 2 satellites launched into MEO, 11 satellites plannedTheresa Hitchens (28 Jul 2021) Space Force Vice Argues Value Of Embattled Analysis CenterJoseph Trevithick (16 Dec 2022) Mayhem Hypersonic Strike-Recon Jet Contract Awarded To Leidos "Mayhem air vehicle to demonstrate strike and intelligence-gathering capabilities" Examples of ISR systems include surveillance and reconnaissance systems ranging from satellites, to crewed aircraft such as the U-2, to uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS)Frederik Pleitgen, CNN (7 Apr 2022) Drone video team turns the tables on hiding Russian vehicle a dedicated team of drone enthusiasts perform ISR, pass coordinates to the Army, who interdict Russian tankAlia Shoaib (20 Mar 2022) An elite Ukrainian drone unit on quad bikes ambushed Russian forces, helping to defeat Putin's plan to capture Kyiv, report saysJomana Karadsheh, CNN (8 Apr 2022) Turkish drone is so effective, Ukrainian troops are singing about it after ISR, Bayraktar drone documents strikes as Information operation for consumersSky News (10 Mar 2022) Ukraine War: Dramatic drone footage shows Russian convoy 'ambush' ISR sample such as the US Air Force's Global Hawk and Predator and the US Army's Hunter and PSST Aerostats, to uncrewed ocean-going vessels, to other ground-, air-, sea-, or space-based equipment, to human intelligence teams, or to AI-based ISR systems.Sakshi Tiwari (18 Sep 2023) US Navy's 'Ghost Fleet' Reaches Japan Amid Growing Tensions With China; Experts Call It 'Rare Visit' unmanned surface vehicles voyage takes from 1 May 2023 to 18 Sep 2023
The intelligence data provided by these ISR systems can take many forms, including optical, radar, or infrared images or electronic signals. Effective ISR data can provide early warning of enemy threats as well as enable military forces to increase effectiveness, coordination, and lethality, and demand for ISR capabilities to support ongoing military operations has increased. In December 2021, the US Navy began testing the usefulness and effectiveness of uncrewed "saildrones" at recognizing targets of interest on the high seas.
For space-based targeting sensors, in a 2019 Broad Agency Announcement, the US government defined ISR in this case as "a capability for gathering data and information on an object or in an area of interest (AOI) on a persistent, event-driven, or scheduled basis using imagery, signals, and other collection methods. This includes warning (to include ballistic missile activity), targeting analysis, threat capability assessment, situational awareness, battle damage assessment (BDA), and characterization of the operational environment." Persistence was described: "Persistent access provides predictable coverage of an area of interest (AOI). Most space-based intelligence collection capabilities consist of multiple satellites operating in concert, or supplemented by other sensors, when continuous surveillance of an area is desired. Persistent sensors must provide sufficient surveillance revisit timelines to support a weapon strike at any time."ESRI app, Satellite MapTheresa Hitchens (1 Apr 2021) Theater Commands OK SDA’s Sat Plans: EXCLUSIVE(8 Oct 2020) SATELLITE SYSTEMS, SATCOM AND SPACE SYSTEMS UPDATENate Turkin (28 Apr 2021) What focus areas are key to America’s future space capabilities?
The United States Space Force, National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) share the satellite-based ISR task as of 2021.Theresa Hitchens (21 May 2021) Army Sat Ops Brigade Transfers To Space Force: KarblerTheresa Hitchens (22 Oct 2021) EXCLUSIVE: Imagery Industry Seeking Direct DoD Sales In Wake Of Tiny NRO Bid FY2022 NRO bid Theresa Hitchens (30 Jul 2021) EXCLUSIVE: NRO Space ‘Civil Reserve’ Includes Shutter Control OptionColin Clark (24 Aug 2021) NRO, NGA, SPACECOM, Space Force Hammer Out Boundaries Theresa Hitchens (29 Apr 2022) NATO considers buying commercial imagery, irking US spy sat agencies: Sources NGA, NRO, ...Therese Hitchens (15 Dec 2022) 'Huge, huge problem': DoD space policy chief says over-classification harming allied advantage —John Plumb See Space Delta 7
From 2018, the NGA has used Data transformation services (DTS), to convert raw sensor data into a format usable by its mission partners, who are government agencies whose names are classified.Theresa Hitchens (14 Jun 2021) NGA Seeks Upgraded Software To Speed Analysis: Processing, exploitation, and dissemination (PED) in support of the Concept of Operations (CONOPS) of the mission partners. In light of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the NGA has taken operational control of DoD's Project Maven, the AI ISR project for area defense, to identify point targets for ISR.Patrick Tucker (25 Apr 2022) NGA Will Take Over Pentagon’s Flagship AI Program
The NGA uses OREN, the Odyssey GEOINT Edge Node for National System for Geospatial Intelligence, or NGS. The Joint Regional Edge Node (JREN) is on-deck for distributing nearly a petabyte to the Combatant Commands in the next year, for 2023, an increase by a factor of 10.Courtney Albon (21 Dec 2022) Geospatial-intelligence agency to expand capacity amid ‘data deluge’ using Joint Regional Edge Node, or JREN for distributing nearly a petabyte to the Combatant Commands; NGA is currently using OREN, the Odyssey GEOINT Edge Node for National System for Geospatial Intelligence, or NGS.Courtney Albon (8 Feb 2023) Maxar wins contract to provide satellite imagery to US alliesTheresa Hitchens (8 May 2024) 'Changes' expected in ISR satellite operations to sort NGA, Space Force roles: White House official
NRO "has a proven track record in [ISR]",Emma Poole (31 Aug 2023) The US Satellite Intelligence Agency is not so silent about the new "Silent Barker" mission is NRO's GSSAP maneuverable replacement, will keep custody of tracked vehicles. Theresa Hitchens (31 Aug 2023) SilentBarker 'watchdog' to be 'exponential' leap in DoD monitoring of Chinese, Russian sats in geosynchronous orbitsTheresa Hitchens (17 Jun 2021) Key Lawmaker Warns Off Space Force On Tactical ISR ' "I think before you hand off the ball, let's make sure there won't be a fumble -- and the Space Force has a lot on plate right now," Rep. Jim Cooper says. ' insists one of the founders of the US Space Force, who defends the capability of the NRO over the ambition of the Space Force to take over the role of ISR.Theresa Hitchens (19 Jul 2021) Exclusive: NRO Erects Buy American Barriers Against Allied Satellite Data Authorities: conflicted Theresa Hitchens (27 Apr 2022) After Ukraine success, NRO says electro-optical imagery contracts due this summer EO and SAR imageryTheresa Hitchens (21 Sep 2023) Space industry shakeups: Aerospace consolidates, Maxar breaks up Has NRO mission GMTI (ground moving target indicator) data is an objective for Space Force, NGA, and NRO.Theresa Hitchens (28 Apr 2022) Space Force team asks warfighters: What do you need from space ISR? GMTI (ground moving target indicator) data is an objective for Space Force, NGA, and NRO ISR at platoon level In July 2022, Junior (3rd year) and Senior (4th year) cadets at West Point had hands-on experience building and using drones with various tactical capabilities, guided by faculty from the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science departments in tactical applications during Cadet Leadership Development Training .Jorge Garcia, Pointer View Staff Writer (3 Aug 2022) Cadets enhance tactical skills through drone training
Ukraine's soldiers are using FPV drones on the battlefield, armed with munitions.Johnny Harris (30 Nov 2023) DIY Drones: War Will Never be the Same Ukraine grass-roots supply of FPV drones. 10,000 per month, independent of government. US is following this trend.Patrick Tucker ( With continued Western support in question, Ukraine is betting on innovation in electronic warfare, dronesBrendan Cole (1 May 2024) Russian Soldier in Desperate Plea Over Kyiv's Drones: 'They're Burning Us' Shotguns are countermeasuresDavid Hambling (24 Apr 2024) Why Is Russia Losing The FPV Drone War? FPVs caused over 2/3 of Russian tank losses.
ISR concepts are also associated with certain intelligence units, for instance Task Force ODIN, ISR TF (Company+) in Bosnia, Kosovo and Afghanistan.Jen Judson (13 May 2024) US Army experiments with long-endurance drones, balloons in Philippines
Commercial ISR