Was signal and image intelligence really more important than human intelligence during the Cold War?

Résumé du document

With the impact of World War 2, ?Intelligence', has acquired a different position from the war perspective. Undeniably, intelligence has gained importance as it has been used as a key element in the war process. Additionally, it helps in developing news techniques and technologies especially in adopting new methods of being a scout or a gumshoe. What has later achieved the title of ?intelligence revolution' has completely reorganized its manner and pattern of collecting information, enhancing the understanding of the strategies and modes as well as the fulfillment of clandestine operations. In addition to these improvements, a special focus has been drawn towards the performances of imagery and signal communication. Signals intelligence which is conventionally called SIGINT is one of the major forms of intelligence. The derivatives of SIGNIT include COMINT and ELINT. COMINT which is otherwise known as Communications intelligence, centers around intercepting signals through the communication streams such as telephone, fax and radio. Presently, the sophisticated medium has arrived wherein, information is sent through encryption and advanced computers are used to decrypt the messages. ELINT which is electronic intelligence intercepts signals by using electromagnetic waves and most commonly the radar system. However, the entire process boils down to cipher breaking (deciphering). Imagery is concerned with the pictorial information collected through the aerial mode or satellites and its observations. These two resources of intelligence are traditionally opposed to the HUMINT. HUMINT is the human intelligence which operates through interpersonal contact.

Extraits

[...] Western diplomacy and intelligence was then extremely fragile and unreliable whereas the Eastern block was relatively closed to any attempt of Western agents' infiltration.[11] Two principal missions were assigned to this they had been strategically placed in key diplomatic and government positions and they were supposed to infiltrate the “Manhattan project”, Anglo-American plan for an atomic bomb construction. One of the most well-know figures of this network could be Klaus Fuchs, German physician who was taking part in the Manhattan project.[12] He was discovered and condemned like most of the others during the McCarthyism period but the faults had already been done. Western intelligence confidentiality had been exposed and it highly slowed down its Humint opportunities for a couple of years. Here is highlighted a weakness of Humint comparing to Sigint. [...]

[...] Was signal and image intelligence really more important than human intelligence during the Cold War? World War 2 undeniably gave a new importance to intelligence, by making it a key tool in the war process as well as in developing news techniques and technologies of spying. What has later been called the “intelligence revolution” totally reorganizes the way of collecting information, enhancing the understanding of adversary strategies and means as well as the fulfilment of covert operations.[1] Among these improvements, a special focus has been put on the performances of imagery and of signal communication. [...]

[...] The satellite imagery not only improves the precision and the speed of information's collection but also suits particularly well to the peacetime status of the Cold War. Indeed, penetrating into the enemy's airspace is an intrusion that diplomatically only war can justify. Whatever is undertaken by one block, it has to remain defence intelligence, at least apparently. That is why the discretion of satellites was so appreciated: the notion of borders becomes meaningless in the space, what has been confirmed by the Outer Space Treaty of 1967. [...]

[...] Enhancement of signal intelligence systems began long before the WW2. Since the beginning of the century, inventions concerning radio, aerospace and air communications or electronic engineering has been exploited to perfect the intelligence functioning. But it is really during the Cold War that the utility of these means increased and led the two opposing blocs to a systematic surveillance of each other's. Sigint bases grew in number all around the Western and Eastern blocs, both of them turning allies territories to good account (for example Cuba or West Germany). [...]

[...] More, he can send fake messages in order to dupe the enemy. On the other hand, no matter how sophisticated it is, imagery implies its limits as well. First, satellites even with all their accuracy only can notice existing objects. That is to say it is of no use to forecast the adversary's plans or strategies. In the same way, if the enemy is aware he is under surveillance he can easily take care to hide what he wants to remain secret and more, to show only what he wants his opponent to see. [...]