Aerial deception and misdirection, network-centric warfare and advanced communications were combined to swiftly collapse Iraq's defenses. One clue to clandestine U.S. activity came from television footage shot early in the conflict of Iraqi soldiers combing the banks of the Tigris River in Baghdad and shooting into stands of reeds. The hunt for downed coalition pilots was triggered by two over-age U.S. Air Force Predator UAVs that had been stripped of equipment and flown into the city's airspace to probe its air defenses. Intelligence officials also monitored Iraqi communications during the search to see what was left functioning of Iraq's military command and control system.
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