Twenty years ago various organisations and professional bodies were developing leading edge capability in geospatial infrastructures. This presentation following an overseas visit was given to various groups in Canberra on 24 August 2001.

1. Geospatial Information Development
An International Perspective
Prepared by
Dr Bob Williams, Senior Research Scientist, Cartographer
24 August 2001
OS Visit
Singapore, France, Belgium, UK and USA
24th May – 8th June 2001

2. Itinerary and Agenda
Singapore, SN
Paris, FR
Mons, BE
Feltham, UK
Tolworth, UK
Bethesda, US
Reston, US
Boston, US
Multi-National body
Digital Geographic Information
Working Group
NATO SHAPE
Geographic officer
UK MOD
Defence Geographic & Imagery
Intelligence Agency
US DoD
National Imagery & Mapping
Agency
US Industry
Raytheon Marlborough
Paris, FR
• Standards and interoperability
Mons, BE
• Geographic information
requirements
Feltham & Tolworth, UK
Br High Commission, SN
• Mission and concept of ops
• Operational support
• Reference library, acquisition
• International boundaries
Bethesda & Reston, US
• International and policy
• International boundaries
• Research & development
• USIGS CONOPS
Marborough, US
• Company profile
• ADATS
• ADAMS
• FAA system development

3. Visit
DGIA Officer within British High Commission Singapore
Ø Agenda
Ø Significance
Role and function as a DGIA exchange officer
Map exchange and standards activities
The Asia-Pacific region and sources of geospatial information
Access to a vast array of maps, publications, and information from
Government and commercial sources across the Asia-Pacific region
Links already exist (to a minor extent) with DIGO via UK DGIA

4. Meeting
Digital Geographic Information Working Group
Ø Participating nations
Ø Agenda
Ø Significance
Host nation
France
Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany,
Greece, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain,
Sweden, Turkey, UK (Chair SC), US (Chair TC, Chair VaCWG), SHAPE,
Hungary
Review actions 32nd SC, Liaison reports, NATO initiatives, NATO
Requirements, TC reports, OGC updates, ISO TC211 updates, hydrography
updates, Strategy and re-organisation updates, national presentations,
Gateway services, softcopy catalog, JWID/CINC21, DIGEST the Next
Generation, Industry presentations
Ø Interoperability
• Key driving force
Ø Participation
• Too large for existing structure
• Conference and strategy groups
Ø Industry / other bodies
• DIGEST is mandatory for all French C3I systems
• Collaboration and involvement requires resources

5. Visit
NATO SHAPE Geographic Office
Ø Participating nations
Ø Agenda
Ø Significance
Chief (COL Germany), LTCOL UK, Capt Spain, WO UK and Italy
Principles of NATO Geo policy,IGEOWG standards, Co-operation with
NATO HQ and SFOR/KFOR, briefing from RC North, meteorology and
Oceanography, GIS study, synthetic exercise environment, brief from
Germany
Totally dependent of national capabilities
GIS development parallels UK (and AS [1 Topo]) developments
Need to embrace commercial imagery
Need to adopt DIGEST standards
Welcome collaboration [AS it seen to have ‘neutral’ standing]
Host
Chief Geo SHAPE
Location
Mons, BE

6. Visit
UK DGIA – DGC (Feltham) & Map Library (Tolworth)
Ø Agenda
Ø Significance
Ø DGIA overview, Introduction to DGC, operations and plans, capability
Ø development, production briefing and tour, map depot
Ø MOD map library and holdings, acquisition activities (World’s largest)
Ø Boundary studies
Ø DGC is second largest [defence] mapping agency in [western] world
Ø Change in Conops to ‘acquire’ rather than ‘produce
Ø SF is now key operational ‘trigger’
Ø GII prototyping (foundation data – mission specific data)
Ø Migration from 27 legacy systems within DGIA
Ø Management of information is a major concern
(eg depot has 17,000 line items; library has 600,000 items)
Ø R&D support has been historically poor
Ø Border issues are increasing in importance
Ø Releasibility is of higher concern than security per se

7. Visit
National Imagery and Mapping Agency (Bethesda, Westfields, Reston)
Ø Agenda
Ø Significance
Ø Concerns!!
Ø NIMA overview, International and Policy Office role,
Ø Border delineation discussions
Ø NPC tour, R&D discussions (Advanced Research and Development Division)
Ø USIGS CONOPS (after next), customer support
Ø NIMA is largest mapping agency in [western] world
Ø GII concept, multi-Int
Ø GI21 – “Geospatial Information that makes the difference”
Ø Border issues are increasing in importance (liaison with State Department)
Ø USIGS Conops has a weakness in spatial data modelling
Ø Geospatial science (re future data models) is a weakness – However!!
Ø Aeronautical information development seems constrained

8. Visit
Raytheon (C3I Systems)
Ø Agenda
Ø Significance
Ø Concerns
Ø Overview of Raytheon organisation
Ø Review of ADATS and adaptation data
Ø Tour of ADATS/AutoTrav/STARS lab facilities
Ø Demo of Enhanced DMS
Ø ADATS (International Air Traffic Control, Integrated Systems, C3I Systems)
Ø Australia 13 sites – USA (FAA) 331 sites
Ø Raw adaptation data – spreadsheets , text files
Ø Raytheon seem to have minimal skills in ‘geospatial information and science’
Ø FAA seem committed to ‘digitising the manual process’
Ø FAA and Raytheon seem to be embracing radar navigation (cf GPS guidance)
Tabular files
Airport, significant point, airways,
FIR, standard routes
Graphical files
Maps (World vector shoreline)
Tiles

9. ❖ Interoperability and Standards
Key Observations
Digital Geographic Information (DGI) has evolved into an essential element in the planning and conduct of civil and
military operations. The required data volume, demands, and data complexity dictate that multi-national agreements
for digital data standards be established to assure compatibility. In support of this aim, these standards define those
aspects necessary to the exchange of DGI. They are as follows:
- the data structures to be supported (including spatial structure and metadata);
- feature and attribute coding scheme;
- format;
- exchange media; and
- administrative procedures.
The type of data to be exchanged using these standards includes the digital representation of the following:
- geographic feature geometry and feature attribute information;
- information concerning the appearance and status of the Earth’s surface and its features in the
electromagnetic spectrum, e.g. radar, infra-red; and
- other geographic information.
The data will all be available on a common worldwide reference datum of World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS 84).
DIGEST
DIgital Geographic Information Exchange STandard
Digital Geographic Information Working Group

10. Interoperability and Standards
IHO
International Hydrographic Organization
Australian Spatial Data Infrastructure
Australian
Global Navigation
Satellite System
Coordination Committee
A broader context ö
ö The issues on this slide are not addressed in accompanying report
Military
Modelling and simulation
International
bodies
ISO/TC 211
Geographic information/Geomatics
National bodies

11. ❖ Geospatial Database Management
George J.Tenet
Director of Central Intelligence Dr. John J. Hamre
Deputy Secretary of Defense
DCI Statement on the Belgrade Chinese Embassy Bombing
House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Open Hearing
22 July 1999
LTGEN James C.King
Director of National Imagery and
Mapping Agency
Key Observations
“It is important to understand that our ability to locate fixed-targets is no better
than the data bases, and the data bases in this case were wrong!”
Ø Data base production and maintenance has been routinely accorded a low priority and often overlooked in
production planning and scheduling.
Ø Data base production is often the first activity curtailed when resources are tight.
Ø Data base production is widely viewed as low visibility, unrewarding, and unappreciated.
Ø Leadership attention and emphasis on data base production is infrequent, episodic, and essentially reactive.

12. Geospatial Database Management
Ø Acquisition / compilation
Ø Production
Ø Management
Ø Dissemination
Acquiring (e.g. open-source) v. production UK DGIA (DGC)
Paper / Product CD
Internet (COTs)
Paper, film, CD, tape, catalogues,
publications
ISSUES:
• Maintenance and revision
• Accreditation
(effects of transformations and processing)
• Catalogues, electronic libraries,
gazetteers and borders
• Releasability and security
Acquiring GI
13% funding
Producing GI
21% funding
Managing GI
10% funding
GI infrastructure
38% funding
FD / MSDS (just-in-time / just-in-case)
1 degree cell – 1600 hours 15 minute cell – 468 hours + FD
Readiness / responsiveness

13. ❖ Capability Development
Key Observations
Architecture’s focus !
Multi-Int focus !

14. Capability Development
Ø Interoperability v. compliancy
Ø Portal delivery
Ø Broader user community
Information exchange v. ‘cloned’ system
Generic information / naïve user
Precision weapons, UUV, UAVs, robots
C2 systems, sensor and asset management
Air traffic control
Intelligent logistics and transportation
Eugene A.Conti, Jr.
US DoT

15. ❖ Research and Development
Ø Minimalist in-house R&D capabilities
Ø Technology focus
Ø Intelligence focus
Key Observations
ORTA
Technology Framework
NIMA Enabling
Technologies
Advance Technology
Developments
Technology
Programs
Challenges Strategic
Objectives
International Research &Development
NIMA University Research Initiatives
Historically Black Colleges & Universities
Small Business Innovative Research
Cooperative R&D Agreements
Industrial Research & Development

16. Research and Development
Ø NIMA Enabling Technologies
Ø Geospatial science
Ø Computer science
Ø Physical science
Ø Image science
Ø Mathematics
Ø Visualization technology

17. Initiatives & Thrusts
1985 1990 1995 2000
1980
OS
France
UK US
1975
OS
Norway
UK US
DCW
R&D
Seminar
DES
Concept
Paper
Report
Workshop Report
Concept
Paper
Publication
2 years
10 years
21 years
¼ century
First digitisation
from stereo-photos
First GIS
for Ex planning
AUTOMAP
Future applications
MISTI

18. Recommendations
Interoperability and Standards
Ø Knowledge Staff & DIGO
Ø enforce policy and doctrine
Capability development
Ø Specialist technical standards office
Standards advice
IHO
Acquisition & Services Group
Advanced Capabilities Group

19. Recommendations
Geospatial Information Management
Ø Electronic library and catalogue service
Ø Analysis of reference library, catalogues, agreements, etc
Ø Global Information Grid
Ø Analysis of analogue and
digital databases
incl. Schemas, datums, media, etc
Ø Management Information System for Acquisition,
Compilation and Services
Ø Analysis of production process
re: readiness - responsiveness
Geospatial Information Branch
Advanced Capabilities Group

20. Recommendations
Capability Development
Ø Audacious goal – Future Air Traffic System
Ø Amendment to JP2064 – service to ADATS
Ø Experimentation
– From a publication paradigm to information service paradigm
Ø Audacious goal – Future geo-political advisor
Ø Experimentation
ADATS

21. Ø Audacious goal Create a virtual Advanced Research and
Technology Division for Surveying and Mapping
Ø People Matter
– review qualifications and expertise of staff within Defence
Ø People Matter
– Mandatory requirement for liaison and exchange personnel to have
qualifications and expertise in a mapping science
Recommendations
Research and Development
Advanced
Capabilities
Group
Multi-lateral relationships
Quadripartite agreements
Bi-lateral arrangements
OS Defence Trends AS Defence Trends
Knowledge
Staff
Basic and applied
research
Defence industry
Prototype facility
Academia

22. Back to the Future
Dare to Change
VERSAILLES
Paintings Sculptures
Napoléon Bonaparte
1769-1821
Bataille de Wagram
1809
La Siége de la Rochelle
1628
Gérard Desargues
1591-1661
René Descartes
1596-1650
Pierre-Simon Laplace
1749-1827
6
3
1
5
4
1 Perspective painting
2 Introduced perspective geometry into mathematics
Technical advisor and engineer at Rochelle
3 Painting shows telescope in right hand and map in left hand
4 Battle against Austria
5 La Géométrie – invention of analytical geometry
6 Mathematician – differential equations and geodesy
Examiner at Royal Artillery Corps
Surveying and cartography
v An intelligence focus
v With engineering skills
2 Cogito ergo sum