Facial recognition software, aerial balloon surveillance track Taliban fighters

Color photograph (Kodachrome transparency) of ...Image via Wikipedia
The Sun:

BRITISH forces have dealt the biggest blow to the Taliban since operations in Afghanistan began - using the most hi-tech warfare in history, The Sun can reveal.

Our Boys and Girls are now able to track Taliban fighters with revolutionary facial recognition technology harnessed to images beamed to the ground by giant spy-in-the-sky barrage balloons floating at 2,000ft.

We were given access to a series of top-level briefings across Afghanistan this week where coalition generals, ambassadors and ministers revealed we have finally turned a corner in the nine-year conflict.

And coupled with the cutting-edge technology, our crack SAS heroes have carried out thousands of daring raids that have crushed and outwitted our Taliban enemies like never before.

The barrage balloons zone in on insurgents as they lay bombs and booby traps to kill and maim our troops.

Packed with cameras and sophisticated devices, they send live footage of the enemy to our patrol bases 24 hours a day. Facial recognition-style technology on the ground matches their distinct features to a database of known Taliban members.

One UK intelligence officer described the unmanned airships - known as aerostats - as "a major game-changer" in our operations.

A second hi-tech weapon is the Raptor pod fitted to RAF Tornado fighter jets. Raptors can detect even minute changes to the undergrowth, earth and rocks disturbed by insurgents as they lay roadside bombs.

...
There is much more including several photos at the link above.

The ballons generally hover out of range of small arms fire.  They are loaded with electronics and give a longterm presence over the battlefield.  This persistence of presence is a great force multiplier that helps increase the force to space ratio of allied forces in the region.

It has been very effective at helping British forces track and destroy Taliban leaders.  It has become an important part of a decapitation strategy that has decimated Taliban field commanders and demoralized their forces.

The Telegraph has more on the airships that will be added to the fleet.  The ships are built in the UK, but much of their electronics is added in the US.  They are bigger than you can imagine.  They are much bigger than the one in the photo above.
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