Close-up, ground-level imagery of US military sites posed a "potential threat" to security, it said.

The move follows the discovery of images of the Fort Sam Houston army base in Texas on Google Maps.

A Google spokesman said that where the US military had expressed concerns, images had been removed.

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But they have now been banned from filming and conducting detailed studies of bases, following the discovery of detailed, three-dimensional panoramas online - and in particular, views of the Texan base.

"Images include 360-degree views of the covered area to include access control points, barriers, headquarters, facilities and community areas," said the defence department in a statement quoted by AFP news agency.

It said such detailed mapping could pose a threat.

Individuals and governments

Military officials are currently studying how many such detailed studies are available - though it may not be able to order their removal if images are taken from public streets.

Among the popular mapping services offered by Google are Street View, which allows web users to "drive" along virtual US landscapes with ground-level views, and Google Earth, which offers detailed satellite and 3D images of locations around the world.

Both have provoked complaints - from individuals depicted in the images and from governments concerned that satellite images could compromise security.

"We don't have a problem with Google Earth," Gary Ross, a spokesman for the US Northern Command, told AFP.

But "while it is a very useful tool, there has to be a balance", he added.

Because many of the images are taken from public streets, the US military may not have a legal right to order all the images removed, the BBC's Jonathan Beale reports from Washington.

Google's street view has already proved controversial over privacy concerns, our correspondent adds.

In one case a man was pictured leaving a San Fransisco strip club.

(BBC)

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