In a rapidly changing digital world where information is of utmost importance, the 66th Military Intelligence Brigade's Northern Raven Team collaborated with Finnish Army to carry out a joint open-source intelligence (OSINT) collection mission in Finland in late August 2024. The joint U.S.-Finland OSINT mission takes place as Finland officially joins the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in April 2023. As a newly inducted member, Finland has strengthened its security cooperation with NATO allies, particularly the United States. Both nations share strategic interests in maintaining stability in the Baltic region and Northern Europe, especially given heightened geopolitical tensions with Russia in recent years.
Both armed forces utilized advanced OSINT tools and methodologies to accomplish the mission. AI-driven algorithms were utilized to sift through massive amounts of data, flagging relevant information based on keywords, phrases, and geographic locations. In addition, geospatial analysis tools enabled the teams to gather intelligence from publicly available satellite imagery. This allowed them to detect infrastructure changes, movements of military assets, and other indicators that could inform their strategic assessments.
The collaborative effort not only met urgent intelligence requirements but also strengthened the strategic alliances between Finland and its NATO partners, especially the United States. Both military forces sought to improve their understanding of the current situation by collecting, analyzing, and exchanging publicly available information about strategic military operations and interests. The joint mission created an opportunity for the two nations to enhance their ability to work together effectively in terms of intelligence and military coordination. "The Finish OSINT team is one of the best and largest we've worked with. They have a very serious group of analysts that really care. They come with a lot of backgrounds, such as programming and operational expertise, that within a few days, they can make really great intelligence products," stated Staff Sergeant Barsten, a member the Northern Raven Team.
Through the use of OSINT, both nations demonstrated that military intelligence is evolving beyond classified operations and embracing the extensive and constantly expanding realm of publicly available information. “One of the main benefits of OSINT is its shareability. What makes OSINT so sharable is that it is entirely based on publicly available information. We can really work with anybody, and it lets us start that communication process in terms of here’s how we can share intelligence, and here’s how we can work together to enhance our collection for both sides," stated Specialist Maxwell, a member of the Northern Raven Team. This mission represented a significant milestone in establishing the confidence, proficiency, and capacity to work together effectively that are required to address the intricate and complex challenges of modern warfare.
For the broader intelligence community, this mission reinforced the value of OSINT as a critical tool in the intelligence arsenal. Both nations utilized real-time information from open sources to predict threats and create a clear operational picture. This joint effort demonstrated the crucial significance of international partnerships in gathering intelligence, particularly in an era marked by the rapidly expanding digital information environment and a world of uncertainties.
| Date Taken: | 09.06.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 09.09.2024 04:36 |
| Photo ID: | 8629870 |
| VIRIN: | 240906-A-RW312-7589 |
| Resolution: | 7422x4950 |
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| Location: | WIESBADEN, HESSEN, DE |
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