WarBrief Live | October 24, 2026 | Intelligence Tool Profile
ADS-B Exchange is a community-run flight-tracking network. It describes itself as the world’s largest co-op of ADS-B/Mode S/MLAT feeders and the largest source of unfiltered flight data. That unfiltered status is why analysts keep it bookmarked: where other services hide aircraft whose owners asked to be blocked, it shows any aircraft broadcasting within range of a receiver. It will not say why an aircraft is flying or who is aboard; it is a signal to check against other sources, not a conclusion.
What ADS-B Exchange does
Aircraft equipped with ADS-B broadcast their identity, position, altitude, and speed, unencrypted, to any receiver in range. ADS-B Exchange collects those broadcasts through volunteer receivers, along with Mode S data, and uses multilateration (MLAT) — timing the same signal at several receivers — to position Mode S aircraft that do not broadcast a GPS position. The result is a live map anyone can open in a browser.
Two features matter most: filters include a view for military and government traffic, and a curated “Interesting Aircraft” list labels known government, law-enforcement, and surveillance aircraft as they appear. Those labels are a starting point, not proof of a mission.
How analysts use it to track military aircraft
Workflows focus on aircraft that do broadcast: transports, tankers, and reconnaissance and patrol types in civilian airspace near a flashpoint. Analysts watch for changes in tempo — more tankers aloft, unusual orbits, VIP flights at sensitive moments — as early indicators, then test them against basing data and official statements. Force-posture stories such as WarBrief’s report on the third carrier deployment are the kind of context in which movement data gets checked, not taken at face value.
Cross-checking is built in. Analysts pair it with commercial trackers such as Flightradar24, which may hide aircraft whose owners requested blocking; a plane visible on one map and absent from the other is itself a useful check. Combat aircraft are often absent from both, since many fly with transponders off or outside receiver coverage, so an empty map proves nothing. More in WarBrief’s open-source intelligence hub and tools library. This profile describes a research method, not operational guidance.
Access and pricing
The web map is free to browse, with live data and no delay. Deeper use is a different matter: live API access has historically been tied to feeding data to the network and registering, and ADS-B Exchange is now offered through JetNet, which sells real-time and historical flight-data subscriptions. Casual browsing costs nothing, but building a product or archive on the feed means checking current terms first and getting proper commercial permission.
Limitations every analyst must know
- Coverage follows volunteers: with no satellite ADS-B, there is no oceanic coverage, and coverage is thinner outside Europe and North America.
- Only broadcasting aircraft appear: an aircraft with its transponder off, or outside receiver range, is invisible. Absence from the map is not evidence of absence in the sky.
- Identity can be masked: the US Federal Aviation Administration’s Privacy ICAO Address program gives owners an alternate, temporary ICAO address not assigned to the owner in the registry.
- Labels and crowdsourced data can err: curated labels are judgments, and a broadcast alone is a lead, not proof. Corroborate before publishing a claim.
Frequently asked questions
Is ADS-B Exchange free to use?
The live web map is free to browse. API, historical, and commercial access carry separate, changing terms, so check them before building a workflow on the feed.
Why does it show aircraft that Flightradar24 does not?
Commercial trackers honor blocking and opt-out requests, including the FAA’s LADD program. ADS-B Exchange does not: if an aircraft is transmitting within range of a volunteer receiver, it appears on the map.
Does a military aircraft on the map mean an operation is under way?
No. Routine patrols, training flights, transports, and diplomatic movements can look similar on a map. Movement is a signal to investigate, not a conclusion.
Sources
- TechWalla: Best Free Real-Time Flight Tracker
- The Intel Hub: How to Track a Plane in Real-Time
- Mode-S.org: Data Sources for Aviation Research
- JetNet: ADS-B Exchange Flight Tracker
- Aviation Nepal: ADSBExchange, the Uncensored Network
