Geographic information systems (GIS) play an ever-growing role in geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) and national security of the United States. This technology allows users to efficiently manage, analyze, and generate geospatial data, to combine GEOINT with other forms of intelligence gathering, and to perform highly advanced analysis and visual production of geospatial data. Therefore, GIS produces the latest GEOINT and is more reliable to reduce uncertainty for decision makers. Because the GIS program is Web-enabled, users can continue to work with decision makers to solve their GEOINT and related national security issues from anywhere in the world. There are many types of GIS software used in GEOINT and national security, such as Google Earth, ERDAS IMAGINE, open source GeoNetwork, and Esri ArcGIS.
Video Geographic information systems in geospatial intelligence
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Geographic information system (GIS)
GIS is a system that combines software, hardware, and data to collect, manage, analyze, and describe geo-referenced information. This allows users to view, understand, manipulate, and visualize data to reveal the relationships and patterns that solve the problem. Users can then present data in a form that is easy to understand and disseminate, such as maps, reports, or charts.
Users can enter various types of data in the form of maps into the GIS to start their analysis, such as the United States Geological Survey (USGS) digital line graph data, contour lines, elevation maps, topographic maps, geological maps, and satellite imagery. Users can also convert digital information into forms that can be identified and used by GIS, such as census tabulation data or Microsoft Excel files. Users can easily capture digital data in GIS. If the data is not digital, then users need to use various techniques to capture data, such as digitizing a map by tracing the hand with a computer mouse, utilizing a digitizing tablet to collect feature coordinates, using an electronic scanner, or uploading a Global Coordinate Positioning system (GPS).
GIS applies to the geographical aspects of various aspects of everyday life, such as transportation, logistics, medicine, marketing, sociology, ecology, pure and applied science, emergency management, and criminology. GIS is also used in all three areas of intelligence: national security intelligence, law enforcement intelligence, and competitive intelligence
Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT)
GEOINT, previously known as the intelligence image (IMINT), is an intelligence-gathering discipline applicable to national security intelligence, law enforcement intelligence, and competitive intelligence. For example, an analyst can use GEOINT to identify the least resistant route to military forces in a hostile country, to find patterns in reported theft sites in the neighborhood, or to produce maps and comparisons of failed businesses that the company is likely to buy. GEOINT is also a geospatial product of an externally focused process designed to reduce the degree of uncertainty for decision makers, and who use information from all sources. The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), which has overall responsibility for GEOINT in the US Intelligence Community (IC), defines GEOINT as "information about any object - natural or manmade - that can be observed or referenced to Earth, and has implications national security. "
Some sources of image information collected for GEOINT are satellite imagery, in-flight cameras, Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) and drones, handheld cameras, maps, or GPS coordinates. Recently NGA and IC have increased the use of commercial satellite imagery for intelligence support, such as the use of IKONOS, Landsat, or SPOT satellites. These sources produce digital images through electro-optical systems, radar, infrared, visible light, multispectral, or hyperspectral imagery.
The advantage of GEOINT is that images are easy to be consumed and understood by decision makers, have a low risk of human life, display their target capabilities and geographical relationships with other objects, and that analysts can use worldwide imagery in a short period of time. On the other hand, GEOINT losses are that images are just snapshots of a moment in time, can be overly pushy and lead to informed decisions that ignore other intelligences, are static and vulnerable to fraud and decoy, do not portray the intent of the target, and are expensive and subject to environmental issues.
Maps Geographic information systems in geospatial intelligence
Use of GIS in GEOINT and national security intelligence
Overview
The majority of national security intelligence decisions involve geography and GEOINT. GIS allows users to capture, manage, exploit, analyze, and visualize geographically referenced information, physical features, and other geospatial data. GIS is an important infrastructure for GEOINT and the national security community in manipulating and interpreting spatial knowledge in an information system. GIS extracts real-world geography or other information into datasets, maps, metadata, data models, and workflow models within the geodatabase used to solve GEOINT-related problems. GIS provides a structure for map and data production that allows users to add other data sources, such as satellite imagery or UAVs, as a new layer to the geodatabase. Geodatabase can be disseminated and operated throughout the network of related users (ie from GEOINT analysts to warfighter) and generates joint spatial capabilities for all defense and intelligence domains.
Map and graphic agencies and imaging intelligence agencies, GEOINT's two main agencies, use GIS to work together efficiently to solve geospatial decision-making questions, to communicate effectively between their unique departments, and to provide an updated and accurate GEOINT for security their national and war domains.
Another important aspect of SIG is its ability to integrate geospatial data with other forms of intelligence gathering, such as intelligence signals (SIGINT), intelligence measurements and signatures (MASINT), human intelligence (HUMINT), or open source intelligence (OSINT). GIS users can combine and combine all types of this intelligence into applications that provide GEOINT that is reinforced across an organization's information system.
GIS enables efficient management of geospatial data, the incorporation of geospatial data with other forms of intelligence gathering, and continued analysis and visual production of geospatial data. This results in a faster, stronger, and more reliable GEOINT aimed at reducing uncertainty for decision makers.
Role
- Production of data and maps
- Merging data, discovering data through metadata catalogs, and disseminating data through web portals and browsers
- Analysis and exploitation of collected imagery or intelligence
- SIGINT, GEOINT, MASINT, and other sensor analysis
- Integrating various forms of intelligence gathering
- Efficient collaborative planning and workflow management between decision makers, analysts, consumers, and combatants
- Match and temporal analysis
- Stewardship: Geospatial intelligence
Related Esri Products
Distributed Geospatial Intelligence Network (DGInet)DGInet technology enables national and military security intelligence customers to access large multi-terabyte databases through a common Web-based interface. It gives users the ability to quickly and easily identify, coat, and merge georeferencing data from multiple sources to create maps or support geospatial analysis. Esri designed the technology for inexperienced GIS users from national security intelligence and defense organizations to provide web-based enterprise solutions to publish, distribute and exploit GEOINT data among designated organizations. According to Esri, DGInet's technology "uses thin clients to search large geospatial and intelligence data using low-bandwidth Web services for data discovery, dissemination, and mixing of data and products horizontally."
PLTS for ArcGIS Custom Solutions
PLTS for ArcGIS Special Solutions is a group of software applications that extend ArcGIS to facilitate the production of data-based cartography for geospatial agencies and mapping, nautical and aeronautical graphics production, foundation mapping, and defense mapping requirements. Collection of software applications including Esri's Mapping of Production, Esri Nautical Solution, Esri Aeronautical Solution, and Esri Defense Mapping program that provides quality control, easier and consistent map creation, database sharing and efficient workflow management for each type of mapping or specific modeling of a program..
Geoprocessing
Geoprocessing is based on a data transformation framework within GIS and is a collection of hundreds of GIS tools that manipulate geospatial or other data in GIS. Geoprocessing tools perform operations (often device names, such as "Clips") on existing GIS datasets and generate new datasets as a result of the tools used. GIS users make use of this tool to create workflow models that quickly and easily convert raw data into desired products.
In GEOINT, users use geoprocessing in the same way. They can make geoprocessing tools resemble analytic techniques to convert large amounts of data into actionable information. In national security intelligence and defense organizations, geoprocessing notifies users of events occurring in certain areas of interest and enables specialized domain analytics applications, such as radio frequency analysis, terrain analysis, and network analysis.
Tracking Analyst and Tracking Server
ArcGIS Tracking Analyist Extension allows users to create time series visualizations to analyze time and location sensitive information. This creates a visible path of aggregated data that shows movement through space and time. The program enables national security intelligence or defense users to track assets (such as vehicles or personnel), monitor sensors, visualize changes over time, play back events, and analyze historical or real-time temporal data.
The Server Tracking Program is an Esri company technology that integrates real-time data with GIS to disseminate information quickly and easily to decision makers. The program enables users to obtain data in any format and send it to the required ArcGIS Tracking Analyst users, to filter or alert attributes specific to incoming data or global positions, and to record data into ArcGIS Server for efficient project management and sharing information.
When Tracking Server and ArcGIS Tracker Analysts are used together, users can monitor data changes as they occur in real-time. National security intelligence or defense users can subscribe to real-time data over the Internet from GPS and custom data feeds to support GEOINT requirements, such as fleet management or target tracking.
ArcGIS Military Analyst
The ArcGIS Military Analyst Extension combines display and analysis tools that enable the use and production of vector and raster products, line-vision analysis, hillshade analysis, field analysis, and Conversion of Military Grid Reference Systems (MGRS). The program also provides a basis for command, control and intelligence (C2I) systems. National intelligence and defense organizations use the ArcGIS Military Analyst extension to integrate geospatial data with other defense data, analyze the digital terrain, and prepare for combat. The program also allows the user to manage and analyze geospatial data and the relationship between mission planning, logistics, and C2I. Military_Overlay_Editor_ (MOLE) "> Military Overlay Editor (MOLE)
MOLE is a set of command components that allow national security intelligence and defense users to easily create, display and edit the US Defense Department MIL-STD-2525B and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization APP-6A military symbology on the map. This allows the identification, understanding and movement of allied and hostile forces more easily and more quickly on the map by incorporating GIS spatial analysis techniques with common military symbols. MOLE provides clearer visualization of mission planning and goals for decision makers, and allows users to import, search, and display battle database sequences.
Grid Manager
Grid Manager enables national security intelligence or defense users to create an accurate and realistic grid containing geographic location indicators based on the shape, scale, coordinate system, and specified units. This program allows users to create multiple grids, graticules, and borders for map products such as MGRS coordinates and tourist maps, topography, parcels, roads, maritime, and aeronautics.
Use of GIS at National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA)
NGA uses GIS products to create nautical, aeronautical, and digital topographic maps and maps, to analyze geotechnical systems and coordinates, and to help solve various national security and military problems. Because the NGA is a US Defense Department combat support body and a member of the IC, it uses GIS to produce the right and current GEOINT for members of the US Armed Forces, ICs, and other government agencies. The Web-supported GIS application enables rapid and efficient sharing and deployment of NGA's geospatial, product, and intelligence data to allies, warriors, partners and other agencies throughout the World Wide Web. NGA and Esri have successfully collaborated in providing timely, accurate, and relevant GEOINT to support US national security over the past 20 years.
NGA has created a grouping of web-based capabilities called GEOINT Online. This program allows users to search and access all NGA GEOINT documents from wherever they are stored and from wherever the user is located. GEOINT Online provides fast, easy, and reliable access to current NGA intelligence products, changes in activity or region, information from analyst and Intellipedia blogs, geospatial imagery, maps and charts, major GIS commercial software packages, and GIS combinations of these products. Users can also edit and format existing NGA/GIS products and maps to create, print and download new products that meet the requirements of the current decision maker. Ultimately, it generates faster, timely and relevant GEOINT data. This program allows NGA to change its focus from producing only cartographic products to provide the latest accurate GEOINT to support the national security and military requirements of its customers.
See also
- ArcGIS
- ERDAS IMAGINE
- Esri
- Geographic information system
- Geospatial intelligence
- GeoTime
- Google Earth
- Intelligence image
- National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
- National security
- Richard Petron
References
External links
- National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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