Historical Dictionary of Air Intelligence

From the moment man learned how to ascend off the ground, the strategic significance of air intelligence became apparent. This relatively new discipline_the first dedicated air reconnaissance missions were undertaken in 1870 during the siege of Paris when tethered French balloons were employed to spot enemy positions and direct artillery fire onto them_has developed at an astonishing speed. Over the past century air intelligence has moved from hazardous observation balloons to micro-circuitry, w…