John Locker, a satellite enthusiast, discovered that Nato surveillance flights in the Balkans were transmitting unencrypted images over satellite, accessible to anyone. Despite months of warnings from Locker, Nato and American officials claimed the images were unclassified and not useful to enemies. However, the broadcasts included data such as aircraft positions and capabilities, contradicting these claims. The lack of encryption began around the time U.S. surveillance of Afghanistan increased post-9/11, suggesting a shift in priority and resource allocation. The article raises concerns about the potential for adversaries to exploit these transmissions, as evidenced by a Nato raid on Bosnian Serb military installations for eavesdropping. The U.S. military has yet to implement even basic commercial encoding on these transmissions, exposing Nato operations to risks.