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US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Topographic Engineering Center (TEC)

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The Digital Topographic Support System provides commanders with automated terrain analysis, terrain database management, and graphics reproduction in support of intelligence preparation of the battlefield, command and control, and terrain visualization.

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Business Problem

The current terrain analysis, topographic, and reproduction support provided by Army Engineer Terrain Teams are slow, labor-intensive processes that do not meet the needs of the Force XXI digital battlefield on which the commander must have the ability to rapidly obtain terrain information and topographic products.

Battlefield commanders rely heavily on Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield (IPB) to reduce uncertainties concerning the enemy, weather and terrain for all types of operations. This process is initiated any time the commander faces a new enemy or receives a new mission. IPB analyses are most commonly used by the commander's operations and intelligence staff to support both defensive and offensive operations. An integral part of the IPB process is terrain analysis.

Terrain analysis consists of interpreting natural and man-made features of a geographic area, together with the influences of weather and climate, to determine their effects on military operations. Army terrain teams are required to produce a wide range of tactical products to support combat operations. By integrating and customizing geographic information system (GIS), image processing, and data base management software, the terrain analyst can "pull" existing data from appropriate sources, analyze the data to create products, enhance and/or create data as required, and "push" products and data back across the battlefield to other DoD systems.

Technology Implemented

The DTSS meets the Terrain Analyst’s requirements by providing a robust, state-of-the-art GIS (ArcGIS 8.1, Windows NT) with custom Visual Basic and C++ Common Object Model objects. Geodata models, generated based on NIMA specifications, include Foundation Feature Data, Interim Terrain Data, Vector ITD, Digital Topographic Data, Vector Map, Urban VMAP, and Digital Nautical Chart. The data models provide the foundation data that the DTSS tactical decision aids (TDAs) are generated from. COM objects have been developed and integrated to provide the user with the following TDA functionality: 1) Line-of-Sight, Visibility Analysis, 2) Mobility (Off/On-Road) Analysis, and 3) Data Query (model making tool that allows the user to develop and save models based on Boolean queries through an easy to use graphical user interface).

Development Team Biography

Program management responsibilities and milestone decision authority reside with the Program Executive Office for Command, Control, and Communications Tactical (PEO C3T). Project management is provided by the Project Director for CTIS (PD CTIS). The US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC)/Topographic Engineering Center (USATEC) is the Materiel Developer and PD CTIS is a USATEC member. PD CTIS has management responsibilities for planning, system integration, and execution of assigned products from development through handoff to the Readiness Command.

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