Military warning is the ability to perceive, detect, and judge the possibility of hostile action. This can be done by observation of the region and its activities. But it could also include the use of many sensors such as radio, telemetry, radar and radar-based systems for fire control.
There are many sensors that are used to provide military warning. Their outputs are complex and varied. These include telescopes, cameras, heat-sensing devices, low-light-level devices, radar, acoustic, seismic, and nuclear detection devices, as well as computers that condense and summarize the data.
Traditionally, military warning was conducted using ground-based radars as well as other detection devices. However, airborne early warning systems have replaced ground-based radars in 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 are capable of tracking a wide range of targets including aircraft, ground-based missiles, and ships. They provide a high degree of accuracy and resolution, as well as an extended 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.
Another component of a reliable military warning system is command and control systems. These allow teams to coordinate their efforts when there is a conflict. The system must also be capable of quickly disseminating information about possible dangers to personnel, other assets, and such things as ammunition, fuel depots, and fuel depots.
A warning system could be tactical, strategic, short-term or strategic. In a short-term warning, the threat of hostilities is perceived and immediate action taken. Strategic warnings are when the threat to an attack is perceived, and a plan is developed for countering it.
The DEW Line, which was established in 1954 to track Soviet bombers carrying nuclear weapons over the North Pole, has been historically the 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 have been a significant factor in preventing Soviet attack during the Cold War. American military planners had only eight minutes notice prior to the Soviets' nuclear-missile strikes. This time frame allowed for plans to evacuate Americans and prevent them from being hit by a nuclear attack.