But only in the past 10 years, with the advent of detailed statistical analysis, has the shift become a tool employed against the less pull-happy hitters.
He also argued that the RAF offered a "flexible political and military tool", whose use was often less costly in every sense than the large-scale commitment of ground forces.
Up until now ESRI's software has been a tool for geo-geeks, many of whom have gone in for some training in GIS. Its maps are far less sleek and responsive than the simpler Google and Yahoo maps.