23-05-2012, 02:10 PM
Military applications of GIS
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Abstract
Geographic Information System (GIS) play a pivotal role in Military operations as they are
essentially spatial in nature The concept of Command, Control, Communication and
Coordination in military operations are largely dependent on the availability of accurate
information in order to arrive at quick decisions for operational orders. In the present digital era,
GIS is an excellent tool for Military commanders in the operations. The use of GIS applications
in defence forces has revolutionised the way in which these forces operate and function. Military
forces use GIS in a variety of applications including cartography, intelligence, battle field
management, terrain analysis, remote sensing, military installation management and monitoring
of possible terrorist activity. This article preasent a brief overview of the use of aGIS in military
applications in land and sea based operation.
Introduction
Since the beginning of civilization on the planet earth, Military forces have played a dominant
role. Mankind has since time immemorial has a fetish for warfare and this continues till today.
Only methods have changed with technology used in warfare, which is changing rapidly with
technological revolution, which has not only changed the way wars are fought but has become a
key factor in attaining dominance in military power. The battle victory is complete only after
ground forces occupy the enemy land and take control of the area. To hold and maintain the
control of the occupied land , armed forces need to know the spatial extent upon which they
have the control.
GIS in Military Operations:
Spatial data is of crucial importance to the Military Commander in the battle as it is for a
decision maker in planning and development in a state's growth. Ministry of Defense (MOD) in
any country gathers data on routing, filtering, analyzing and presenting information for
decision-making. The regional conflicts, rapid deployment and flexible response imposes heavy
burden on military commanders, their staff and supporting system to keep up-to-date situation
on the ground about enemy activities. Visualizing raw tabular data within a spatial framework
has many benefits. Therefore digital mapping and Geographic Information System (GIS) occupy
center stage in activities as diverse as battlefield simulation, mission briefing and
communications planning, logistics management and command control.
Defense Estate Management
The value of this GIS technology as an administrative support is significant, particularly; the
MOD holds large chunks of property across the nation. Effective management of the Defense
Estates requires significant effort. In this background, the MOD with its three wings of Armed
forces is served by mapping both digital and analogue which is consistent and accurate in all
aspects.
Use of GIS in the management of military bases facilitates maintenance and the tackling of all
stores, which may be found on the base. "GIS allows military land and facilities managers to
reduce base operation and maintenance costs, improve mission effectiveness, provide rapid
modelling capabilities for analyzing alternative strategies, improve communication and to store
institutional knowledge."
Terrain Evaluation
In land based military operations Military field commanders would like to know terrain
conditions, elevations for maneuvering armour carriers, tanks and for use of various weapons.
In addition, they need vegetation cover, road networks, and communication lines with pin
pointing accuracy for optimizing the resource utilization. A detailed land map with information on
the land use, terrain model and proximity of habitat are essential for military operations. All
these details must be available to the field commanders on a datum to match with the
equipment he uses for position fixing and communication in his area of operation. Any
discrepancy in these inputs may endanger the operation. Target assessment can only be done
if the inputs are properly matching with the system used for firing the weapon.Also Magnetic
variation, gravitational information are required for sensitive military operations.
Final Word…
Present warfare involves operations involving combined forces and an integrated approach for
evaluating battle area for mobilizing logistics, moving various forces and setting communication
network for effective operations in real time scenario are necessary prerequisites for successful
operations.