Intelligence: The Innovation of Radio

Rachael Riggs

Henley-Putnam

National American University

HIST380, Goldie Ramsey

February 2020

Intelligence: The Innovation of Radio

The Discovery of Radio waves took place in 1886 by German physicist Heinrich Hertz. (Lucas, 2019) On December 12, 1901, Guglielmo Marconi became the first person to transmit signals across the Atlantic Ocean. (Wood, 97-2014) This transmission would set off the beginning of a fast-paced technological evolution that would lead to the discovery and invention of endless intelligence-gathering devices. The invention of this one technology would completely change the world as it was known before the 20^th century.

When radio first was put into use, it proved most valuable to the Navy. (fcc.gov, 2003-2004) Communication with ships at sea provided significant benefits. During World War 1, the government took dedicated use of the radio waves. This exclusivity kept the airwaves open and the military able to communicate intelligence and orders from distances that would have taken days with a human source serving as a messenger. (Wood, 97-2014)

By 1921 in the city of Detroit, William Rutledge, became the first public safety official to have vehicles equipped with radio (fcc.gov, 2003-2004) Radio technology quickly took off, and radio broadcasting quickly became a popular past time for Americans. In the next couple of decades, radio would see continuous stable growth in use and popularity. By World War 2, radio had expanded, and journalists were able to broadcast information and news to the public. It was also a source of propaganda for the war. (Corbett, 2012)

Today many items rely on radio waves to work. Those items include cell phones, GPS, cordless phones, radio-controlled gadgets, door openers, drones, radar, satellite communication, television, airplanes, microwaves, and so on. (Brain, 2000) Radio-controlled devices provide an extraordinary benefit to intelligence collection efforts. The invention of such devices has brought about an entire intelligence discipline, known as SIGINT.

Signals intelligence is gathering intelligence by way of intercepting signals. It combines cryptanalysis and wireless communications. According to the CIA website, signals consists of the following:

• Communications Intelligence (COMINT) – technical intelligence intercepted from foreign communications.
• Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) – Collection of intelligence from radars and weapons systems.
• Foreign Instrumentation Signals Intelligence (FISINT) – testing and development signal detection. (CIA Historical Document, 2013)

Signals Intelligence provides the largest quantity of intelligence in the collection process. Radio has made it possible to gather intelligence in ways never imagined prior to the 20^th century. Communication of voice and data can be intercepted in many ways, as well as visual intelligence. Some device and technique examples that radio has aided in creating include: transmitters, Microphone-and-wire, geophone, radiofrequency flooding, telephone/ cell phone surveillance, push to talk, hydrophones, high-frequency communication, microwave radio relay, satellite communications, cable, radiometric imaging, radar, radar lasers, passive RF, the list continues. (Clark, 2014) The identification and use of Radiowaves have entirely transformed the 20^th century and continue into the 21^st century.

Signals Intelligence, though a newer discipline added to the gathering of intelligence, is an extension to the collection process that previously dealt with codes, cryptology, or any encoding and decoding of the written word. This way of gathering intelligence has always been significant. The only difference now is what the discovery of radio waves has done for communication capabilities.

What radio brings to the field is like nothing else in comparison. The use of this tool has replaced some previous risky HUMINT activities with devices that can aid the human source and help protect them as well. Drones have the potential to almost entirely replace the HUMINT source (Mustin, 2002) and the amount of data that the government can collect on a target is massive in size. The reliance on this technology has caused many issues, along with the many benefits.

Significant problems such as too much data and not enough analysts have caused problems identifying relevant intelligence. (Erwin, 2012) Leaks, such as the copying and releasing of classified government information by individuals such as Edward Snowden (Reichmann, 2018), have brought immense attention to government activities and monitoring. As a result, people are now aware and some very angry about government monitoring. (Adams, Hosell, & Murata, 2017) Many people, especially those conducting less than desirable activities, have chosen to monitor, edit, and spoof their words, locations, and information.

The biggest challenge related to SIGINT is, deciphering which information is accurate and useful. As Silverstein stated in the Observer article, the issues related to SIGINT are that just because one overhears a conversation, this does not make the information heard true. Overhearing a phone conversation, one must assume that the majority of the audio is fabricated. People often fabricate to make themselves look good or exaggerate their role. In this same article CIA/NSA veteran discusses that communications that are collected through SIGINT are rarely looked at with the skepticism they so deserve. (Silverstein, 2015)

With this knowledge, one is to wonder, how can any SIGINT be relevant, if we must always assume that we are receiving inaccurate or deceptive information? We have come to a point where people with the need to be deceptive have learned how they might be infiltrated and monitored. In the same article by Silverstein, he quotes a former CIA officer that recalls the knowledge they possessed during World War II, of the Japanese and Germans listening in. With the knowledge of the enemy listening “we fed them garbage." Why would we not expect that they are doing the same to us? A person that knows they are monitored is likely to fabricate information. (Silverstein, 2015)

Disregarding SIGINT or stating that it is not useful, is an entirely ludicrous concept. The gathering of this type of intelligence is still one of the most valuable forms of intelligence collection. It will continue to grow in value as new devices based on radio technology are created and brought into use. While Signals will remain the most advantageous of the collection disciplines, we must not forget that the real value we get from intelligence comes from the human source within the disciplines known as HUMINT.

Only the human source can read emotions, faces, and visually see a person tell a lie. HUMINT can guide, encourage, inform, ask the right questions, and understand motives and intentions. SIGINT should never attempt to replace what HUMINT can accomplish. With the goal of protecting our country, intelligence should not be left to machines. To achieve maximum results, SIGINT and HUMINT will provide the highest accuracy and most benefit as a team.

References

Adams, A. A., Hosell, S., & Murata, K. (2017). Following Snowden, German uncertainty about monitoring. Journal of Information, communication, and ethics in society, 15(3), 232-246 (15). doi:http://dx.doi.org.nauproxy01.national.edu/10.1108/JICES-01-2017-0006

Brain, M. (2000, December 7). How Radio Works. Retrieved January 20, 2020, from HowstuffWorks.com: https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/radio.htm

CIA Historical Document. (2013, April 30). INTelligence: Signals Intelligence. Retrieved from CIA.gov: https://www.cia.gov/news-information/featured-story-archive/2010-featured-story-archive/intelligence-signals-intelligence-1.html

Clark, R. M. (2014). Intelligence Collection. Los Angeles: Sage & CQPRESS.

Corbett, S. P. (2012). U.S. History. OpenStax.

Erwin, S. L. (2012, May 1). Too Much Information, Not Enough Intelligence. National Defense. Retrieved from https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2012/5/1/2012may-too-much-information-not-enough-intelligence

fcc.gov. (2003-2004, Winter). A Short History of Radio. Retrieved from Fcc.gov: https://transition.fcc.gov/omd/history/radio/documents/short_history.pdf

Lucas, J. (2019, February 27). Radio Waves. Retrieved from Live Science: https://www.livescience.com/50399-radio-waves.html

Mustin, J. (2002, Summer). Future employment of unmanned aerial vehicles. Air and Space Power Journal, 16(2), 86-97. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.nauproxy01.national.edu/central/docview/217767350/C5A5074DFDC64B5BPQ/13?accountid=36299

Reichmann, D. (2018, June 3). US expects fallout from Snowden leaks for years to come. Retrieved from www.apnews.com: https://apnews.com/f8424471585f44da95918c0e784e83af/US-expects-fallout-from-Snowden-leaks-for-years-to-come

Silverstein, K. (2015, September 11). US Reliance on Too Much SIGINT and Too Little Spycraft Are Dangerous and Expensive. Retrieved from Observer: https://observer.com/2015/09/us-reliance-on-too-much-sigint-and-too-little-spycraft-is-dangerous-and-expensive/

Wood, J. (97-2014). History of the Radio. Retrieved from Tech Wholesale: https://www.techwholesale.com/history-of-the-radio.html