Secret Libya Psyops, Caught by Online Sleuths

I.did a search for this and couldn't find anything. Mods, you know what to do if I missed it. Thanks!

The U.S. military has dispatched one of its secret propaganda planes to the skies around Libya. And that “Commando Solo” aircraft is telling Libyan ships to remain in port – or risk NATO retaliation.

We know this, not because some Pentagon official said so, but because one Dutch radio geek is monitoring the airwaves for information about Operation Odyssey Dawn — and tweeting the surprisingly-detailed results. On Sunday alone, “Huub” has identified the tail numbers, call signs, and movements of dozens of NATO aircraft: Italian fighter jets, American tankers, British aerial spies, U.S. bombers, and the Commando Solo psyops plane (pictured).

“If you attempt to leave port, you will be attacked and destroyed immediately,” the aircraft broadcasted late Sunday night.

It doesn't instill a real feeling of security if anyone can gather information like this guy did. It makes it a tad bit more difficult to keep a mission "Top Secret" for sure. Though this is nothing new, it seems like they could come up with something with almost foolproof security with as much technology as we have. Then again, I suppose that same technology would allow this to continue at the same time.

Huub is hardly the only one eavesdropping on this operation, however. At least two others recorded the Commando Solo in action on Sunday, for instance.

And that shows just how easily average folks can now gather intelligence in ways once reserved for the best-funded spy agencies. Online sleuths now use Google Earth to find everything from North Korea’s launch facilities to Pakistan’s drone bases. Plane-spotters scoured tail numbers to uncover the CIA’s torture flights. So it’s no wonder that the sounds of this newest air war are being broadcast online — even before the planes return to their airstrips.

Some fast movers to be sure. I am not positive that I would want any access to this information myself. Concrete shoes and sleeping with the fishes makes me a wee bit paranoid.

You can read more here...
www.wired.com...

I think the only reason "Huub" was able to "listen in" on the broadcasts from the PSYOPS plane was that it has to broadcast "in the clear". They can't really use codes or ciphers or encrypted radio signals if they want to be heard by the average ship in Libyan ports.

As for the flight numbers etc... Whenever a plane flies, be it civilian or military, a flight plan must be filed. At least for the planes leaving from Italy and other bases. Since the jets would be flying over civilian territory and within commercial airspace whatever system in place in the host country (such as the FAA) would have rules governing the flight of military aircraft in that country's airspace. You can get flight numbers of airliners and other flights for a specific time period relatively easily. Of course there are exceptions (legal/ethical and otherwise) such as top secret aircraft testing (like the so called Project AURORA) but these may be covered up by using false tail numbers, etc... Also, military aircraft on a specific mission don't necessarily have flight plans other than "gonna go up and circle around for a while"... But, if they are flying out of Aviano Air Base in Italy they would have a specific plan or route into the airspace they will patrol. Even in combat an ATO (air tasking order) is filed which has mission numbers and tail numbers assigned. The ATO is pretty much a schedule of ordered flights. Emergency sorties are also tracked. Alert aircraft are assigned by time and if they launch it is tracked.

Ok, I guess what I'm trying to say is that "Huub" is not special in that he's "spying" on what's going on in Libya. I will say that he's "special" for taking the time to research all the information and knowing/figuring out where to find it.

As far as the PSYOPS bird out there, I don't think there is a controversy regarding it's presence, BUT I think it's odd that they are saying that if "If you attempt to leave port, you will be attacked and destroyed immediately,". Without the context (are they talking about Libyan warships or ALL ships in Libyan waters?) it's hard to say, but if I was a fisherman being threatened by UN forces for leaving port I'd be all kinds of irate....lol

Apex is correct. All that was posted was just info for military air traffic moving thru civilian airways.

And for the broadcasting? I don't know how this guy can consider it secret. It's might be classified prior to transmission, but once it hits the airwaves, it's unclas.

And some of that info is incorrect. I know for certain that one of the callsigns isn't right.

Oh, and it's not "Psyops" it's "Psyop". In fact, it's not even Psyop anymore, it's MISO.