The ability to detect, detect and judge hostile action is called military warning. This is usually done by monitoring a region's activities and using multiple sensors like radar, radio, telemetry, and radar-based firecontrol systems.
A wide range of sensors are used for military warning, and their products, or outputs, are complicated and voluminous. These include telescopes and cameras, heat sensors, low-light devices, radar and acoustic detection devices.
Traditionally, military warning was conducted using ground-based radars as well as other detection devices. However, the development of airborne early warning systems has supplanted ground-based detection as the primary means of detecting hostile activity.
Airborne early warning radars are used most often to locate and track aircraft equipped with ballistic weapons. Over the years, technology in these radars evolved greatly.
Modern airborne radars allow for the tracking of a variety targets. These can include aircraft, ground-based weapons and ships. They offer high levels of resolution and accuracy, along with a longer line-of sight to the horizon.
In addition to a wide range of radars, today's military warning system is also based on a sophisticated network of communication and information-processing equipment that allows for a seamless exchange of data from the sensor to the decision maker. This is an essential component of any military alert system as it gives commanders the time they need to make decisions and take action.
Command and control systems are another component of a military warning system that can be used to help a team coordinate their efforts during a conflict. In addition, the system must be able to quickly disseminate information about potential dangers to personnel and other assets, such as ammunition and fuel depots.
A warning system can either be strategic, tactical, or short-term. Short-term warnings indicate that hostilities may be imminent. This is where immediate action can be taken. Strategic warnings are when the threat to an attack is perceived, and a plan is developed for countering it.
The DEW Line, designed in 1954 to watch for Soviet bombers carrying nuclear weapons and coming over the North Pole, is the oldest and most successful early warning system. To detect Soviet bombers heading towards the United States, the DEW Line relies on a variety of stations. It starts in Alaska and stretches across northern Canada to Greenland.
This system proved to be a key factor in preventing Soviet attacks during the Cold War, ensuring that American military planners had eight minutes of notice before the Soviets launched their nuclear-missile strikes on the United States. This allowed plans to be made to evacuate and prevent nuclear strikes from happening.