Microsoft’s mapping service uncovers top secret US submarine
By Arnold Zafra
A Washington State ferry deck officer, Dan Twohig, who was searching for a new home using Microsoft’s Virtual Mapping service has accidentally discovered a US nuclear-powered submarine at the Kitsap-Bangor naval base with its propeller exposed while in dock.
This sparked a controversy when Twohig published the discovery on his blog. Military vessels, such as the nuclear-powered submarine discovered by Twohig, should not have their propellers exposed while in dock, as the propeller is considered ”sensitive naval technology”.
The image would have been just another image captured by a web-based mapping service, had it not been for Twohig, who understood the significance of his find.
The incident propelled an ongoing discussion anout whether web mapping services such as Microsoft’s Virtual Mapping Service should be allowed to capture images of US military bases.
The US Defence Department has no legal authority to demand the removal of such images on web mapping services. It is up to the web mapping services’ owners to decide which aerial imagery needs to be blurred or removed from its mapping services.
Dan Twohig admitted on his blog that his discovery would earn the ire of the US military, but nonetheless he had his reasons why he disclosed his findings on the web.
“Whoa, I don’t think that the military is going to be happy with this. Satellites are one thing, but frankly, I am surprised that the air space over sensitive bases like Bangor is not better controlled.”
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September 5th, 2007
Has the authenticity of the photo been checked? The angle of the propeller seems wrong to me. Kitsap-Bangor is not a hot-bed for new technology, as it is usually used for scrapping naval vessels. My money is on a doctored photo.