Enhancing Battlespace Awareness By Centralizing National Imagery and Mapping Databases: A Force Multiplier.
Abstract
One band of the battlespace information spectrum particularly relevant to operational activities and the operational commander is geospatial information (i.e. mapping, charting, geodesy, imagery, and imagery intelligence). The National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NINA) was established on 1 October 1996 by Congress to provide improved geospatial information management for the Department of Defense (DoD). Seven organizations were consolidated to make NINA, with the goal of centralizing mapping and imagery databases. The effectiveness of centralizing the geospatial databases is measured in this paper by evaluating its impact on products, using the attributes of intelligence quality as a guide. The impact to the operational commander is that commanders at all levels in each service will have the same references and the same information. In addition, with all data sources placed in a common geospatial framework, the commander will be able to fuse all data sources, and thereby have the opportunity to develop a dominant awareness of the battlespace. The commander's route to the geospatial databases is being broadened during the next several years. To effectively use all aspects of the new geospatial information infrastructure, the commander will need to understand the changes that are being implemented. Towards that end, a review of the infrastructure is given here. The changes in all facets of the geospatial information domain are profound in that they have the effect of a force multiplier for the operational commander.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 13, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADA325151
Entities
People
- John W. Strebeck
Organizations
- Naval War College