GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Suspected Nuclear Site Spotted in Syria

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Israel National News

25February2011 2:05pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: Western intelligence agencies have detected another nuclear plant in Syria – in a Damascus suburb.

Following Israel’s bombing of a nuclear production plant in Syria over three years ago, another nuclear complex, albeit smaller, has now apparently been found, following close analysis of satellite photos.

A German newspaper, the Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ), reports that it has received the photos, but will not publish them because inferences can be made as to when they were taken, and thus to who leaked them.  

 In addition, Washington's Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) published photos on Wednesday of one of three more sites that are believed to be connected to the Al-Kibar facility. (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: First National Emergency Alert System (EAS) Test Ordered

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Emergency Management

08February2011 10:10amEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has made it official.  It has released an order that requires participants in the Emergency Alert System (EAS), namely broadcasters, cable operators, and certain satellite providers, to participate in the first-ever national test of EAS.

The test will differ starkly from the monthly EAS tests the public knows so well.  In this case, the White House will actually activate the test as if the President wanted to take over the air waves to address the nation.  Although EAS-type capabilities have existed since the early 50's, no President has ever used it.  Now, we're going to find out how well it actually works.

The FCC order found here lays out how the test will be conducted.  It will use what many emergency managers know as the EAN code.  That's "Emergency Alert Notification", the code reserved for the President to activate EAS.  The EAN code kicks in the process where video and audio content will be interrupted by EAS participants monitoring the Primary Entry Point (PEP) stations that receive the message the White House originates.  Stations, cable outlets and some satellite programming providers are to interrupt their content to allow the White House to take over the air waves.

No specific date for the test was set, although as it stands, a two-month notice will be provided.  The FCC gave its staff ability to extend the notice period if necessary, and to work with stakeholders to determine the right time of the day for the test.  In a live web broadcast on EAS recently, senior FCC and FEMA officials indicated the test would be conducted in the latter part of 2011.  (EAS is part of FEMA's Integrated Public Alert and Warning System – IPAWS.)  It's an open question about the length of the test message. (read full report)

 

 

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's advertisers or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Russia loses new military satellite

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: GlobalSecurity.org

02February2011 4:29pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE:  MOSCOW, (RIA Novosti) – Russia has most likely lost a new dual-purpose geodesic satellite after it failed to reach a designated circular orbit 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) above Earth.

The GEO-IK-2 satellite, designed to create a detailed three-dimensional map of the Earth and help the Russian military to locate the precise positions of various targets, was launched Tuesday on board a Rockot carrier rocket from the Plesetsk space center in northern Russia.

The spacecraft failed to communicate with Russia's Ground Control at a designated time but was reportedly "discovered" by U.S. space monitoring services, moving along an elliptical orbit whose lowest point brought it to within 330 kilometers (205 miles) of Earth. (read full report)

 

 

 

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's advertisers or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Flying into orbit in small package

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: U.S. ARMY

31January2011 4:48pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE:  REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. — For 35 days, the comings and goings of employees in the Von Braun Complex parking lot here were the focus of a group of young engineers involved in an experiment with the first Army-built satellite launched in more than 50 years.

Those engineers weren't spying on employees. Nor were they looking for fodder for gossip or to start rumors. They were simply using the physical movements through the parking lot to test the capabilities of a 10-inch long, 10-pound satellite in orbit 200 miles above ground.

The Space and Missile Defense Command-Operational Nanosatellite Effect, known as SMDC-ONE, was launched Dec. 8, as a secondary payload on a Falcon 9 two-stage booster flown commercially by Space Exploration Technologies.  (read full report)