» AUGMENTED REALITY » FUTURE GEOINT LEADERS » MODELING & SIMULATION
2013 ISSUE 4
THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE UNITED STATES GEOSPATIAL INTELLIGENCE FOUNDATION VIEWTHE FROM
TheABOVE evolution and future of airborne ISR BECAUSE VIDEO AND DATA ARE IMPORTANT TO YOUR NEXT MISSION
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PHOTO CREDITS: Department of Defense and Dvids Defense & Imagery Distribution System CONTENTS 2013 ISSUE 4
02 | VANTAGE POINT Features 30 | MEMBERSHIP PULSE Community rallies support in An inside look at DigitalGlobe’s wake of shutdown. growth and initiatives post- 16 | THE VIEW FROM ABOVE 04 GeoEye merger. | LETTERS The next generation of airborne military A father and son connect through 32 | GEN YPG reading trajectory. assets will deliver troves of cutting-edge Meet the new young intelligence. The wave of the future, professionals on USGIF’s Board 06 | INTSIDER of Directors. IC ITE; NGA’s Map of the World; however, isn’t just collecting data —it’s geography websites; and the new finding better ways to exploit it. 33 | NEED TO KNOW The four components to SpyMeSat app. By Matt Alderton achieving success in the data 08 | IN MOTION deluge era. USGIF special event for IC 22 | AUGMENTING REALITY members; partnership with the 34 | HORIZONS DigitalGlobe Foundation; NIEM Augmented reality tracks one’s location Reading List; Peer Intel; and panel discussion. in both space and time. Thus, USGIF Events Calendar.
12 | ELEVATE its very foundation is geospatial. 36 | APERTURE University of Redlands achieves By Mark Wolverton Marilyn Monroe’s humble USGIF accreditation for its beginnings. accelerated master’s degree program. 28 | FUTURE GEOINT LEADERS 14 | COMMON GROUND Cover image: ©States of Jersey imagery, 2013 USGIF Scholarship winners. supplied courtesy of Fugro Geospatial BV. The Town of Saint Helier, Jersey; the False USGIF’s Modeling & Simulation Colour Near Infrared image (FCNIR) was Working Group. flown with a DMC Camera.
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BONUS PHOTO VIDEO » AUGMENTED REALITY » FUTURE GEOINT LEADERS » MODELING & SIMULATION 2013 ISSUE 4 DOWNLOAD CONTENT Browse a An interactive look THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE UNITED STATES GEOSPATIAL INTELLIGENCE FOUNDATION the free trajectory Learn more about collection at Google Glass THE tablet app to view bonus the 2013 USGIF of stunning and the Lockheed VIEW FROMABOVE material and integrated Scholarship aerial Martin F-35 The evolution and future of airborne ISR multimedia content. winners. imagery. Lightning II helmet. TRJ-016 VANTAGE POINT
USGIF CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD K. Stuart Shea
SHUTDOWN, BUT NOT OUT USGIF CEO AND PUBLISHER Keith J. Masback
The recent devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan made me pause to think about the impact of last EXECUTIVE EDITOR year’s Hurricane Sandy. While the extent of the death and damage caused by Haiyain has yet to be fully Jordan Fuhr measured, it’s already off the front page, and, for the most part, it seems people without any familial [email protected] attachment to the Philippines have stopped thinking about it. Sandy is also a distant memory for most. Discussion of the one-year anniversary was limited generally to areas MANAGING EDITOR heavily impacted by the storm. Whether in the midst of such a disaster, engaged in Kristin Quinn [email protected] supporting relief operations from afar, or just watching events unfold on the news, the devastation provides valuable perspective when you pause to reflect. EDITOR The time since Sandy has been fairly tumultuous for those of us working with the Brad Causey U.S. government and the defense, intelligence, and homeland security communities. [email protected] We’ve seen the effects of the 2012 sequestration as it forces budget cuts with little or no discretion. We’ve seen furloughs, layoffs, and companies fold as defense and intelligence ART DIRECTOR spending recedes from the height of post-9/11 operations. This fall, we even experienced Gretchen Kirchner Rund [email protected] the embarrassing shutdown of the federal government, as our elected officials couldn’t find any way to do their jobs on our behalf. AD SALES The government shutdown had a number of direct and indirect consequences, including the Jeff Ley unanticipated and unavoidable postponement of the GEOINT 2013 Symposium. The interpretations [email protected] of the Pay Our Military Act prevented government and military personnel from participating in or even attending public events. USGIF’s partners in the greater Tampa Bay area suffered an immediate AD SALES ASSISTANT Ashley Jones estimated loss of more than $5 million to the local economy. The GEOINT Community missed the [email protected] opportunity for the unique and critically important dialogue among government, industry, and academia that the Symposium annually provides. EDITORIAL INTERN Our exhibitors, sponsors, partners, and Lindsay Tilton attendees were also impacted financially, Although the events in Washington over the [email protected] many with unrecoverable, sunk costs. past year—including the government shutdown The USGIF staff found itself in and subsequent postponement of the GEOINT uncharted territory, working tirelessly Trajectory is the official magazine to “un-plan” our annual event while 2013 Symposium—were inconvenient, they of the United States Geospatial mitigating the financial impact on were by no means tragic. Intelligence Foundation (USGIF), the Foundation and all Symposium in Herndon, Va. stakeholders, including simultaneously HOW TO REACH US re-planning for the spring and managing LETTERS AND COMMENTS the cascading effect on out-year obligations. For comments on trajectory, contact On behalf of the entire staff, I want to express our thanks to the GEOINT Community for standing [email protected]. by USGIF, for the constant expressions of support, and for demonstrating remarkable patience. All along, we’ve aimed to maintain perspective. Although the events in Washington over the past SUBSCRIPTIONS year—including the government shutdown and subsequent postponement of the GEOINT 2013 Sym- For information on subscribing to posium—were inconvenient, they were by no means tragic. The tremendous loss of life and property trajectory, sign up for free at trajectorymagazine.com. caused by storms like Sandy and Haiyan are vivid reminders of such. We’re also mindful that many in our business continue to face significant challenges in this time of remarkable change. USGIF remains USGIF MEMBERSHIP strong, its mission remains relevant and important, and the GEOINT 2013* Symposium will be held For more information on USGIF April 14-17, 2014, in Tampa. or becoming a USGIF member, Please enjoy this latest issue of trajectory, which includes a cover story on the future of airborne ISR, contact 888-MY-USGIF a feature on the advent of augmented reality, and much more. Best wishes from all of us at USGIF for a (888-698-7443). joyous holiday season, and a healthy, safe, and productive 2014. We look forward to seeing you in April, WEBSITE if not before! trajectorymagazine.com
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PUBLICATION MANAGEMENT
KEITH J. MASBACK | CEO, USGIF *GEOINT 2013 … Now in April 2014! @geointer
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2 | TRAJECTORYMAGAZINE.COM ll 2013 ISSUE 4
LETTERS | FROM THE FIELD Letters are the opinions of the author alone and do not represent the views or opinions of his or her respective company or organization.
THE TERRAIN OF TERRORISM DAR » BOUT LI 2013 ISSUE 2 EARN A T » L A FATHER-SON CONNECTION GOVERNMEN T APPS FOR » GEOIN My GIS analyst son and I (a geospatial application developer) enjoy reading trajectory magazine and
TION discussing the articles. My interests include full TELLIGENCE FOUNDA TIAL IN ES GEOSPA TED STAT OF THE UNI motion video and multi-INT topics, and my son, THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE Charlie, is interested in remote sensing. I believe SUBMISSIONS trajectory successfully straddles the line between Trajectory welcomes GRAPHY OF your feedback. Send us THE GEO CE research and application topics of interest to the a letter at trajectory@ Intelligence Community. » 10 YEARS OF GEOINT SYMPOSIA » GLOBAL SOF NETWORK » GEOSPATIAL STANDARDS WHERE’ MATTERS usgif.org. Submission CYBERSPAWHY ‘ 2013 ISSUE 3 My son, who maintains map data sets in a constitutes permission production shop, became interested in maps when to reprint, and letters Google Earth and Google Maps made commercial may be edited for imagery available on the Internet. He would pan THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE UNITED STATES GEOSPATIAL INTELLIGENCE FOUNDATION length and clarity. across our neighborhood looking for landmarks he knew. While in college, he worked with a GIS team at the Boy Scouts of America’s Philmont Scout
4/15/13 3:46 PM Ranch in New Mexico maintaining trail, road, and land-use map data. Charlie graduated with a degree
in environmental science and a GIS certificate from
¡ ¢
lapp the University of Mary Washington in 2011.
£ ¢ JOURNEY llo TO We both participate in USGIF events and INTEGRATION Charlie is a member of USGIF’s Young Professionals Group. USGIF is a great organization we share in common as members of the IC! —Paul Devine, Senior Software Engineer, TASC
USGIF accreditation of collegiate Geospatial Intelligence certificate programs supports vital national security interests by assuring that students are prepared for careers within the growing GEOINT enterprise. Earning a Geospatial Intelligence certificate from a USGIF accredited institution provides students with the skills required to address national security challenges and delivers employers potential hires of the right caliber.
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NEWS UPDATES AND HIGHLIGHTS
IC ITE MOVES FORWARD
Director of National Intelligence James Clapper first announced his plan to integrate the Intelligence Community’s information technology architecture at GEOINT 2011 in San Antonio. Since then, a series of projects have been under way to move toward a common IT platform for the Community, known as the Intelli- gence Community Information Technology Enterprise (IC ITE). On Aug. 16, the IC ITE initiative reached its initial baseline milestone with the limited deployment of a common Intelligence Community desktop, the launch of the first installment of the Intelligence Community cloud, and the opening of a community- wide applications mall. The main goals of IC ITE are to provide effectiveness, security, THE MAIN and efficiency for the GOALS OF IC ITE community, said Al ARE TO PROVIDE Tarasiuk, the Intel- EFFECTIVENESS, ligence Community’s SECURITY, AND chief information of- EFFICIENCY FOR ficer, during a press briefing Sept. 9. THE COMMUNITY. “[IC ITE is] not this gigantic program that has a billion milestones, ODNI CIO Al Tarasiuk speaks on a panel about information innovation at GEOINT 2012. and IOC and FOC hard-set dates,” Tarasiuk said. “It really is a series of projects that the agencies are already executing that we are re-vectoring slightly to achieve this commonality across the Community.” of the IC cloud was made available to not just users on the new IC The program has a service-based provider structure in which one or desktop, but to those on legacy systems as well—meaning any intelli- two agencies is responsible for governing each of the four major compo- gence agency personnel connected to TS/SCI networks can now access nents of IC ITE: the Intelligence Community desktop, the Intelligence IC ITE capabilities. Community cloud, the applications mall, and a network requirement The final component of IC ITE is the network requirement and and engineering service. engineering service. The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) leads this The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and the portion, examining how to connect both local and wide area networks for Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) oversee the development of the IC the purpose of providing a more efficient model that improves effectiveness. desktop, and the initial deployment to a few thousand users is taking Following this initial baseline milestone, IC ITE will continue to place within the two agencies. Rather than every agency building its own grow in increments of six months to a year. In 2014, the focus will be software desktop like it does today, when the new desktop is fully scaled, ensuring the resilience of the current infrastructure and making sure it will be used by all agencies and include a common email system and more production capabilities can be moved into it before scaling the collaboration services such as voice, video, and instant messaging. number of desktops and the amount of data in the cloud, Tarasiuk The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the National Security said. He added that at the current pace, ODNI anticipates a substantial Agency (NSA) lead the development of the IC cloud, which will be number of users on the new IC desktop and the cloud infrastructure to privately hosted within the Intelligence Community. The first installment be built out by 2018.
In 2013, the global airborne ISR market will amount to $19.2 3 B
6 | TRAJECTORYMAGAZINE.COM ll 2013 ISSUE 4 PROCRASTINATION TOOLS
CHECK OUT THESE ENTERTAINING GEOGRAPHY- RELATED WEBSITES
GEOGUESSR is a fun game in which the user is shown a panoramic Google Maps image of a randomly selected place from anywhere in the world, and can pan and zoom for clues to guess the location. After guessing, the correct location is revealed and users gain points based on how close their estimation was to the actual location. www.geoguessr.com
THEY DRAW & TRAVEL looks at the world in a different and creative way. Users can select any FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN TO region in the world, as well as their artistic style of choice, and the website will load vibrant maps THE TOP OF THE WORLD created by artists from around the globe. www.theydrawandtravel.com To meet the growing demand for online spatial content, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is developing a “Map of the World” to provide easy access and one-stop shopping WHATWASTHERE provides a geography and to the agency’s most complete and spatially accurate GEOINT data. history lesson in one. The website ties historic By providing a centralized focal point for exploring content, the Map of the World will photos to Google Maps, allowing users to integrate the display of foundation GEOINT and intelligence across Intelligence Community select a location and see corresponding disciplines. It will link natural and man-made features on, above, and beneath the Earth to images of what was previously there. www.whatwasthere.com objects through intelligence observations and judgments from the GEOINT Community. Users will also be able to integrate their own content with the content they access via the Map of the WORLDCAM fuses the Instagram photography World, and tailor the Map of the World displays in a variety of ways to provide the specific visual- social media platform with geography. By typing in ization solution needed for their mission. a landmark and nearby city, users are provided with “By integrating views of the physical Earth, mission-related content, and integrated intelli- a collection of photos from that location, beginning gence, the Map of the World will enable analysts to substantially enhance the quality and impact with the most recent. For example, you can view of that support,” said John Goolgasian, director, Foundation GEOINT Group, Source Operations a collection of the most recent Instagram photos and Management Directorate, NGA. taken at the Lincoln Memorial, Dulles International NGA recently launched the initial Transportation and Names and Boundaries Map of the Airport, Kabul City Center, or even your child’s World views on government classified computer networks. Future releases will continue to lay high school. www.worldc.am the groundwork to build the Map of the World.
Orbit Logic introduced its new iPhone app, SpyMeSat, in October. The app provides notifications when an imaging satellite is overhead, in addition to showing a map of orbiting satellites nearing a user’s location. Users can also customize the app by enabling or disabling individual satellites, or setting the app to track a particular satellite constellation. SpyMeSat was originally targeted for the aerospace, defense, and intelligence communities, but has attracted interest from everyday space enthusiasts as well. The app can be downloaded via the Apple App Store. I SPY… I
The Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance aircraft has been in service for 56YEARS
USGIF.ORG kk TRAJECTORY | 7 IN MOTION | WHAT WE DO
YOUNG PROFESSIONALS TRAIN AT ESRI
ArcGIS for Desktop
Members of USGIF’s Young Professionals Group (YPG) had the opportunity to learn more DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE James Clapper speaks at a special event hosted by USGIF Oct. 15. about what Esri offers beyond desktop capabilities during a private training event at Esri’s THE POWER OF COMMUNITY office in Vienna, Va., on Aug. 19. Mark Bowlin, an account IN THE WAKE of the decision to postpone of the U.S. Army Geospatial Center and U.S. manager with Esri’s Defense the GEOINT 2013 Symposium, which was Army GIO Dr. Joseph Fontanella. and Intelligence team, helped scheduled to be held in Tampa, Fla. Oct. Masback asked DNI Clapper and Director coordinate the YPG session. 13–16, more than 200 Intelligence Community Long to briefly address the crowd. “The training held at the members gathered Oct. 15 for a USGIF special “We certainly all understand the decision Esri office was an excellent fit event in Springfield, Va. that was made and support that and know the As a result of the government shutdown, spring is going to be even better—even with all for the YPG,” Bowlin said. “The USGIF announced Oct. 8 it would postpone of the challenges that it comes with,” Long said. members were exposed to its 10th annual GEOINT Symposium to April Long thanked the attendees for being there the many facets of the ArcGIS 2014. The special event offered Community and expressed appreciation for the Community’s platform. They were also able members the opportunity to reflect upon this flexibility throughout a challenging situation. to get hands-on experience news, look ahead to the spring, and network. “It is great to see so many folks coming out with the web-based offerings USGIF CEO Keith Masback said there is here tonight,” she said. “We just very much look that they can take to their jobs “no playbook” for postponing an event the size forward to next spring.” and utilize immediately.” of the GEOINT Symposium. Clapper described the high turnout for the The ArcGIS platform “While USGIF is certainly disappointed special event as a reflection on the importance includes ArcGIS for Desktop, in this unavoidable delay of our event, we are of the Foundation and its efforts to foster rela- ArcGIS for Server, ArcGIS also cognizant that there have been furloughs tionships between government and industry. He Online, and ArcGIS for Mobile. and layoffs with profound and lasting impacts,” also reiterated Masback’s sentiments about the Overviews of Desktop, Server Masback said. power of Community. 10.1, and Online were shown “We are a Community,” Masback told the “So as we contend with what I call the during the presentation, and crowd. “And you have acted like a Community ‘4 Ss’—Syria, Sequestration, Snowden, and new imagery analysis tools with your emails and phone calls of support.” Shutdown—there has never been a time though were also demonstrated. Additionally, many senior leaders from the when collectively all of us need to hang together “The major message [YPG] Intelligence Community attended the special more than right now,” Clapper said. members took away was that event to show support for the Foundation, The DNI also gave a nod to the many indus- Esri offers more than desktop including Director of National Intelligence try partners present. “I’d be remiss if I didn’t take capabilities, and those capa- James Clapper; Deputy DNI for Intelligence a moment to thank all of the corporate represen- bilities are able to be used by Integration Robert Cardillo; Assistant DNI for tatives here,” Clapper said. “Your presence here any analyst,” Bowlin said. Acquisition Kevin Meiners; Deputy Undersec- tonight speaks volumes about the success of the retary of Defense for Intelligence, Warfighter Foundation, and we’ll see you in the spring.” The YPG is always looking for new Support, and Director of the ISR Task Force Masback concluded that USGIF intends to opportunities to expose its members and Lt. Gen. Ray Palumbo; National Geospatial- communicate thoroughly and often as it shifts the next generation of community leaders Intelligence Agency Director Letitia Long; NGA its focus toward an April Symposium, and the to varied technologies, services, and solutions. To learn more, contact Deputy Director Michael Rodrigue; NGA Chief full array of other Foundation-sponsored events [email protected]. Operating Officer Ellen McCarthy; and Director throughout 2014.
8 | TRAJECTORYMAGAZINE.COM ll 2013 ISSUE 4
IN MOTION | WHAT WE DO MOVING TOWARD A USGIF SHAPES COMMON INFORMATION PARTNERSHIP EXCHANGE MODEL WITH USGIF presented a luncheon panel discussion Sept. 16 on the National DIGITALGLOBE Information Exchange Model (NIEM), and how it is changing acquisition and collaboration. NIEM is a community-driven, standards-based approach FOUNDATION to exchanging information across organizations. Originally a grassroots effort at USGIF has expanded its partnership state and local levels, the model is now being applied at 19 federal agencies. with DigitalGlobe, corresponding Kshemendra Paul, program manager for the Information Sharing with the Oct. 11 launch of The Environment (PM-ISE), moderated the panel, which included Donna Roy, DigitalGlobe Foundation. executive director, Information Sharing Environment Office, Office of the USGIF sponsors and promotes CIO, Department of Homeland Security (DHS); David DeVries, deputy geospatial educational programs, and CIO for information enterprise, DoD; and Jeff Bell, deputy chief archi- has accredited geospatial intelligence PHOTO COURTESY OF DIGITALGLOBE FOUNDATION DIGITALGLOBE OF COURTESY PHOTO tect, and director, National Center for Geospatial Intelligence Standards, programs at eight colleges and DIGITALGLOBE IMAGERY allowed National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). universities. The DigitalGlobe Harvard graduate student Alyson Rather than creating new geospatial policy, the PM-ISE office works Foundation will make grants to Rose-Wood to map trends in malaria with NIEM and the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) to align exist- these academic institutions that morbidity among Malian children. ing policy in order to guide and advance geospatial interoperability, Paul need access to imagery, information, said. The broad reach of his office has helped gain traction for the initia- expertise, and tools in order to advance their research, develop their tive, known as “GEO4NIEM,” he added. skills, and understand the unique potential of the geospatial industry NIEM is growing and and tradecraft. “ NIEM IS A GREAT PLATFORM responding rapidly to com- “USGIF and The DigitalGlobe Foundation will make for a powerful FOR SOLVING ISSUES WHERE munity needs, according to team in support of the next generation of GEOINT professionals,” THERE ARE NO OTHER Roy. NIEM 3.0 was released said Keith Masback, USGIF CEO. “The students in our accredited STANDARDS OR WHERE in October—the culmination programs will significantly benefit from the unique access they’ll have to THE INTEGRATION OF NIEM of 13 months of engaging satellite imagery, as well as from the additional curriculum development STANDARDS BECOMES the community across 14 assistance their schools will receive.” CRITICAL.” —Donna Roy domains. The DigitalGlobe Foundation is a nonprofit organization She added that NIEM is focused on fostering the growth of the next generation of geospatial touching government at many levels, from the local and state, to DHS and technology professionals. the Intelligence Community, which recently achieved the baseline milestone “The DigitalGlobe Foundation is uniquely positioned to help for its developing Intelligence Community Information Technology Enter- prepare the geospatial leaders of tomorrow,” said Jeffrey R. Tarr, prise (IC ITE). president and CEO of DigitalGlobe.
SPOTLIGHT: USGIF SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT
Jennifer (Stitt) Bullock won a gathers data on golden monkeys in China, a topic she has USGIF Scholarship in 2011 while integrated into her high school courses. obtaining her master’s degree in Bullock said attending the GEOINT 2011 Symposium— geographic information science she received complimentary registration the year of her (GIS) at the University of South- scholarship award—has been a great source of inspiration ern California. for her in the classroom. Bullock always felt she had a “I was able to network with professionals, which gave knack for teaching and decided me topics and ideas to bring back to teach my high school to use her degree to educate students,” Bullock said. “I enjoyed showing them the reality others. She currently teaches GIS at Helix Charter High and application of GIS.” School in La Mesa, Calif., and recently began her first year Although she enjoys teaching GIS, Bullock hopes to as an adjunct professor at Cuyamaca Community College in eventually become a digital learning consultant, where she El Cajon, Calif. can train GIS employees in the field. In addition to teaching, Bullock collaborates with San Bullock’s advice to students thinking about applying for Diego State University to discuss new ways of integrating a USGIF Scholarship: “Don’t let your doubt blind you from GIS curriculum in grades K-12. She also researches and applying—just give it a shot.”
10 | TRAJECTORYMAGAZINE.COM ll 2013 ISSUE 4 Create Situational Awareness. Deliver Mission Critical Imagery. Make More Informed Decisions.
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AN INTERACTIVE EDUCATION University of Redlands achieves USGIF accreditation for its accelerated master’s degree program PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF REDLANDS UNIVERSITY OF OF COURTESY PHOTO REDLANDS’ GIS master’s candidates brush up on basic GIS and cartography skills during a class assignment.
HE MASTER of science degree in geographic information systems (GIS) from the University of Redlands in Redlands, Calif., is more than an average graduate program. With its unique Esri partnership and a dedicated full-time faculty of five, the Redlands graduate GIS program has helped students advance their skills and be catapulted directly into the workforce. 62 TIn addition to real-world workforce connections, the program now also offers STUDENTS ARE CURRENTLY students the opportunity to earn a USGIF Geospatial Intelligence Certificate. The ENROLLED IN THE GIS MASTER’S Redlands GIS master’s degree program gained USGIF accreditation in August 2013, DEGREE PROGRAM AT REDLANDS making it the eighth university to be accredited by the Foundation. Through the USGIF Collegiate Accreditation Program, students who meet high academic standards and graduate from accredited programs receive USGIF’s GEO- INT Certificate, which is the first of its kind, and ensures the Community will have a robust workforce now and in the future. “We’re excited to be formally accredited,” said Dr. Mark Kumler, a Redlands’ GIS professor. “Students from the Intelligence Community, particularly from NGA, have been some of our very best, and we look forward to continuing a strong relation- ship with the Community, and taking advantage of our close ties with Esri.” Esri President Jack Dangermond and former University of Redlands’ President Dr. James Appleton founded the master’s program in 2001 as a way for mid-career GIS professionals to earn a graduate degree. The program has since graduated more
PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA OF COURTESY PHOTO than 300 students, with nearly 50 from numerous federal agencies, including the
12 | TRAJECTORYMAGAZINE.COM ll 2013 ISSUE 4 National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Defense Intelligence present their research projects at the annual Esri International Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, and Department of User Conference. Homeland Security. The program also has great international Having Esri at her fingertips was Lisa Berry’s favorite participation. To date, students from approximately 50 coun- part of her Redlands experience. She heard about the tries have graduated or are enrolled. Currently, 62 students are program’s distinctive relationship with the company and the going through the program. school’s positive reputation from many friends and colleagues. Students complete the program in only one year—the duration of three Redlands semesters—taking courses ranging from basic “ My favorite aspect of the program is the support GIS and cartography to more advanced classes from the faculty. If you have questions, an idea, in statistics, remote sensing, and imaging data. However, the crux of the program is a final or need help finding job opportunities, there’s research project where students apply GIS skills and assist local organizations working to always someone you can talk to.” integrate GIS capabilities into their day-to-day —Numa Gremling, Redlands GIS student operations. Whether it’s helping an arts and entertainment organization better its atten- dance to performances or locating the best spots for mussel “Being able to work closely with Esri, attend their confer- farming in Southern California, the final project provides ence, and network with professionals was very valuable,” Berry students a well-rounded base of project management and real- said. “I like how Esri employees came to teach us and show world skills. [how] what we’re learning can easily be used in the real world.” “It was great to spend a year in this crazy, intense program Numa Gremling, a current Redlands’ GIS student from with an excellent group of motivated students and supportive Luxembourg, said the positivity and encouragement from fac- faculty, and come out the other side knowing that I had done ulty is just another piece of what makes the program successful. something that someone really valued,” said Caitlyn Raines, “My favorite aspect of the program is the support from the who graduated in 2013 and now works with Esri’s database faculty,” Gremling said. “If you have questions, an idea, or services team. need help finding job opportunities, there’s always someone To learn more With Esri headquarters less than three miles from campus, you can talk to.” about USGIF Redlands students take advantage of the close proximity. As With the increasing demand for GIS and GEOINT accreditation, part of the curriculum, Esri professionals visit campus to pres- professionals, many more future students will surely seek out visit usgif.org/ ent seminars and workshops on ArcGIS software and help train an intense and interactive master’s program such as this. education/ and prepare students for research. Esri also invites students to BY LINDSAY TILTON accreditation.
STUDENTS prepare their final projects, which are later presented at Esri’s International
PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF REDLANDS UNIVERSITY OF OF COURTESY PHOTO User Conference.
USGIF.ORG kk TRAJECTORY | 13 COMMON GROUND | WORKING GROUPS & COMMITTEES
BEYOND PRETTY PICTURES USGIF’s Modeling & Simulation Working Group applies standards to unite the GEOINT and M&S Communities
“Training simulations introduce a lot Building off the success of the of realism for the purpose of helping sol- GEOINT Community Week demonstra- diers to do their job better,” Maxwell said. tions, the M&S Working Group will host “But realism and reality aren’t the same a more in depth follow-on session in April thing. From an intelligence perspective, at the GEOINT Symposium in Tampa, we would rather integrate current data Fla. The Symposium demonstrations than have a pretty picture. It’s a subtle but will focus on using data published with really important point as we start migrat- standards from the Open Geospatial ing away from training to things like Consortium (OGC) that can be ingested decision support and rehearsal.” directly into simulations. The working At USGIF’S GEOINT Community group and OGC are joining forces for the Week in May 2013, the M&S Working demonstrations, bringing together par- Group hosted demonstrations by VT ticipants from DoD and federal agencies, MAK and USGIF Member Company as well as vendors, integrators, and data CAE of their dynamic synthetic environ- providers from industry. ment tools, both of which use open “Open standards-based interoper- standards and common data. ability in M&S will enable the rapid “There are communities of simu- repurposing of M&S data sets for use lation developers that are actually with other geospatial information in generating geospatial data to feed operational situational awareness and de- CAE’S COMMON EOSPATIAL ELEMENTS models and simulations for training and cision support applications,” said Mark DATABASE is an open, such as terrain features, rehearsal,” Maxwell said. “We could Reichardt, president and CEO of OGC. standard database that defines a single synthetic elevation, human geography, achieve efficiencies for the government “Why is this important? For example, representation of the and imagery are often critical if we could find ways to better share the M&S data can be used to fill gaps in world for use by simula- to the functionality of modeling data that they generate.” geospatial coverage, and it can support tion systems. Gand simulation (M&S) tools. Conversely, One governmental use of M&S ‘what if’ scenarios as events unfold.” the opportunities for analysis of spatial is accurately replicating the joint The Symposium demonstrations intelligence activities and events operational environment for joint will feature participants from OGC, using M&S are growing as geospatial force development—a process where the National Oceanic and Atmospheric information becomes more accurate GEOINT products are critical according Administration, VT MAK, and USGIF and accessible. to U.S. Army Col. Dan Ray, with the Member Companies CACI, CAE, IT’S IMPORTANT For this reason, USGIF Members Joint Chiefs of Staff’s Joint M&S Compusult, DigitalGlobe, Envitia, TO DIFFERENTIATE formed a Modeling & Simulation Environment Development Division. and exactEarth. It will also include BETWEEN Working Group in 2012 to discuss com- A new era has just begun for M&S two demonstrations—one military and mon interests shared by the M&S and applications, Ray said, adding that one civilian. The military scenario will M&S GEOINT Communities, as well as how standards reduce costs by allowing for simulate the rescue of soldiers from a FOR THE PURPOSE the two can benefit from one another. the creation of common data structures combat situation in Yemen, with terrain OF TRAINING Bridging the two communities is about from the outset. modifications updated on the fly in SOLDIERS VERSUS effectiveness and efficiency, according “From our standpoint on joint M&S, response to late-breaking information. INTELLIGENCE to Dan Maxwell, co-chair of the working a vast array of proprietary, simulation- The civilian scenario will be set in ANALYSTS. group and president of KaDSci. specific formats are based on legacy data Hawaii, and simulate an oil spill off “As computers get faster and there gets structures,” Ray said. “We have a terrain the coast of Oahu. The purpose of to be more and more data, the possibili- team that expends a lot of energy, and the simulations will be to show how ties that present themselves by allowing therefore resources, in tweaking standard rapidly updates to an environment can GEOINT and M&S to interact even GEOINT data formats into simulation- be streamed using open standards. more fully are tremendous,” Maxwell specific formats, then modifying and “Both the GEOINT and M&S said. “But, there are also risks there that normalizing the data so the various simula- Communities have a challenging set of we want to make sure we think through.” tions can function. Our push to move joint requirements,” Ray said. “We need to To learn more about For example, it’s important to dif- M&S to a common database structure that maintain close alignment by collaborat- USGIF’s Modeling & ferentiate between M&S for the purpose uses standard GEOINT formats is going to ing and partnering in areas like data Simulation Working Group, of training soldiers versus intelligence move M&S in the right direction toward standards as we move forward.” @ email mswg usgif.org. analysts. common and open data.” BY KRISTIN QUINN CAE OF COURTESY IMAGE
14 | TRAJECTORYMAGAZINE.COM ll 2013 ISSUE 4 NOW IN APRIL The Nation’s Largest Intelligence Event
APRIL 14-17, 2014 TAMPA CONVENTION CENTER TAMPA, FLORIDA
*The GEOINT Symposium was postponed due to the recent government shutdown and is rescheduled for April 14-17, 2014. Registration and Housing Now Open
Brought to you by the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation GEOINTSYMPOSIUM.COM This LiDAR image of the Konar Province of Afghanistan was captured under the U.S. Army Geospatial Center’s BuckEye Program, which provides unclassified, high-resolution geospatial data for tactical missions. 16 | TRAJECTORYMAGAZINE.COM ll 2013 ISSUE 4 THE NEXT GENERATION OF AIRBORNE MILITARY ASSETS WILL DELIVER TROVES OF CUTTING- EDGE INTELLIGENCE. THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE, HOWEVER, ISN’T JUST COLLECTING DATA—IT’S FINDING BETTER WAYS TO EXPLOIT IT.
BY MATT ALDERTON FROM ABOVE
“I can see my house from here!” A boy’s first flight aboard a commercial airliner is magical. At an altitude of 40,000 feet, he realizes for the first time the sheer size of the world in which he lives. The view from above — more vast than he’d ever imagined on the ground — offers him new perspectives and possibilities. The best way forward, he realizes, is up.
PHOTO COURTESY OF USACE OF COURTESY PHOTO USGIF.ORG kk TRAJECTORY | 17 A soldier’s first flight aboard an manually analyzed and stored. to collect continuous imagery from Enhanced Medium Altitude Recon- “Airborne ISR was very tedious in its behind enemy lines. “We realized that naissance and Surveillance System infancy,” said Eric Zitz, a lead associate WWII-style reconnaissance wasn’t going (EMARSS) aircraft promises the same at Booz Allen Hamilton, where he serves to work anymore,” Poss continued. “We awakening all over again. Thanks to its as an intelligence integration specialist needed constant surveillance and we seven-hour flight time, high-bandwidth for the National Geospatial-Intelligence needed advanced data links to allow us data links, modular open system archi- Agency (NGA). “It produced an incred- to go deep in [hostile] territory.” tecture, and generous payload capacity, ible amount of raw film that had to be Since then, demand for persistent the Boeing-built multi-INT platform taken off the airplane and processed just surveillance and advanced data links has offers a view that’s not only farther and like you would an old Kodak roll, then grown exponentially under the thumb of wider than that on the ground, but given to someone who knew what they two trends—technology and terrorism. also deeper. When it’s accessorized were looking for.” The War on Terror isn’t a war against with cutting-edge sensors that capture In the decades after World War II, stationary military targets such as air- imagery and other information, one can when the dominant reconnaissance fields, ports, and complexes, but rather not only see the enemy’s house, but also aircraft was the F-4 variant of Lockheed individual adversaries who are constantly who’s entering it, where they’re com- Martin’s P-38, the United States made shifting locations. ing from, when they leave, and where several notable advancements in aerial Against this backdrop, airborne they’re headed when they do. platforms, including the Lockheed U-2 platforms are increasingly advantageous, “This one airplane can do what it jet-powered reconnaissance platform, as they can navigate around weather, get used to take more than three airplanes which was introduced in 1955; the closer to targets, fly time- and place- to do,” said Mark Stephenson, Boeing’s Ryan Model 147, an unmanned recon- specific missions, and allow for agility EMARSS program man- naissance aircraft created in 1962; the with respect to sensor selection. ager, whose team in 2010 Lockheed A-12 reconnaissance aircraft, “Satellite platforms offer data at a won a U.S. Army contract first flown for the CIA as a U-2 back-up global scale according to a systematic for four EMARSS aircraft, in 1962; and the A-12’s doppelganger— time schedule, and with a highly central- the first of which com- the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, a ized data processing and distribution pleted its first test flight in high-speed, high-altitude reconnaissance system,” said Nancy McGee, federal May 2013. platform in use from 1966 until 1998. business development manager for EMARSS is but one “There was a fairly major break- Fugro EarthData, a remote sensing, cog in an enormous ma- through [in airborne ISR] in 1983, when mapping, and GIS services company. chine that’s shaping the we learned to put data links on our aircraft “Airborne platforms offer the alterna- future of airborne intelli- with the U-2,” said retired Air Force Maj. tive of a more user-specific service at a THE BOEING EMARSS gence, surveillance, and reconnaissance Gen. James Poss, former assistant deputy regional scale, so that data acquisition airborne ISR platform is (ISR). For the boy looking down on his chief of staff for ISR at U.S. Air Force can be organized flexibly both in time among new aircraft being house—who one day becomes a soldier headquarters. “I’ll make the argument, and space. They’re flexible, temporal, designed to facilitate multi- looking down on a threat—that future though, that aerial reconnaissance really and targeted.” INT fusion, and is therefore is one in which adversaries cannot hide. hadn’t changed much since WWII.” Put another way, spaceborne assets poised to exploit and Along with sophisticated platforms and It finally did change—“funda- have breadth, but airborne assets integrate the next generation advanced sensors, this future requires mentally,” according to Poss—in 1995, have depth. of aerial sensors. new ways of working that replace “seek- when Abraham Karem designed the “Satellites have huge collection foot- ing” with “finding.” MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial prints, but airborne platforms get a lot vehicle (UAV). “He took a miniaturized closer,” Zitz explained. “You don’t get as THE CASE FOR AIRBORNE version of what CNN uses to broadcast much area, but you get a much higher Airborne ISR dates back to the Civil live imagery and essentially designed resolution.” War, when Union soldiers used hot air an aircraft around it,” Poss said. “After Given current threats, high resolu- balloons to spy on Confederate troops. Desert Storm, we invented the Global tion is a major benefit. “Imagine if the The deployment of manned observation Positioning System (GPS) and deployed resolution is so good that I can not only balloons carried over into World War a massive amount of laser-guided weap- see a guy, but I can see that guy’s face, I, when Zeppelins and the use of fixed- ons. Our adversaries learned they had to or maybe even read the paper he’s hold- wing aircrafts for reconnaissance were be constantly moving, and we now had ing,” Zitz said. first introduced. By World War II, aerial a surveillance vehicle that would allow photography was prolific, producing us to follow them persistently—whatever EMERGING CAPABILITIES superior situational awareness, but at a it took to find them and wait for the High-resolution imagery is only the significant cost: Gathering intelligence perfect moment to strike. It revolution- beginning. Ultimately, airborne ISR con- required flying great distances to and ized the way we do airpower.” sists of three major aspects: platforms; from the battlefield, as well as flying at The revolution wasn’t the Predator’s sensors; and processing, exploitation, low altitude over enemy territory and platform so much as it was its satellite and dissemination (PED) technologies, developing miles of film that had to be data link, which allowed the military all of which are maturing rapidly. IMAGE COURTESY TITAN AEROSPACE. TITAN COURTESY IMAGE
18 | TRAJECTORYMAGAZINE.COM ll 2013 ISSUE 4 AIRBORNE ISR AT HOME
When it comes to platforms, sensors that can help analysts distin- Advances in airborne ISR also have domes- intelligence experts cite two major guish, for instance, a civilian raising tic, civic, and humanitarian applications. For opportunities. The first is persistence: a cellphone from a militant raising a instance, the same platforms and sensors used Platforms that can stay in the air longer weapon; to track enemies abroad can be used at home can collect more and better intelligence. n Canopy-penetrating LiDAR sensors for disaster response, environmental research, “We’re very interested to find the that generate weather- and light-inde- knee of the curve for cost per flight hour pendent maps; and law enforcement. in endurance,” Poss said. “We spend n Biometric sensors that can remotely U.S. Customs and Border Protection uses about 30 to 40 percent of our time tran- establish targets’ identities; UAVs to secure the country’s borders and siting Predators and Reapers to target, n SIGINT sensors that detect telecom- combat drug trafficking. Meanwhile, NASA so coming up with a long-endurance munications activity; uses them to study hurricanes, while the U.S. platform that won’t have to make that n Infrared sensors that register heat; and Department of Commerce has funded research transit time every 24 hours, but only n Hyperspectral sensors that can read to study whether UAVs can assist with bridge once a week, is very attractive.” hundreds of bands of color in order inspections. Because no pilot can fly for days, to identify materials and differentiate Similarly, the achieving longer flight times is reserved objects. Federal Emergency for UAVs—including the aforemen- When all of these capabilities are com- Management Agency tioned Predator and Reaper, current bined, it creates considerable context for versions of which have flight durations the end user. For example, not only can has relied on high- of 24 and 14 hours, respectively. In con- an analyst see a group of people outside a resolution aerial trast, alternatively-fueled UAVs currently house, but can tell the group is setting up imagery in the wake in development, such as Aurora Flight a decoy because the image’s multi-spectral of natural disasters, Sciences’ hydrogen-powered Orion UAV signature reveals what the house is made such as the May 2013 and Titan Aerospace’s solar-powered of. Or, if an analyst sees a car, he or she tornado in Moore, SOLARA UAV, promise endurance of can also tell it recently arrived at the loca- Okla., after which it five days and five years, respectively. tion because the infrared sensor shows the used advanced imag- THIS AERIAL VIEW shows the The second major opportunity vehicle is still warm. Such insights are very ery from the Civil damage caused by Hurricane Sandy modern platforms offer is payload powerful in decision-making. Air Patrol to create to the New Jersey coast taken capacity: Platforms that carry more during a search and rescue mission geospatial damage weight can accommodate more sensors, THE POWER OF PED by the 1-150 Assault Helicopter the result of which is multi-INT func- The technological trajectory of platforms assessments. Battalion, New Jersey Army tionality that produces a more complete and sensors suggests infinite possibilities “UAS [Unmanned National Guard on Oct. 30, 2012. intelligence picture. for airborne ISR. There’s just one prob- Aerial Systems] have “Multi-INT is extremely important,” lem: Data collection is evolving faster a wide range of domestic applications that can said Mike Manzo, director of geospatial than data processing. help everyone from firefighters to environmental solutions in the Imagery Systems divi- “The volume of image and sen- researchers to farmers save money, save time sion at General Dynamics Advanced sor data we can generate means that and, most importantly, save lives,” said Michael Information Systems. “You get a much management of image and sensor data is Toscano, president and CEO of the Association richer picture when you’re looking at the primary computational challenge of for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International. multiple [sources] of data.” the 21st century,” said Dr. David Brady, “Because of their low operating costs and ability Miniaturization of sensors—fitting an optical engineer at Duke University, to fly in dangerous situations, UAS are ideal for more capabilities into smaller, lighter, where researchers are developing an applications such as search and rescue mis- and therefore cheaper packages—is also ultra-high-resolution camera—called key, according to Dr. Armando Guevara, Aware-2—for use in airborne ISR. sions and surveying severe weather.” president and CEO of aerial imaging The data content already is too Although domestic agencies typically can’t technology company Visual Intelligence. much for analysts to swallow. afford their own airborne ISR assets, applying “Miniaturization will bring to bear the “Presently, you’ve got a 4,000-per- defense technology for non-defense missions fusion of sensors in ways that were not son [data analysis] wing at Langley Air presents many possibilities. “We’re not just possible before, thereby creating a brand- Force Base that’s barely keeping up with involved in wars,” said Mike Manzo, director of new opening for multi-INT,” he said. what our present generation of sensors geospatial solutions in the Imagery Systems New platforms like EMARSS were is giving us,” Poss said. “We’ve got to put division at General Dynamics Advanced Infor- designed with multi-INT fusion in mind a lot more effort into figuring out ways mation Systems. “There’s no reason a manned and are therefore perfectly positioned to to automate PED, which is really the surveillance platform that was flying in the exploit and integrate the next generation toughest part of airborne ISR.” mountains of Afghanistan can’t be reused and of aerial sensors, including: In fact, industry is hard at work on n Wide-area motion sensors capable of evolved PED solutions, including repurposed to provide humanitarian relief after scanning entire cities; advanced data links. Boeing, for example, a hurricane.” n High-definition, full-motion video is working on the Family of Advanced IMAGE COURTESY OF MARK C. OLSEN/U.S. AIR FORCE AIR OLSEN/U.S. C. MARK OF COURTESY IMAGE
USGIF.ORG kk TRAJECTORY | 19 two reasons. First, when you bring all your intelligence into one system you have what we call an all-source analyst who looks at all the pieces of the puzzle and puts together very powerful answers because they’re literally seeing all the dots they need to connect. Second, when you have a common architecture and a common framework, you start to get collaboration between services; we’re all building to a common blueprint.” Although more progress is needed, current PED hardware—for example, Northrop Grumman’s Ground Station, Operational Intelligence (OGS) truck- mounted military shelter—already is advancing the DCGS vision by connect- ing disparate Army networks, operators, and multi-INT sensors. LiDAR impervious surface Beyond Line-of-Sight Terminals (FAB- areas we want to look at, the concepts, “We’re now getting more and more map of Springfield, Ohio. T), which could support airborne ISR techniques, and procedures we use will data at the tactical edge,” Wells said. in remote areas with High Data Rate be different.” “The question that remains is: How do satellite communications. Meanwhile, In asymmetric regions where targets we get more meaning out of that data?” San Diego-based Cubic Defense are complex and resources scarce, col- Applications is using cutting-edge micro- lecting data is futile without the means REACHING NEW ALTITUDES electronics to develop a smaller, lighter to also interpret it. The first step is to make sure PED multiband digital data link system for “The discussion about PED should technology keeps pace with advances in the U.S. Navy’s MQ-8C Fire Scout precede the discussion about platforms platforms and sensors. unmanned helicopter. because it’s how information is exam- “Where you achieve maximum “A data link system that used to ined and analyzed that allows us to get capability is when all three are in sync,” be the size of a toaster oven is now the more squeeze out of the fruit,” said Lt. said Dave Bottom, director of NGA’s size of three Pop-Tarts,” said Robert Col. Faye Cuevas, an intelligence officer information technology services director- Kalebaugh, senior director of business in the U.S. Air Force Reserves. “Instead ate. “We have to make sure we have development for Cubic Defense of focusing entirely on advanced sensors the PED that is able to handle what the Applications. “The smaller size benefits and integrating new phenomenology, we sensor is able to collect and deliver it in manned and unmanned air platforms need to look at how we treat information such a way that the analyst or decision because lighter-weight systems will save once we have it.” maker can understand it and act on it.” on fuel, which could allow the aircraft to The DoD understands the impor- The analyst is just as important as fly longer missions. It is also much easier tance of PED, which is why it created the technology, according to Bottom, for ground troops to transport.” the Distributed Common Ground System who stressed the need to develop and And yet, new PED policies and (DCGS). As part of the Defense deploy more multi-INT analysts, as infrastructure ultimately are needed in Intelligence Information Enterprise has been done to support DCGS-A. order for software and data links to deliver (DI2E)—the information network that “Both PED and collectors need to be their promised benefits—especially as the connects DoD with the rest of the Intel- optimized for the whole more than they U.S. shifts attention and resources out ligence Community (IC)—the goal of are a particular type of phenomenology,” of Iraq and Afghanistan and into new, DCGS is to improve data processing he said. less familiar areas of interest, such as and exploitation by activating shared Instead of traditional PED centers South America, Africa, and Asia, where intelligence across all four U.S. military of excellence, Cuevas advocates the paucities of permissive airspace, funding, branches. deployment of analysts inside non- ground assets, and coalition partners “The DCGS family of systems traditional organizations, like the U.S. could pose significant challenges. was established to create a unified Agency for International Development “In the past, we have essentially intelligence picture,” said Army Col. (USAID). owned the skies in the areas in which Charles Wells, program manager for the “In somewhere like Africa, you don’t we wanted to operate, and because of Army’s DCGS system, DCGS-A, which always see bad guys, but because you’re in that we’ve had the luxury of flying any launched in 2005 and now contains a place where bad guys go and bad things type of airborne mission we wanted,” more than 131 million pieces of data, happen, there are other things within a Manzo said. “Because we don’t neces- not to mention every intelligence report frame of video or an image still that have
sarily own the airspace in the emerging made since 2004. “That’s powerful for relevance,” she said, emphasizing the WOOLPERT OF COURTESY IMAGE
20 | TRAJECTORYMAGAZINE.COM ll 2013 ISSUE 4 A TIMELINE OF NOTABLE AIRBORNE ISR PLATFORMS*
CIVIL WAR BALLOON (1861): Airborne ISR in its most basic value of seating analysts next to subject- processors that can sort data upon collect- form dates back to the Civil War, when Union soldiers matter experts who know problem sets ing it and filter only relevant information used hot air balloons to spy on Confederate troops. best. “As a DoD intelligence analyst, I to PED specialists on the ground. LOCKHEED P-38 LIGHTNING (1939): can analyze data for its intelligence value, “That’s a smart thing to do for two Originally a fighter plane; a but an environmental engineer, an agron- reasons,” Wells continued. “First, you’re reconnaissance version known as the omist, or a hydrologist can bring a unique not getting as much raw data. When F-4 Photo Lightning—in which the guns were replaced with cameras—was texture that generates better understand- I receive data at DCGS-A, I already the first Lightning to see active service ing of the operational environment.” have half the answer I’m looking for. during World War II in 1942. Optimizing PED in this manner Second, it helps with bandwidth. requires eliminating traditional stove- Next-generation sensors are collecting LOCKHEED U-2 (1955): The U-2, nicknamed “Dragon Lady,” is a pipes to facilitate more data sharing and terabytes of raw data, so doing some of high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft collaboration across DoD and the IC, the processing on board [reduces stress that has been flown variously over time by both which despite DCGS and DI2E has on our network].” the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the U.S. Air Force. It figured prominently during the Cold War, when U-2s frequently been hindered by gaps in policy, culture, This could allow analysts on the conducted airborne ISR missions over Communist states. and governance. ground to spend minutes looking at video One solution is democratizing data instead of hours, thereby catalyzing better MCDONNELL DOUGLAS F-4 PHANTOM with cloud computing, resulting in and faster decision-making. II (1958): The Phantom is a large fighter jet that was originally PED that’s based on access instead of “It’s all about collecting the right developed for the U.S. Navy. dissemination. data at the right time and having During the Vietnam War, the U.S. “Moving to a cloud or distributed the right system in place to exploit it,” Air Force deployed a photoreconnaissance variant known as the RF-4C, which was similarly model allows you to connect things that Manzo said. utilized for airborne ISR in 1990 during the Gulf War. were once not connected,” Manzo said. “By pushing a lot of data into the cloud THE ROLE OF GEOINT RYAN MODEL 147 LIGHTNING BUG (1962): The Lightning Bug
COURTESY OF CIVILWAR.ORG / JAMES L. GREEN L. JAMES / CIVILWAR.ORG OF COURTESY you’re broadening its reach and utility, Because so much of airborne ISR is UAV flew its first airborne ISR mission over Communist China in 1964, after which it flew numerous missions and also breaking down those typical grounded in imagery, the GEOINT over Vietnam. stovepipe barriers.” Community is ideally positioned to lead Take PIXIA’s HiPER STARE and the transition from a focus on platforms LOCKHEED A-12 OXCART (1962) AND SR-71 BLACKBIRD HiPER WATCH software, for example, to a focus on PED, the result of which (1964): The Blackbird is a long-range which catalog, organize, and share large will be crucial for realizing a future in reconnaissance aircraft operating at speeds and altitudes high enough to outrace enemy volumes of multi-INT data within a which intelligence isn’t just informa- missiles. An offshoot of the Lockheed A-12 cloud-based architecture. With such tional, but also contextual. reconnaissance aircraft—built for the CIA as a U-2 back-up—Blackbird served the U.S. Air solutions, intelligence is more “pull” “GEOINT has a unique ability to Force until 1998. than “push.” Analysts previously tasked integrate with other [types and sources with answering questions about disparate of data],” Bottom said. “Everything GENERAL ATOMICS MQ-1 PREDATOR (1994): The Predator pieces of information can now query the happens somewhere and at some time, is used by the CIA and the U.S. Air cloud like they would a search engine to so location is usually the first point of Force. Outfitted with sensors, cameras, and munitions, it was discover all relevant data, regardless of integration.” the first weaponized UAV. type or heritage. Simply put: The GEOINT Com- Because it keeps data stationary, munity has the opportunity to champion BOEING F/A-18E/F SUPER HORNET (1995): The Super cloud computing also solves storage and consolidation and collaboration by Hornet is a multi-role fighter jet whose missions for the U.S. Navy include bandwidth challenges associated with modeling them. air superiority, fighter escort, armed advanced sensors. “Geospatial intelligence is a critical reconnaissance, aerial refueling, close “What we have now is intelligence component supporting our common air support, air defense suppression, and precision strike. Its Shared Reconnaissance that requires a lot of storage and process- operational picture. It is a central focus Pod (SHARP) is a high-resolution, digital tactical air ing,” explained Wells, who said the and foundation area for consolidated reconnaissance system that features advanced day/night and all-weather capability. next iteration of DCGS-A would live multi-intelligence, and will only increase in the cloud. “Cloud computing allows in importance as we consolidate NORTHROP GRUMMAN RQ-4 GLOBAL HAWK us to do local processing and storage to previously stove-piped intelligence (1998): The Global Hawk is a UAV get meaningful answers out of massive and mission command systems into a surveillance aircraft operated by the amounts of data on the tactical edge.” common operational environment,” U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy. Often compared to the U-2, it’s notable for its Moore’s law—the principle that Wells concluded. “GEOINT subject long endurance and wide-area capabilities. computing power doubles every 18 matter experts must partner with their months—likewise will help streamline Intelligence Community counterparts GENERAL ATOMICS MQ-9 REAPER COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA EXCEPT THE “MQ-9 REAPER” COURTESY OF U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO / LT. COL. LESLIE PRATT; “CIVIL WAR BALLOON” WAR “CIVIL PRATT; LESLIE COL. LT. / PHOTO FORCE AIR U.S. OF COURTESY REAPER” “MQ-9 THE EXCEPT WIKIPEDIA OF COURTESY data processing through automation. For to collaborate on technology advances, (2001): A larger version of the Predator, the Reaper carries instance, many sensor companies are data collection, research and both sensors and missiles; it developing onboard processing capabili- development to ensure the [U.S.] gets is the first “hunter-killer” UAV ties—as computing power increases, their the maximum benefit from high-payoff designed for long-endurance, high-altitude airborne ISR.
ISR TIMELINE IMAGES TIMELINE ISR ultimate goal is equipping sensors with [airborne ISR] capabilities.” *Years based on first flights.
USGIF.ORG kk TRAJECTORY | 21 The new host, now fully infected with the meme, engages in various behaviors, the goal of which is to close the memetic feedback loop, and perpetuate the symbiotic relationship between the brain and thought. BY MARK WOLVERTON REALITYAUGMENTING AUGMENTED REALITY TRACKS ONE’S LOCATION IN BOTH SPACE AND TIME. THUS, ITS VERY FOUNDATION IS GEOSPATIAL.
A COSMOPOLITAN YOUNG COUPLE appears lost as they tour a busy city street in a foreign country. The man holds up his smartphone and a digital overlay appears on his camera view, dropping a pinpoint at a nearby building to identify a restaurant recommended by a friend. This is a common storyline in TV commercials touting the latest smartphone and its corresponding capabilities, but it’s also an illustration of augmented reality in its most basic form.
USGIF.ORG kk TRAJECTORY | 23 IMAGE COURTESY OF DELOITTE DEVELOPMENT LLC DEVELOPMENT DELOITTE OF COURTESY IMAGE Augmented reality (AR) is simply become as pervasive in our lives as uniform situational awareness represen- defined as “a technology that superim- smartphones; others see its adoption as a tation to the pilot,” said Casey Contini, poses a computer-generated image on slower process. Either way, AR is rapidly Lockheed Martin’s F-35 engineering a user’s view of the real world, thus pro- growing in importance—and because it director for electro-optics and helmet. viding a composite view.” Hence how depends on keeping track of one’s loca- While the F-35 team paves the way the term was coined—it is a technology tion in both space and time, the very for pilots to employ augmented reality, that literally augments reality. foundation of all AR data is geospatial. the U.S. Army has taken a cue from In the commercial world, AR has Google Glass and is experimenting with been around for some time in the form FROM PRIVATE SECTOR TO the use of tactical glasses to develop of smartphone travel apps, allowing PUBLIC SERVICE solutions for soldiers on the move. curious users to lay digital points atop of It’s a misconception that AR is radically An early version of Google Glass the real world, and quickly gather data futuristic and brand new. As futuristic as is currently being beta tested through on hotels, restaurants, landmarks, and it may seem, it’s hardly a new technol- programs for early technology adopters more. More recently, the fervor over ogy. AR was used, at least on a limited such as Robert Scoble, startup liaison the development of Google Glass, an basis, by manufacturers such as Boeing for open cloud computing company optical display worn like a pair of glasses and by the U.S. military as far back Rackspace and co-author of the book for completely hands-free computing, as the late 1980s. What is new is that Age of Context: Mobile, Sensors, Data has brought interest in the possibilities computing technology has advanced and the Future of Privacy. of AR to a whole new level. exponentially in power, speed, and “Using [Glass] for photography has “People tend to typically think of AR capacity while shrinking in size and been life-changing for me,” Scoble said. as ‘Terminator vision,’” said John Clark, cost, making AR more accessible and “I’m getting moments with my kids that chief innovation officer at Thermopylae practical for broader audiences and I never got before because it’s the first generalized purposes. camera that’s always ready. It takes less “The interesting thing about that than one second to take a picture.” is we think of AR in the commercial That ease of access to an application marketplace as being pretty leading has wide-reaching implications, par- edge,” said Mark White, chief technol- ticularly for the DoD and Intelligence ogy officer of Deloitte Consulting, Community. which recently published a white paper “I’m taking two to five times more on potential uses for AR in the federal photos and videos, and I’m much more government. “Particularly in military likely to take a video with this thing in and defense, it’s not that new. Some of the street,” Scoble said. “So when we the very first systems that implemented have something like the Boston [Mara- AR were in the defense space.” thon] bombing, we’ll have even more Take for instance the sophisticated video and photos available.” capabilities in Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Scoble’s predictions are inching Lightning II helmet, which takes advan- closer to reality. In July, the Army tested tage of heads-up display technology to the use of tactical glasses during Enter- show flight conditions, targeting infor- prise Challenge 2013 at Fort Huachuca, mation, and warnings in real time. This Ariz. The glasses were at the heart of the eliminates the need for the pilot to refer Distributed Common Ground System- IMAGE COURTESY OF LOCKHEED MARTIN LOCKHEED OF COURTESY IMAGE to heads down displays, and therefore Army (DCGS-A) exercise. THE Sciences and Technology, referencing reduces workload and increases respon- Full motion video from a Gray REVOLUTIONARY the character Arnold Schwarzenegger siveness. The helmet also provides the Eagle unmanned aircraft was exported LOCKHEED played in the 1984 film. “But from a pilot with night vision capabilities, using to soldiers equipped with tactical MARTIN F-35 computer science perspective, that’s the helmet’s camera and Distributed glasses from Osterhout Design Group. LIGHTNING II only one application of AR.” Aperture System (DAS). Although the exercise deployed a Gray HELMET allows a pilot to “see through” Indeed, AR is much more than But more remarkably, the DAS Eagle UAV and soldiers were tethered the aircraft, providing just mobile, wearable computing, generates a global view of the world to the DCGS-A Tactical-Intelligence views of what is in but Google Glass has the potential to around the F-35, allowing the pilot Ground Station vehicle, the prototype is front of, alongside, catapult the technology into everyday to “see through” the fuselage to view designed to work with any airborne ISR and even below. life. The capabilities and promise of AR what is above, beside, and beneath the platform and to eventually be unteth- also reach into law enforcement and aircraft. Items of reference such as way- ered, according to Col. Edward Riehle, security, intelligence, and even points and targets are also captured and U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Com- the military. displayed on the pilot’s line of sight. mand capabilities manager for sensors As both the hardware and software “The information provided is a and sensor processing. for AR is developed to greater sophis- conglomeration of data gathered from “The soldiers that used the glasses tication, some experts predict it will all the sensors on the F-35 to produce appreciated the ability to conduct
24 | TRAJECTORYMAGAZINE.COM ll 2013 ISSUE 4 operations on the move,” Riehle said. aren’t visible to the naked eye, such as REALIZING POTENTIAL— “The fact that you can put the glasses a sniper lurking on the other side of a CAUTIOUSLY on, drive, provide reports, and not be building. The system can also tie into The burgeoning development of encumbered by a computer was very remote data feeds to provide a variety commercial-based AR has both inspired helpful for them.” of tactical information. Taking the idea and driven the adoption and expansion In the case of Enterprise Challenge, a step further, DARPA is also working of AR in government. the tactical glasses allowed an intel- with a company called Innovega iOptics “It used to be that in order to afford ligence analyst to more easily wear his to develop AR-enabled contact lenses a heads-up display for completing a other hat of Track Commander while that project information in the field of complex task in a difficult situation, the convoy was on the move. vision near the eye, allowing the wearer [you] had to have plenty of resources “Normally you’re looking at a com- to view data while still focusing on the and it came from the labs, from the big puter to see the FMV display,” Riehle more distant real-world scene. guys down,” White said. “Now, with said. “When you’re moving, your job is to be the Track Commander, not so much an analyst. Putting the imagery FACETS OF REALITY (AUGMENTED) on his head allows [the analyst] to do both jobs.” Ready or not, augmented reality will soon be integrated into Riehle added that tactical glasses many public, professional, and personal realms. A few imminent, eliminate the light signature put off by prospective, and sometimes already extant examples: computers when a convoy is traveling at night. The Army will continue develop- GOOGLE GLASS hardware is expected to be available ing the project, with another tactical for sale to the general public sometime in 2014. As with glasses exercise planned for Enterprise the iPhone, expect a flood of new apps and updates to Challenge 2014. Riehle predicts the quickly follow, including many built around AR. service will move toward head-worn computing devices for a number of capabilities in the near future. “I don’t believe it’s just an intel- ligence analyst tool,” he said. “It shapes Hewlett-Packard’s AURASMA app overlays our situational understanding and “auras” of information and enhanced awareness for soldiers at any echelon, so content for images provided through the we need to move this capability to the smartphone’s camera. soldier who’s on the edge.” Riehle added that GEOINT is what really creates the bridge from head-worn computing into full-blown AR technol- SIXTHSENSE, developed at the MIT Media Lab, uses ogy, recalling how, in the past, data was a pocket-sized projector and camera tied to a mobile overlaid on paper maps using acetate. computer to project information, labels, and more “When we go digital, we don’t have onto real-world surfaces such as a wall, newspaper, to do that anymore,” he said. “We or tabletop. So far, it exists only in prototype form, can augment that geospatial layer in a but a future commercial version may yet evolve. continuous process and get it all the way down to the soldier.” Riehle added that potential Army AR uses could include overlaying IED hot Already available are apps such spots, road conditions, and both friendly as PHILLYHISTORY.ORG, and enemy force disposition, to name which uses geospatial data a few. to show tourists standing in a The Defense Advanced Research particular location a view of Projects Agency (DARPA) is also the same spot from various evaluating a prototype AR system historical time periods. for soldiers in the field called Urban Leader Tactical Response, Awareness, and Visualization (ULTRA-VIS). By Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute is implementing overlaying full-color graphics onto the Augmented Reality for Interpretive and real-world scene confronting the soldier, Experiential Learning (ARIEL) to take interactive ULTRA-VIS reveals other forces, science museum exhibits to a new level.
GOOGLE GLASS IMAGE COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA; SIXTHSENSE IMAGE COURTESY OF PRANAV MISTRY; ARIEL IMAGE COURTESY OF THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE FRANKLIN THE OF COURTESY IMAGE ARIEL MISTRY; PRANAV OF COURTESY IMAGE SIXTHSENSE WIKIPEDIA; OF COURTESY IMAGE GLASS GOOGLE vehicles, and threats in the area that
USGIF.ORG kk TRAJECTORY | 25 “There’s a real tendency to embrace technology because it’s the latest and greatest thing, but one of the things we have to think about is, what really will we get out of it?”
—Mark Borkowski, assistant commissioner for the Office of Technology Innovation and Acquisition, U.S. Customs and Border Protection
consumerization, democratization, and role in government-based functions: one officer or federal agent? What happens technical advancements, it’s coming involving the scenario-based training if AR systems are hacked or spoofed? from the little guys up.” of new border patrol agents; another And is the technology dependable A 2013 study by Deloitte’s GovLab depicting the detection and capture of a enough for situations that allow for zero think tank, titled “Augmented Gov- suspicious traveler trying to sneak explo- margin of error, such as the battlefield ernment: Transforming Government sives onto an airliner; and finally, FEMA or a natural disaster area? Services through Augmented Reality,” personnel using AR to locate and rescue Given such unanswered questions, noted that despite the increasing use of people trapped by a hurricane. it’s easy to see why some federal agen- AR in the civilian sector, “Its strategic “The three examples that are in the cies are more hesitant to embrace the application to government service deliv- paper are not real, but they are realiz- technology. ery is still nascent.” able,” White said. “None of them are “We have some things that we do now The report details three hypothetical beyond the reality of the technology.” that I think could be improved with the scenarios in which AR could play a vital So, if augmented reality has such use of AR,” said Mark Borkowski, assistant vast potential to enhance and improve commissioner for the Office of Technol- government missions and tasks, why ogy Innovation and Acquisition with U.S. isn’t everyone using it already? Security, Customs and Border Protection (CBP). for starters. But, he added, “There’s a lot of work we “Security is critical—being certified all believe has to happen to make AR to run this data over our networks,” ready for that kind of an application.” THERMOPYLAE Riehle said. “We have to get that right Inspecting people and vehicles SCIENCES AND and it’s too important not to. I think that passing through ports of entry is one TECHNOLOGY’S [is] one of our biggest challenges.” job for which AR could be valuable, UBIQUITY mobile There are other technical consider- Borkowski said. But it’s not clear yet just framework visualizes ations, such as improving the battery life how valuable. battlefield intelligence of visual displays and general reliability, “There’s a real tendency to embrace using U.S. Military as well as more ambiguous issues technology because it’s the latest and Standard 2525B to consider, such as privacy, greatest thing, but one of the things symbology. access to information, dis- we have to think about is, what really traction, or confusing virtual will we get out of it?” Borkowski asked. layers with the real. “Does it really make a difference if I What will be the conse- have AR at a port of entry compared quences of the technology to looking at a monitor from a normal when someone with AR- computer screen at my booth?” enabled contact lenses can Another possible application might glance at a stranger on be noting subtle changes in the physical the street and instantly landscape that could indicate illegal access their entire per- entry and activity. sonal profile, including “This is again somewhat in the address, employment future, but we’re very interested in and criminal records, being able to detect changes in areas,” family information, social Borkowski said. “Because if there’s a media pages, and even real- change in an area, there’s something time medical data such as blood that caused it, and that’s good informa- pressure and heart rate—especially if tion to us. So to the degree that AR
that stranger is an undercover police would help us overlay what was in a TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCES THERMOPYLAE OF COURTESY IMAGE
26 | TRAJECTORYMAGAZINE.COM ll 2013 ISSUE 4 COL. CHARLES WELLS, program manager, Distributed Common Ground System- Army, assesses the tactical glasses being demonstrated at Enterprise Challenge 2013, in which DCGS-A showed its ability to share full-motion video between Air Force assets, including a Global Hawk directly linked to the Army’s DCGS-A Tactical
PHOTO COURTESY OF SGT. 1ST CLASS KRISTINE SMEDLEY KRISTINE CLASS 1ST SGT. OF COURTESY PHOTO Ground Station.
place yesterday compared to what’s in a Borkowski doesn’t entirely dismiss want to be able to deal with broad AR place today, that might be a very useful the technology’s promise, either. down to detailed objects, which requires tool downstream for [CBP].” “We haven’t quite gotten our arms storing this geo-data in new ways.” Training is another area where AR around what we might do with it,” he John Clark added, “I like to say all could prove valuable. Police officers, concluded. “But [AR] intrigues us and we data is geospatial, even if it’s just your federal agents, and soldiers who face will want to follow it as we go forward.” device’s location or how much informa- tough decisions about the proper use tion you requested when you’re in that of deadly force in dangerous situations THE FOUNDATIONAL LAYER area. Because it’s not just the location of often use virtual reality—large video Handling the enormous amount of data the building where you are, it’s what you game-like screens and simulated weap- required to make AR successful is where do when you’re near it, how many people ons—to train without the risk of live fire. geospatial data management comes in. go in and out of that building, how many But AR-based scenarios could potentially In the future, each time a pilot, soldier, Google searches about that building take the realism to a whole new level. or border patrol agent swivels his or her there are. It’s relating all that other con- “Those kind of training scenarios head to follow an ever-changing situation, tent in time and space that we’re focused would benefit from something like their AR device must swiftly scan, locate, on. And then how to make it relevant for AR where we could do these things in tag, and return information on a tsunami businesses, government, and users.” the actual operational environment, of data points, all in real time. Riehle is enthusiastic about AR’s overlaid and augmented with AR,” “We want to be able to ubiquitously ability to enhance and bring “flat maps” Borkowski said. share our geospatial AR library with to life. But, Borkowski hasn’t completely all of these devices,” said A.J. Clark, “AR allows you to analyze and an- jumped on the AR bandwagon. president of Thermopylae Sciences and notate the changes and get them forward “It’s the algorithmic development Technology. “That means having to to the soldier, so not only are they seeing and then access to data that’s more manage potentially billions of objects. what the sensor is looking at, but also likely to be a challenge,” he said. “To If you’re walking down the street, AR can be informed by what the analyst is some degree, this could become a big could be everything from giving you looking at, and that data can be moved data problem. How do you get access the name and address of a building, to to them over the geospatial plane.” to data, synthesize that data to informa- walking up close to it and wanting to see Choose to embrace it fully for the tion, and then find a way to depict what where the bricks came from that are on missions and tasks at hand, or choose you’ve concluded from all that data in it, or what kind of parts you might need to adopt it sparingly and cautiously, but a way that’s useful to whoever’s using to replace the doors or the hinges. It it’s undeniable—augmented reality will the AR?” gets kind of complex. So for us, we just soon be a part of our reality.
USGIF.ORG kk TRAJECTORY | 27 USGIF AWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS annually to promising high school seniors, as well as collegiate undergraduates, graduates, FUTURE and doctoral students studying or planning to study the geospatial sciences or a related field. GEOINT All scholarship recipients are chosen on academic and professional excellence. Qualified candidates are selected by the Foundation’s LEADERS Scholarship Subcommittee, which is composed of representatives from USGIF Member MEET THE 2013 USGIF Organizations. SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS To date, USGIF has awarded $691,000 in scholarship funds to exceptional students. This year, USGIF awarded $107,000 to 25 recipients.
DOCTORATE
G. PAUL BAILEY ABBY FRAZIER University of Colorado University of Hawaii at Manoa Geography Geography
SERGIO BERNARDES THOMAS GERTIN University of Georgia George Mason University Geography Earth Sciences & Geoinformation
CRYSTAL ENGLISH TAMMY E. PARECE San Diego State University/University Virginia Tech of California, Santa Barbara Geospatial & Environmental Analysis Geographic Information Science
28 | TRAJECTORYMAGAZINE.COM ll 2013 ISSUE 4 GRADUATE
STEVE CHIGNELL JUSTIN FUNG THOMAS MUSCOLO Colorado State Columbia University MIT Sloan School of University Operations Research Management Watershed Science Business Administration
THOMAS DAVIS SHANE GRIGSBY JAKEB PRICKETT Texas A&M University, University of California, University of Arizona Corpus Christi Santa Barbara Geographic Information Geospatial Engineering Geography System Technology
GRANT DELOZIER MATTHEW MACDONALD RICHARD “MIKE” RODRIGUEZ University of Oklahoma Northwest Missouri State George Mason University Geographic Information University Geoinformatics & Geospatial Science Geographic Information Intelligence Science
UNDERGRADUATE
PATRICIA BURROS BRIANA NEUBERGER Texas State University, Rochester Institute of Technology San Marcos Imaging Science & Industrial/Systems Water Resources Engineering
ANNA KALINOWSKI TANYA PETACH University of Missouri Harvard University Electrical Engineering Earth and Planetary Sciences
GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS
ALAYNA BIGALBAL ROBERT WESTON GADDIS RACHEL TAYLOR Heritage High School, Homeschooled, West Springfield High Leesburg, Va. Riverton, Utah School, Springfield, Va. Now attending George Now attending Missouri Now attending Brigham Mason University State University Young University
CHANDLER BURKE JASON MOEDER LOUIS WERTS III St. Mark’s School of Bowie High School, Tuscarora High School, Texas, Dallas, Texas Bowie, Md. Leesburg, Va. Now attending Rice Now attending University Now attending College of University of Maryland, College Park William and Mary
USGIF.ORG kk TRAJECTORY | 29 Membership Pulse WHO WE ARE
SUCCESSFUL SYNERGY AN INSIDE LOOK AT DIGITALGLOBE’S GROWTH AND INITIATIVES POST GEOEYE MERGER
efore Marcy Steinke joined DigitalGlobe, she DigitalGlobe. “We’ve been increasingly pleased with the surveyed its strengths, as well as the legacy of great complimentary synergies.” GeoEye, with which the company had recently merged. A GLOBAL OUTLOOK “As I was looking at DigitalGlobe, I knew it The growing DigitalGlobe has turned its attention to Bhad a really strong constellation, with three satellites up remaining competitive in the global marketplace— there functioning very well,” Steinke said. “Then I looked transitioning from a data and imagery provider into an at GeoEye’s advanced analytics capabilities. Put those two information and insight organization, Turner said. together and it showed capacity for significant growth.” “We’re moving rapidly into providing answers to our Now DigitalGlobe’s senior vice president of govern- customers versus just giving them the raw materials to work ment relations, Steinke said the merger has been an with,” he explained. exciting and successful combination, yielding an advanced Steinke echoed this intent. and agile satellite constellation, coupled with impressive “We are clearly looking at moving beyond providing revisit rates and in-depth analytics. raw data,” she said. “We’d like to put that on steroids and “Generally when you have a combination of two be able to provide some really great final products.” similar companies you think you’re going to have a lot of On the government side, for example, DigitalGlobe is overlap,” said Bert Turner, senior vice president of sales for now in the second year of its Global Enhanced GEOINT IMAGES COURTESY DIGITALGLOBE OF
30 | TRAJECTORYMAGAZINE.COM ll 2013 ISSUE 4 < SPACE SHUTTLE Endeavour being carried over the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico last year.
Delivery program, which provides down to 1 meter resolution and U.S. government users with easy and short-wave infrared (SWIR) immediate access to the company’s imagery down to 3 meter most current, high-resolution imagery. resolution,” said Walter Scott, Additionally, the initiative integrates founder and chief technology the imagery into the individual agency’s officer of DigitalGlobe, in a workflow—whether it’s ArcGIS, Google written statement. Earth, or a native system. It’s uncertain when NOAA DigitalGlobe is experiencing will reach a decision on the commercial imagery expansion in all request, as regulation of licens- of its markets, including defense and ing can be a slow process, and intelligence, oil, gas, mining, insurance, commercial remote sensing finance, forestry, and agriculture, Turner licensing is relatively new. Digi- said. He added that the company is also talGlobe also plans to increase seeing regional growth in Russia, India, the orbit height of GeoEye-1, and Latin America. allowing the company to see Meanwhile, the overall global com- a wider area, while obtaining mercial imagery marketplace is expanding, higher-resolution imagery from with an influx of international competi- the rest of its constellation. tion. Steinke said DigitalGlobe seeks equality when competing globally. AN INNOVATIVE “Obviously resolution limits are an ECOSYSTEM issue as we go forward, so we are hop- DigitalGlobe is investing considerable push for its My DigitalGlobe platform, THIS 2009 PHOTO ing for a decrease in resolution limits time and money to co-innovate with which is free to all U.S. government shows DigitalGlobe’s World- as far as our ability to sell commercial many companies around the world in employees—to name just a few of the View-2 satellite being built. imagery,” she said. “That would put us the areas of research and development, exciting things happening. on par with aerial and other competitors according to Turner. In addition, the combined company is internationally.” “What I love about our approach also better equipped to apply the benefits In May, the company petitioned right now—what makes it so exciting—is of satellite imagery to humanitarian issues. the National Oceanic and Atmospheric it’s really about an ecosystem,” Turner For example, the analytics capabilities Administration (NOAA) to reduce the said. “It’s about leveraging and not hav- brought to the table by legacy GeoEye resolution restrictions for the images ing this attitude or perspective that we now allow DigitalGlobe to provide even DigitalGlobe provides to its commercial have to invent everything here. That’s more answers to NGOs, Turner said. customers. not the case.” The company recently formed its “DigitalGlobe has officially requested In the last year, the company has “Seeing a Better World” team, devoted to NOAA to amend the current resolution acquired geospatial crowdsourcing proactively reaching out to a select group restrictions from its WorldView remote pioneer TomNod, expanded its of NGOs where DigitalGlobe wants to “WHAT I LOVE sensing space system license to allow partnership with custom map designer invest and contribute its imagery, analyt- ABOUT OUR DigitalGlobe to sell commercial satellite MapBox, collaborated with startup ics, and crowdsourcing expertise. With APPROACH imagery down to 0.25 meter panchro- analytics software provider Recorded this new team, DigitalGlobe hopes to matic resolution, multi-spectral imagery Future, and made a big marketing replicate efforts such as its partnership RIGHT with the Satellite Sentinel Project in NOW—WHAT Africa, and the company’s humanitar- MAKES IT SO ian outreach is expected to significantly EXCITING—IS expand over the next couple of years, Turner said. IT’S REALLY Steinke said DigitalGlobe’s business ABOUT AN reach would also continue to expand in ECOSYSTEM.” the near future. “There will be other combinations —Bert Turner, senior of capabilities that we are looking at,” vice president of sales, she said. “We are still evaluating what DigitalGlobe directions are best mixed with our capa- bilities. There will be growth in other IKONOS images taken in 1999 and 2013—both of downtown DC. This comparison was shown recently when arenas as we go forward in the next five DigitalGlobe announced hitting 4 billion sq. km. of imagery in its archive. years or so.” BY KRISTIN QUINN
USGIF.ORG kk TRAJECTORY | 31 GEN YPG | YOUNG PROFESSIONALS GROUP
SHAPING GEOINT’S FUTURE Meet the new young professionals on USGIF’s Board of Directors
Maldonado began her career at Penn State University, earning in 2006 a bachelor’s degree in geography with a focus on GIS, and in 2008, a master’s in geography with statistical analysis from Ohio State Univer- sity. She previously worked for Esri, and is currently a senior consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton. In this role, she works closely with the Department of Homeland Security, apply- ing GEOINT development expertise to the department’s mission. Stansall in 2002 graduated from the Uni- versity of Colorado Boulder with a bachelor’s degree in geography with a focus on GIS and remote sensing. A year later, she began her career at DigitalGlobe. Stansall, who is currently celebrating her 10th year with the company, is a senior account manager, responsible for developing and managing DigitalGlobe’s Global Strategic Alliance partners serving both commercial and defense and intelligence markets. “Learning occurs through both good and trying times,” Stansall said when asked what GABRIELA MALDONADO and JENNIFER STANSALL, both members of USGIF’s Young Professionals Working aspiring GEOINT professionals should keep in Group, are also now members of the Foundation’s Board of Directors. mind while thinking about their careers. “Some- times it can be hard to say ‘yes’ to change, or the ASSION FOR GEOINT and dedication to advancing unknown, but take on new challenges and experiences. It may their careers make Gabriela Maldonado and Jennifer help direct your career path in ways you didn’t realize at the time. Stansall successful leaders in the GEOINT Com- Pursue what interests you, work hard, and have fun.” munity. At the ages of 28 and 33, respectively, these When the women are not busy collaborating with the young women have already made a breakthrough in Board or networking and volunteering with fellow young Ptheir careers by devoting time to USGIF’s Young Profession- professionals, they enjoy keeping active. As a Colorado native, als Group (YPG) and Young Professionals Working Group Stansall loves to snowboard, go running, and spend time with (YPWG). Now, they also have been named to USGIF’s Board of Directors. Both Maldonado and Stansall have been “ Sometimes it can be hard to say ‘yes’ to change, or the involved with YPG since 2011, planning and unknown, but take on new challenges and experiences. attending networking events and service projects for the group. It may help direct your career path in ways you didn’t “[The Board is] a great opportunity to be in realize at the time.” —Jennifer Stansall this position with other great leaders giving input for the Community,” Maldonado said. “I knew I wanted to take a leading role and be a voice for the YPG. family and friends. Maldonado said she keeps busy by hiking, This is a great opportunity because, later down the road, the listening to music, and planning her upcoming wedding. current young professionals are going to be the leaders, and Looking to the future, Stansall and Maldonado both said we’ll be the ones mentoring young professionals and shaping they plan to remain at their current jobs and continue to build GEOINT.” relationships, empower users, and show others the value of the To learn more Neither new Board member originally expected to end up GEOINT tradecraft. about the YPG, with a career in the GEOINT Community. It wasn’t until they Maldonado and Stansall’s advice to fellow young contact Carrie both spoke with their college geography departments that they professionals and those studying GEOINT: Be open to new Drake at carrie. found geographic information studies (GIS) to be an interest- experiences and always push yourself to be your best. [email protected]. ing and exciting field. BY LINDSAY TILTON
32 | TRAJECTORYMAGAZINE.COM ll 2013 ISSUE 4 GEOINT FUNDAMENTALS | NEED TO KNOW
BIG DATA AND MISSION OUTCOMES The four components to achieving success in the data deluge era
By Bob Gourley, publisher of CTOvision.com and AnalystOne.com
IG DATA is a term that originated in the e-commerce world and resonates with most of us in the Geospatial Intelligence Community. GEOINT professionals have always been tasked to optimize analysis over growing datasets and to be open to new capabilities Bthat better serve the mission. This is why GEOINT was one of the first domains to adopt the new Hadoop-centric open source software frameworks, and why the Community leads the next wave of improvements to Big Data processing. 3. TECHNOLOGY Most organizations in the federal space have spent several As noted, some very important shifts are occurring technologi- years thinking through the architectural impacts of new, ultra- cally. The shift is toward technologies that are more aligned large data sets, and most have either established a foundational with mission-focused outcomes, and technologies that infrastructure to build on or have mapped out a framework empower the end user are most important. they believe will work for their mission set. There is still work Analysts are already empowered with solutions that are to be done here, but since much progress has been made, a easier to learn, and this trend is expected to continue. No shift in attention and resources is occurring. The shift is an analyst should have to be a Java programmer to create queries increased focus on mission outcomes. over data. The technology that serves analysts this way may be complex for the IT department to configure, but should be This “mission outcomes” shift can be considered in easy on the end user. four key categories: 4. SECURITY 1. PEOPLE Big Data solutions provide cyber defenders with new capabili- The IT personnel working Big Data solutions will continually ties, including ways to bring the right data together. In this way, I T need to upgrade their skills, with an increasing focus on the they provide positive enhancements to the overall cybersecu- EXPERTS ARE solutions coming from the open source community, especially rity posture of modern enterprises. CRITICAL the Apache Software Foundation. This group stewards the But there are other impacts on security, including chal- TO SUCCESS WITH BIG many activities around the Hadoop framework of tools. IT lenges. For example, Big Data solutions must be fielded with DATA, BUT WE experts are critical to success with Big Data, but we really aim strong methods for authentication, authorization, and access REALLY AIM to empower those making mission decisions. control, as well as auditing and overall management of the data TO EMPOWER Analysts, operators, and even executive decision makers clusters. These critically important elements must be com- THOSE are increasingly empowered with the ability to interact with pleted before deployment, and therefore the need for them MAKING Big Data holdings. This is a significant shift, empowering the should be articulated early in the fielding process. MISSION people with mission responsibility to run their own queries, Still, there is room for more work to be done in Big Data DECISIONS. including interactive queries. security. It is not as simple as mandating that Big Data solu- tions have encryption. Every encryption solution currently 2. PROCESS available introduces new vulnerabilities. New solutions are on You should never automate a bad process. Focusing on the horizon that will help the Community better protect data, mission outcomes can help reduce the risk of this occurring. but they are not here just yet. For now, Hadoop clusters should Reworking processes should be done early on when new be on owner-controlled networks and data access should be technologies are introduced, and may result in tremendous limited to trusted components. optimization of activities. For example, if a Big Data solution could enable multiple Big Data is a dynamic area for the GEOINT Community. As agencies to share common data sets and better leverage com- your company or organization engineers for change, keep the mon infrastructure, the cost savings might extend beyond IT. key areas of people, process, technology, and security in mind, A good look at process may result in massive restructuring of and please share with the rest of the community how you face activities and in new options for roles and missions. and solve Big Data challenges.
USGIF.ORG kk TRAJECTORY | 33 HORIZONS | SITUATIONAL AWARENESS READING LIST USGIF EVENTS CALENDAR
MAPHEAD: CHARTING THE WIDE, WEIRD WORLD OF GEOGRAPHY WONKS JANUARY by Ken Jennings 14 GEOINTeraction Tuesday The well-known Jeopardy champion shares his knowledge Maggiano’s, Tysons, Va. and love for geography in this educational, yet comedic, book. Jennings gives his readers interesting factoids on ancient maps, digital mapping, and everything in between. MARCH 11 GEOINTeraction Tuesday Maggiano’s, Tysons, Va.
GPS DECLASSIFIED: FROM SMART BOMBS APRIL TO SMARTPHONES 14-17 by Richard D. Easton and Eric F. Frazier GEOINT Symposium This book takes readers through the research and technological Tampa Convention Center, development of GPS. From its secret use during the Cold War Tampa, Fla. to its emergence in the consumer industry, the authors delve behind the scenes of GPS and its long and storied history. EVENTS For the latest event listings, visit www.usgif.org/events. PEER INTEL
TASC promoted Mark Bruno Chirantan “CJ” Desai joins with Ball, previously as the director to vice president of its Global EMC as president of the company’s for Ball’s National Security Space Systems business unit. Bruno is Emerging Technology Products mission area within National a 20-year veteran of the company division. Formerly executive Defense. with 30 years of space engineering vice president of information NVIDIA appointed Colette Kress and technology experience. management at Symantec, Desai executive vice president and chief Serco has reorganized its brings a depth of expertise to the financial officer for the company. global senior leaders. Ed Casey, newly formed division. She has 24 years of experience formerly chairman and CEO John D. Harris II was appointed in the technology industry, and of the company, is now chief vice president of business was previously the senior vice transformation officer. Bringing development and CEO of Raytheon president and chief financial a strong background in services International. Harris has worked officer with Cisco’s Business and information technology as the 30 years with the company, Technology and Operations former CEO and president of CACI and brings a strong business, Finance organization. International, Daniel Allen will join customer, and product knowledge Marc Welinski was named Serco as the new chairman and to his new roles. deputy director of broadcast and CEO. Mike Plymack was promoted Ball Aerospace selected broadband at Euroconsult. He has to chief operating officer. Formerly, Dave Kaufman to lead its National 20 years of experience, and will Plymack was Serco’s senior vice Defense strategic business unit oversee and further develop the president of the Federal Civilian as vice president and general firm’s activities in broadcast and Services business group. manager. He has worked 12 years broadband.
Applications Available January 2014
Scholarship Program
Recognizing Leadership for the Present and Future …
USGIF is dedicated to assisting promising students interested in the geospatial sciences with scholarship awards to further the advancement of the geospatial intelligence tradecraft. The USGIF Scholarship Program has awarded $691,000 in scholarships since 2004.
The Scholarship Program provides the opportunity to invest in the future of this incredibly exciting and relevant field of study.
• The Scholarship Program is open to graduating high school seniors, undergraduates, graduates and doctoral students.
• All scholarship recipients are chosen based on their academic and professional excellence in a field related to the geospatial intelligence tradecraft.
For more information on the USGIF Scholarship Program or to apply, please visit usgif.org/education/scholarships
Build the Community | Advance the Tradecraft | Accelerate Innovation usgif.org Aperture PHOTO BY DAVID CONOVER/U.S. ARMY CONOVER/U.S. DAVID BY PHOTO From Radioplane to Walk of Fame
While unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in 1940, the Radioplane Company— to one Norma Jeane Dougherty. He was so have only come into the public parlance headed by famous British actor and former taken by the young woman that he offered in recent years, the United States has used observer/gunner in the Royal Flying Corps to create a portfolio for her to get involved them for combat purposes for decades. In Reginald Denny—produced its RP-4 and in the world of modeling. Monroe skyrock- 1944, the manufacturing of UAVs for use RP-5 Radioplanes for use as targets by anti- eted to fame, eclipsing that of her former in World War II inadvertently created one aircraft gunners. Believing his factory might boss Denny many times over. Interestingly of America’s most well-known icons. Most make a good public relations story for the enough, the original photos of Monroe people recognize Marilyn Monroe as the military, Denny contacted the Army, and a never appeared in Yank, possibly because glamorous blonde from classic films such photographer from Yank, the Army’s weekly most of them were lost in the mail on the as Some Like It Hot or The Seven Year Itch, magazine, visited Radioplane to document way to be processed. Fortunately, the pho- but few may know that her career began in the work being done on the factory floor. tographer saved a few rolls, providing this a less stylish fashion, as a technician at the The photographer snapped a series of pho- rare glimpse of Marilyn Monroe just before Radioplane munitions factory. Beginning tos of the workers, but was especially drawn her meteoric rise to stardom.
36 | TRAJECTORYMAGAZINE.COM ll 2013 ISSUE 4
Global Enhanced GEOINT Delivery
Based upon the NGA ENhANcEdViEw award, commercial imagery access is easy. The Global Enhanced GEOINT delivery (G-EGD) program provides NGA and its customers with current unclassified high-resolution imagery in support of operational planning, emergency response and situational awareness.
» READY TO USE & ON-DEMAND HURRENT GLOBAL IMAGERY
» “ DAILY TAKE” IMAGERY HOLLEHTIONS FROM THE WORLDS MOST ADVANHED SATELLITE HONSTELLATION
» PRIORITY-DRIVEN, RAPID RESPONSE IMAGES Have a .mil or .gov e-mail? WITH GLOBAL HOVERAGE You could be eligible to access current global imagery
US / MEXICO BORDER Go to: digitalglobe.com /egd