An air campaign starts with eyes in the sky. President Obama’s decision to delay any air strikes before receiving Congress’s approval has given Assad valuable time to move around or protect his troops, weapons, and potentially some command centers. Accurate, timely surveillance and reconnaissance is thus the key to any successful targeting strategy. Military planners will be using satellite imagery provided by the National Reconnaissance Office and the Air Force’s Space-Based Infrared System, but also can deploy more flexible U.S. Air Force Global Hawks. If needed, the venerable U-2 can be deployed with its slightly better optical system and a wide array of sensors, data links, and even electronic warfare capabilities. Intercepting Syria’s battlefield communications can be done by the Air Force’s RC-135 Rivet Joint airplane, and then passed along quickly to U.S. theater and tactical commanders.

Once U.S. attacks begin, no targets will be hit without communications and data satellites. The backbone of this effort will be the Air Force-controlled GPS satellites for cruise missiles and other guided bombs. In addition, the Navy and Air Force will depend on Air Force Space Command’s Wideband Global Satellite Communications system and the Defense Satellite Communications system, both of which are designed to support air, land, and sea forces deployed on the battlefield.