The Hills Have Eyes: See the Rock-Shaped ‘Sensors’ The US Will Use to Monitor Afghanistan
- Posted on May 29, 2012 at 7:03pm by
Liz Klimas
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(Photo: Lockheed Martin via Wired)
The Obama administration and military leaders recently announced plans for U.S. troops to leave Afghanistan by 2014. But a presence of sorts may be staying behind incognito in the shape of rocks.
Wired reports that “palm-sized sensors” will be left in key areas around the country — some disguised as rocks and others buried underground — to survey entities passing by:
“Were going to leave behind a lot of special operators in Afghanistan. And they need the kind of capability that’s easy to put out so they can monitor a village without a lot of overt U.S.-made material on pathways and roadways,” says Matt Plyburn, an executive at Lockheed Martin, the world’s largest defense contractor.
[...]
“You use them to cover up your dead space — the areas you’re concerned about but can’t cover with other ISR [intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance] assets,” says Lt. Col. Matt Russell, an Army program manager overseeing the deployment of unattended sensors.
Wired reports, when the technology “feels” footsteps or tires, it could call a blimp in the sky to zero in on that specific location. Even more advanced will be when an array of the sensors can signal a passing being from one device to another.
Newer technology for unattended ground sensors includes batteries rechargeable by the sun, which Wired reports could help a single device last for as long as two decades. With that Lockheed has dubbed them “field and forget” devices with “persistent surveillance” capabilities.
Watch this video to learn more about how Lockheed Martin’s sensors work:
In addition to Lockheed’s devices, Wired reports other manufacturers, such as Camgian Microsystems have developed “ultra-low power” sensors for DARPA that send any information to satellites:
Camgian’s patent claims that the sensor’s ease-of-use and small size means it “is easily emplaced in difficult areas, using airborne assets such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.” Edward Carapezza, who has been overseeing UGS research for more than two decades, says drones are already dropping unattended sensors into hostile locations.
“In certain areas, we certainly are using unmanned vehicles and unattended sensors together,” says Carapezza, who now works at the defense contractor General Atomics. He declined to name where these operations were being conducted. He simply gave the rationale for the missions. “Instead of sending patrols of our guys in, we send in drones and unattended sensors — dropping arrays, locating bad guys, and then putting weapons on target.”
Other contractors using sensors include Textron and Northrop Grumman. Northrop Grumman’s “Scorpion” sensors have the ability to see people about 800 meters away and vehicles 2,100 meters away but they wear out after about a month.
In addition to being used in areas where the U.S. is maintaining less and less of a physical presence overseas, Wired notes they could also be used by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol for security.
Check out Wired’s full post for more details on sensor technology being used for surveillance here.
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Comments (52)
thegodfather
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 12:15amI gave this idea to the CIA 8 years ago.
You’re welcome. A little cash would be nice
Report Post »Bill Rowland
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 5:07amThis is old stuff, they were used in VN in the 70s. The army has been experimenting with them and refining them at Ft Huachuca for years. The Army and the Border Patrol were using them in ther 70s and 80s . They are made to look like rocks and plants and willl easily fool the casual oberver.
OMG 2012
Report Post »SgtB
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 7:30amThank you for bringing big brother to Afghanistan, because spying on other nations has always gone so well in the past.
Report Post »Hollywood
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 3:48pmK. Godfather. Hows’ about meeting at the bar Luca Brazzi met with your rivals?
Report Post »You like FISH?
babylonvi
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 12:03amWhere can I get these, they would be great for detecting prowlers?
Report Post »babylonvi
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 12:02amUnless they explode when tampered with, I predict hundreds of these showing up on e-bay with the proceeds going to Taliban Central.
Report Post »ICanComment
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 3:03pm@BabylonVI:
“I predict hundreds of these showing up on e-bay with the proceeds going to Taliban Central.”
I‘d be really surprised if they’re that easy to reconfigure. If I were to design something like this, I would make the ad hoc network encrypted at the very least. I would then make the configuration of each sensor a procedure either involving encryption, ridiculously esoteric, or I’d make the configuration hard coded on the board. That being the case, if average Joe Taliban picked up one of these, it would be about as useless as the rock it appears to be. Now, I guess you might be able to get a few bucks selling these to foreign militaries, but my guess is that the technology being employed isn’t all that stellar such that it would fetch much, especially if we’re dropping these things out of drones by the dozens.
Just my two cents. Paperweight.
Report Post »OperationNorthwoods
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 11:24pmMore 1984 technology that will be tested and then used in the US just like the drones.
Report Post »Maxim Crux
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 12:20amThey don’t need them here because there is a camera along every stretch of highway, street corner and outpost all across the country. Of course, there may be the occasional Amish community that will need a close eye on. I can see it being used in those rare cases.
Report Post »WISEPENNY
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 11:08pmIt’s brilliant to publish this article. Not only is it useful survelance, but it serves it’s purpose to induce paranoia in the camel jockeys and towelheads. It will make it much easier to DRONE ‘EM, too.
Report Post »spfoam1
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 9:55pmThis will cause a lot of eye strain in Afghanistan. Achmed will have to keep one eye in the sky and the other eye on the rocks.
Report Post »DisposableWorker
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 9:36pmOh crap! Shades of Operation Igloo White.
Report Post »SageInWaiting
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 9:31pmUhhhhhh…. it seems that items and plans like these should be kept as “our little secret” and not blabbed all over the world. WHOSE SIDE ARE THESE GUYS ON?!?!
(No need to answer; I know…. [pssst... not ours])
Report Post »RamonPreston
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 9:09pmOh, great!! Now I’ll never find the one with the house key!
Think they could spare a couple for our Mexican border?
Report Post »ENIGMA28724
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 9:41pmNaw, none for our southern border. Might keep potential obama voters out.
Report Post »Mr.Fitnah
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 9:07pmReally we need this news out;”? Cant we have any a curity efforts that remain secret?
Report Post »RamonPreston
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 9:19pmWhat’s the old saying? Two people can keep a secret when one is dead.
Report Post »HorseCrazy
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 11:56pmmy blood pressure shot up when I read this article. I am so darn sick of the idiot in the white house leaking all information relevant to our national security for his reelection campaign. did you see the story about us giving france our drone technology? why? hasn’t that worked so well for us in the past giving our national secrets and military equipment out to everyone? good heavens I am sick of this! we need some serious cleaning up at every level of government but I would start with the military leaks including the one today about the special forces tunneling and parachuting into north korea now this obama and his meetings about hit list published in the nytimes, the upclose photos and details about osama take down which killed massive amounts of info we could have gleaned, the double agent thing a few weeks ago the list goes on and on and on. this is insane how about shut up obama admin please just shut up
Report Post »v15
Posted on May 30, 2012 at 4:00am@HorseCrazy, you pretty much summed up my thoughts & frustrations regarding the Obama Administration’s inability to keep a secret. He doesn’t even try to keep it secret from the American public. Most of the MSM never looks at it as newsworthy and Americans are either asleep or just don’t care. The only time I know of that Obama had the MSM scrub their websites was when Malia went to Mexico.
This quick clip from South Park shows basically how Obama negotiates: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxBphC4asM8
Report Post »macpappy
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 9:05pmThese things have been around for years. I guess they may have improved the network capabilities, but still I wonder how they will keep anyone with a radio from jamming them.
Report Post »DisposableWorker
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 9:38pmOperation Igloo White.
Report Post »CafeConservative
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 10:20pmJamming them would rely on sending radio frequency at the receiver (blimp as an example). Do that and your jammer will quickly be on the receiving end of a 2,000 lb bomb.
Report Post »Rayblue
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 8:42pmIf they put them around here they’d be covered with mold, fungi and dog urine in five minutes. All baked to a crisp.
Report Post »SFsuper49er
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 8:18pmSo when will the rocks be used in our own yard.
Report Post »KidCharlemagne
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 8:12pm……….and the centuries-old “Great Game” continues on in Afghanistan:
————————————————————-
Report Post »“When everyone is dead, the Great Game is finished. Not before.”
—Rudyard Kipling
jpe2459
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 8:10pmAll sounds and looks good but wait until its being used here in the USA on the American people. It will happen just like the DRONES. Everyone said “that will never happen here”.
Report Post »mbck1491
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 8:06pmAt first our drones were only used in Afghanistan, and now they are used here against American citizens. It won’t be long before that exact technology will be used here in our own borders to keep track of the U.S. citizens. Oh wait they won’t have to as almost everyone walks around with a cell phone hooked to their belt.
Report Post »JohnnyRaven
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 7:55pmIs this information supposed to be classified?
Report Post »starman70
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 8:21pmThe Obama plan to divulge sensitive information to the enemy so they can be on the lookout for these devices and counter them.
If they put them on the Mexico border, the coyotes and the drug runners will have firsthand information as how to disable them, information supplied by Al – Quida and the Taliban.
With BHO in charge of security – - – There ain’t no security!
Report Post »JACKTHETOAD
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 7:47pm@REPUB. – Funny as HELL!
Report Post »JACKTHETOAD
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 8:02pmMeant to be on page 1 at the bottom.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 7:43pmIn a Country of Rocks… Spy Rocks should be Invisible… unless the locals know all their rocks by name!
Report Post »DetritusScreener
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 9:05pmThe kids will find them in a second. They find and scavenge everything, everyday, all day.
Report Post »RamonPreston
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 9:18pmWill sell them back to us on the Black Market as souvenirs.
How do you tell a sensor-rock from a real rock? By the serial number on it.
Report Post »Brasil2520
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 7:35pmThey love to waste our tax money in that **** hole
Report Post »65Mustang
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 7:23pmWhy is this clip being shown? Oh, I know, Obama wants our military to become even weaker than it already is…what better way than sharing our secret weapons in the intelligence arena.
Report Post »Recceman90
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 7:23pmAfter Obummer steals the election he will use all this technology to kept tabs on us.
Report Post »TIME_2_END_THE_PAUL_CAMPAIGN_IN_12
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 7:22pm“Wired notes they could also be used by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol for security.”
We don’t need no stinkinggg sensors! More highly motivated Border Patrol Agents (preferably former Military), with loaded weapons and shoot to kill orders (without the threat of gub’ment retribution… in writing) would be a better deterrent. Save the rock sensors for Afghanistan.
Report Post »JACKTHETOAD
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 7:11pmIf those cro-magnons grew some EDIBLE crops, we could use potatoes.
Report Post »BeingThere
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 7:06pmTo Hell with Afghanistan, use these to seal our border!!!!!
Report Post »soybomb315
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 7:20pmThat is a novel idea. They are so obsessed with afganistan that they probably never realized how much we need them on OUR border
Report Post »banjarmon
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 7:24pmBO will use these Sensors to count his votes as they cross the border!
Report Post »RepubliCorp
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 7:40pmseal our border? just put a gps on every lawn service trailer………
Report Post »RamonPreston
Posted on May 29, 2012 at 10:09pmHere is a great idea: About 50 miles inside of our border, put up signs saying “Welcome to Mexico” Then they will turn around and go back.
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