Air Force’s Secret “Gorgon Stare” Program Leaves Terrorists Nowhere To Hide (From Forbes)

The Air Force’s Gorgon Stare sensor system mounted on the MQ-9 Reaper hunter-killer drone has become the tactical recon asset that warfighters in Afghanistan most crave. It is the service’s only persistent, day-or-night, wide-area surveillance system, able to continuously monitor an area of 64 square kilometers while simultaneously focusing in on small details of immediate interest to battlefield commanders. It also stores high-resolution imagery of everything it sees for 30 days, allowing warfighters to conduct forensic analysis of key tactical events after the fact. With a modular, open architecture that facilitates insertion of new technology, Gorgon Stare is likely to remain a vital part of the joint reconnaissance portfolio for many years to come. I have written a commentary for Forbes here.