Google-Earth intelligence Group?

Originally posted by planeman
What strikes me is the relatively few "current generation" combat aircraft seen:

Why does that strike you? China's modernization of its military is still a very recent development. It will take at least another decade before the PLAAF is up to some sort of modern standard.

Originally posted by sweatmonicaIdo

Originally posted by planeman
What strikes me is the relatively few "current generation" combat aircraft seen:

Why does that strike you? China's modernization of its military is still a very recent development. It will take at least another decade before the PLAAF is up to some sort of modern standard.

This isn't a debate we need to be having here. And at any rate the real answer why there are so few flankers to be seen on google earth in China is a combination of them being kept under shelter to a greater extent than older types, key air fields not being visible and the age of the imagery. The first of these factors is important and readily apparent from the shelters at Flanker/J-10 bases.

[edit on 18-6-2006 by planeman]

Originally posted by planeman
This isn't a debate we need to be having here. And at any rate the real answer why there are so few flankers to be seen on google earth in China is a combination of them being kept under shelter to a greater extent than older types, key air fields not being visible and the age of the imagery. The first of these factors is important and readily apparent from the shelters at Flanker/J-10 bases.

[edit on 18-6-2006 by planeman]

It wasn't a debate, I was just wondering why that surprised you. In my opinion, I think Goggle Earth really proves the positions taken by many experts on the state of the PLA.

Is the NASA program better then Google Earth?

Interesting thread guys. I'll frequent back

Originally posted by 8th
Is the NASA program better then Google Earth?

Interesting thread guys. I'll frequent back

Ha ha, serious question?

On that same note, I'm not even sure NASA even conducts much of any satellite surveillance of Earth. NASA puts up satellites mainly for other organizations.

Guys I really love Google Earth but, it has severe limitations.

Most images are at least 2 to 3 years out of date.

To prove my case, just go to England and zoom in over Gloucestershire until you see 'Fritz' [me] and GlosPol.

What you are seeing is the main Gloucestershire TA Centre. Around and behind my house, are several Bedford 4 ton trucks.

They are not there, but were there 2 years ago. However, if you scroll around to the front of the main building, you can just about make out the barrel of my own 105mm Wombat recoilless anti-tank rifle.

Neat huh?

Good call about China and Syria.

BTW, I've been concentrating on Russia, trying to find the locations for the old Soviet 'Star Wars' programme.

To date, I've located Sary Shagan [laser test site] and Dushanbe [particle beam array] but the images are crap.

Also Afghanistan is a good source of images, especially around Bagram and Kabul airfields.

However people keep putting pointers all over the place which obliterates the images.

Happy image hunting!

Think its a graet idea..

regarding the outdated Google earth, its the best image database we have to our disposal.. if anyone have a better idea for a image source i suggest you bring it up..

Count me in

Re the images being old. That's true to a point but many are quite new and a couple of years isn't really a big deal anyway.

One example of it being quite up to date and giving topical information. At 38 46 19 N 121 36 18 E there is a Chinese stealth missile boat ("2208 class" FAC). The 2208 class was first reported in 2004 and pictures of it only surfaced recently - it's still recent news. and there it is on google earth. And if you go to 31 12 16 N 121 29 47 E you can see another moored beside the Quixin shipyard and yet to be fitted with its missiles.

Originally posted by WindWalker
Think its a graet idea..

regarding the outdated Google earth, its the best image database we have to our disposal.. if anyone have a better idea for a image source i suggest you bring it up..

Count me in

I used to use a company called 'Terra Firma' who used 'real time' fly by footage. Had some pretty good views of Area 51 and associated military airfields but I think they now charge for downloads.

Originally posted by fritz

I used to use a company called 'Terra Firma' who used 'real time' fly by footage. Had some pretty good views of Area 51 and associated military airfields but I think they now charge for downloads.

Do you think they'll do a flight over North Korea for us?

Even better example of the age of the imagery, Turner Field in Atlanta shown in Google Earth is the 2002 edition, as clearly shown by the markings.

The images of the East..Asia in particular, are much more recent than those of the west(US/Europe).
This is because the initial resolutions of Asia were not as good as the western ones.
Infact I can confirm that resolutions have been updated as recently as a couple of months back in India at least. Now that obviously doesn't mean that the imagery is only a couple of months old, , but the update imagery is different and that indicates (along with other chronological markers like construction sites) the imagery to be not older than end 2004 at least.

Thanks for the info on the J-10s. Although the ones visible are clearly not operationally deployed, as they are not in operational colours.
No FC-1s yet though.

Has this picture been posted?





[edit on 21-6-2006 by chinawhite]

Nope.. but its been discussed..
In the post above and mentioned in the chart on the first page.
These are the 7 J-10s in Chengdu, the ones not in operational colours..

3d Intelligence

GE just released SketchUp, a free 3d modelling program to build and render models terrain and export onto the world map. It would give an extra perspective to be able to get a 'walk around' view of installations and sites in 3d.

If you really want to do this planeman, I could offer my assistance in web design and create a website and forums for us. I'll also offer my knowledge in military aircraft.