Just as the swallows return each year to Capistrano the Crows will return again this year to Washington DC. In October the Association of Old Crows (AOC) will hold its annual convention there. Present will be vast numbers of engineers scientists and military personnel because the AOC’s mission is to study and advance “electronic and information warfare.” What kind of fighting is this and why the strange name for the organization?
The ability to communicate has always been vital to military operations. In the past messengers on horseback or carrier
pigeons were often used. The opposing side (called “red”) tried to disrupt communications by “blue” (i.e. the good guys — us!) by capturing the messengers or shooting the pigeons. When radio was invented it greatly increased the ability to send messages rapidly and safely over great distances. This led to red spying on blue by receiving their radio signals and trying to interfere with the whole process by making it difficult for blue to communicate. (Blue of course did the same thing to red.)
Communications were and are compromised by “jamming.” This is simply transmitting all sorts of signals on the same channels being used by blue to cause interference. An un-jammed radio channel is analogous to two people talking to each other in a room. No problem. Jamming is similar to inviting another 30 people into the room and asking them to all talk at once. It is now very hard for the original people to hear each other; their conversation has been jammed.
To jam a radio signal red first listens carefully to determine what wavelengths and methods of transmission blue is using (for example: 1090 AM or 91.5 FM). They then transmit as many annoying radio signals as they can on this channel. Even though this interference is electronic it is still called “noise ” which to an engineer means anything that he does not want.
Spying on others’ radio signals and jamming their communications are examples of electronic and information warfare. During World War II the existence of officers dedicated to these operations was classified and they were given the code name “Raven.” Somehow the officers themselves came to be called “old crows ” and the name has become a matter of pride. Old crows are highly professional and also have a cool logo to put on their tie clips and coffee mugs (all available through their website of course).
Electronic and information warfare have become extremely complex and are now vital to the functioning of any military force. Just how far back in history do these types of operations go?
The Jewish calendar is based upon both solar and lunar cycles. Hillel II instituted a calendar based upon complex calculations that include prediction of the time of the new moon. Before this when the Sanhedrin existed the determination of the new moon was based upon the testimony of witnesses in Jerusalem. Since it took time to get this news to Jews living far away the Diaspora observed two days of most holidays since they could not be sure which one was correct.
To get the news of the new moon occurrence to the Jews in Babylonia a method of rapid communication was developed. Starting in Jerusalem Jews (blue) would kindle a series of signal fires on hills and mountains to serve as a relay to get the message out. The path of this relay system passed through the territory occupied by the Samaritans (red). These opponents learned to interfere with the Jews’ communications by lighting their own signal fires so the Jews could not tell which were genuine and which were bogus. This was a very early example of signal jamming. Were the Samaritans the oldest crows? —