Sometimes, having a combat capability isn't enough: operating personnel have to become marketing teams and sell their services to comrades and allies. This is the lesson learned by the Royal Navy's tiny Sea King Airborne Surveillance and Control detachment in Afghanistan. The Westland-built Mk. 7 version of the Sikorsky helicopter, known by the acronym Skasac—and nicknamed “Bagger” for its large radome that hangs from the side in flight—has been in theater for more than two years, but developing an informed user base took time.

Although the technology focus remains on the transition from Hermes 450 to Watchkeeper unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), it is the subtler changes to platforms and operational concepts that deliver increased performance to the British Army. And while the tactical UAV continues to provide vital intelligence, it is the lower-tech, less glamorous platforms that are gaining in popularity with the troops whose missions they support.

LONDON — Making sense of a counterinsurgency battlespace is never easy, but new technology is bringing tools to help frontline troops and commanders understand the distribution and nature of potential threats in areas of operation.