Evaluation of Geospatial Digital Support Products

Vojno delo, 2018

eographic Information System 1 has made a great leap in the last two decades. On the one hand, it becomes widely used in various fields of the society. On the other hand, terrain plays significant role in the military activities of all kinds. It must be accounted for during planning and preparation of military operations. This article explores application of GIS in military terrain assessment. The proper Intelligence Preparation of the Battle space 2 in the real situation would require taking into consideration many factors including terrain, weather, population, enemy, etc. However, the focus of this work is on plain terrain analysis with the aim to examine one. For this purpose, a Model in ArcGIS Desktop Model Builder has been made, which results in raster showing several classes of terrain. The method used in the analysis is a Weighted Suitability Analysis 3. The results of WSA indicate that the terrain in the area of interest is favorable for movement of up to one mechanized division. Definition and classification to define terms and recognized interaction among them has been used.

Space Sci J, 1(2), 01-07, 2024

Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing have been considered significant in the military due to their spatiality in nature. Recent military developments have seen various military institutions depending on spatial mapping tools, for the purpose of command, control, communication and coordination in military operations. In this study, the qualitativeanalytical method was used to illustrate the applications of GIS in military operations, drawing lessons from land based military developments from selected studies. An online survey was conducted to extract information from a sample of forty (40) students undertaking War Studies at the University of Zimbabwe, who were conveniently selected for the study. In-depth interviews were also done with two (2) military experts from the university. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative interpretation of recent developments in military GIS. The benefits of GIS and machine learning in military operations included access to information; improved data management; information dissemination; improved terrain analysis; object, target or pattern recognition; quick data processing algorithms; autonomous systems; and predictive analysis. The study also notes some challenges associated with GIS and machine learning in military operations include expensive to set up which constituted of respondents; training requirements; cyber-security; software issues; offensive in nature, as well as misinterpretation of situations. The study recommends the need for human-AI collaboration and the development of a regulatory framework at national, regional and international level in ensuring sustainable implementation of GIS technology in military operations.

Journal of Geographic Information System, 2019

World military force structure is dramatically changing as collectively; our armed forces undergo a major transition from unprofessional to the Objective Force (designed to capitalize on information-age based technologies and Human Interaction to Non-Human Interaction). Traditional "stovepipes" among services are being eliminated and replaced with integrated systems that allow joint forces (combined Army, Air Force and navy) to seamlessly execute required tasks. This study was undertaken in conjunction with Geospatial Technology (Shows Space and Time) and Geospatial Intelligence Analysis (Use Algorithm, Use AI Concepts, IMINT and GEOINT). In order to successfully support current and future Ethiopian military operations in war zones, geospatial technologies and geospatial intelligence must be integrated to accommodate force structure evolution and mission requirement directives. The intent of joint intelligence operations is to integrate Ground, Air and Navy Forces at war zone and also give COP ("common operational picture") for Operational and Tactical Commander Service and national intelligence capabilities into a unified effort that surpasses any single organizational effort and provides the most accurate and timely intelligence to commanders.

In an era of limited funding, a rapid development and procurement process is necessary to provide warfighters with performance-enhancing tools. It is essential to accurately assess the value of the tools we develop, and to use this assessment to shape future research and development efforts. To assist its research and development efforts, the U.S. Army Topographic Engineering Center (TEC) is sponsoring a series of experiments to evaluate the value of its suite of Advanced Automated Geospatial Tools (AAGT), the Battlefield Terrain Reasoning and Awareness -Battle Command (BTRA-BC) Tools. The first experiment in this series, which was presented at the 12 th ICCRTS, demonstrated the benefits of an AAGT in a strictly terrain analysis scenario. Building upon the results of the first experiment, the second experiment will evaluate the value of an AAGT in a more complex planning environment and with a scenario that requires more complex decision making. This paper discusses the scope of the second experiment, its hypotheses, and the experimental design.

2009

This paper focuses on the use of a Virtual Collaborative Working and Visualisation Environment (VCWVE), i.e. using virtual collaborative desks (VCDs), for the development of shared situational awareness using a common operational picture to support collaborative military planning in joint command and control situations. Joint usability, critical task and situational awareness assessment methods were employed to determine the effectiveness of this VCWVE in supporting commanders' joint decision making. With reference to the British Army's seven questions (7Qs) estimate process and intelligence preparation of the battlefield along with a small military judgment panel (MJP) used for the simulation experiment, the research focused on how effectively networked VCDs highlighted commander's critical information requirements and their evolving requests for information during the planning process. The research also highlighted how collaborative technologies can not only help to improve joint decision making in a distributed HQ environment but also how an effective plan and its products can be delivered such as: the decision support overlay, the decision support matrix and the synchronisation matrix. As a result of this research a joint usability framework has been developed. This research has military significance in terms of enabling synchronised joint decision making in resilient agile distributed HQ groups and thereby reducing security risk of commander and staff.

An understanding of geospatial reasoning ability (GRA) is essential to human–computer interaction research, as many recent consumer and commercial technologies require an ability to interpret complex geospatial data. Individuals, as well as government, commercial, and military organizations, use such technologies regularly. For instance, consumer technologies including online mapping services and in-vehicle navigation systems are increasingly prevalent. Business leaders rely on geospatial data when making strategic and operational decisions. Military strategists leverage geospatial systems during mission planning and battlefield operations. Although there has been research into the significance of user characteristics when making decisions using geospatial data, there is conflicting evidence on the impact of GRA on the decision-making process. This article suggests applying a multidimensional measure of GRA to facilitate a better understanding of such interactions. Furthermore, this article proposes a new measurement instrument developed through a rigorous scale development procedure and validated through an exploratory (n =300) analysis.

Typically, the development of tools and systems for the military is requirement driven; systems are developed to meet specified requirements and evaluated on compliance with those requirements. The real question we should ask about tools and systems in development is, "what benefit does the system provide to the warfighter?" The U.S. Army Topographic Engineering Center (TEC) is sponsoring a series of rigorous experiments designed to answer this question and thereby help to focus its research and development efforts. The first experiment in this series, which was presented at the 12 th ICCRTS, demonstrated the value of a Geospatial Decision Support Systems (GDSS), Battlespace Terrain Reasoning and Awareness -Battle Command (BTRA-BC), in a strictly terrain analysis scenario. This second experiment in the series, building upon the results of the first experiment, evaluated the value of BTRA-BC in a realistic planning environment with a scenario that requires more complex decisionmaking. This paper discusses the experimental design (presented at the 13 th ICCRTS) and the preliminary results of this experiment.

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 2019

The battlespace is a volatile and complex environment in which tactical commanders face cognitively challenging responsibilities, compounded with the increased complexity of emerging cyber warfare. It is critical that tactical commanders gain adequate situation awareness for effective decision making to achieve mission success. While current tools enable distribution of large quantities and types of information, they do not adequately support the underlying cognitive work and information needs of tactical commanders. We performed a domain analysis using Cognitive Task Analysis methods, developing a prototypical operational scenario representative of current and envisioned environments, centered on a cyber-attack. Using this analysis, we identified cognitive and information requirements for information displays that support effective tactical decision making. Tactical commanders need to understand dynamic situations in the field, understand the viable courses of actions, know how the...

Advances in Military Technology

The article presents an experiment performed in the MasaSword version 6.17.1 environment in evaluating the effectiveness of an attack on ground targets within a close air support mission to an opponent on the march or in a defensive position, or in an attack. The ground unit commander has performed an analysis of available firepower based on aerial reconnaissance and he decided to use the allocated aircraft with different types of ammunition. The key element is the effect of selected weapons and ammunition on the enemy’s targets according to the required level of target elimination. The article also evaluates the possibilities offered by the use of MasaSword in the decision-making process of the commander when making decisions.

International Journal of Human-computer Interaction, 2010

Close Target Reconnaissance (CTR) patrols can be characterized by activities that involve naturalistic decision making to develop situation awareness through processes of sense-making. Any technology that is introduced into such activity needs to be sufficiently “invisible” so as not to disrupt or otherwise interfere with the activities of search and interpretation. It is proposed that some technologies, such as imaging devices, can support recognition-primed decision making (RPDM). It is suggested that providing CTR patrols with cameras could supplement existing technologies, such as night vision goggles or binoculars, and provide an opportunity to capture useful intelligence. The concept of location-based photography (in which metadata are collected in parallel with images) provides a means of effectively producing patrol reports in real time. A prototype system is described and trialled comparing conventional practices surrounding note-taking and report writing with the use of location-based photography. The results show little difference in time spent patrolling under the two conditions but significant improvement in reporting under the location-based photography condition. One explanation of these differences relate to the manner in which note taking provides support for sense-making but could interfere with RPDM (through the need to analyze the situation in sufficient detail to make notes), whereas imaging can be performed as part of the RPDM activity. Tagged images change the nature in which the reports are written in that sense-making is performed largely post hoc, which allows flexibility in interpretation and analysis.