GIS provides an integrated platform to support special forces operations by facilitating information sharing, synthesizing multi-source intelligence, and enabling decision making. It normalizes different types of data like maps, imagery, and social media to be accessible on mobile and desktop apps. GIS serves various functions for special forces like planning, operations, intelligence analysis, and situational awareness. Case studies show how GIS supports NATO by enabling "fighting off the same map" and the US Army through its geospatial enterprise which uses GIS for planning, command posts, sensors, and mobile users.

1. GIS As A Platform For Special Forces
John Day

2. Facilitating
Communication
and Collaboration
Breaking Down Barriers
Between Institutions,
Disciplines and Cultures
Integrating and
Synthesizing Information
from Many Sources
…Supporting The Highly Dynamic Nature of Special Operations
Multi-Intelligence/
All-Source
Integration
Decision-Making
Process
Intelligence/
Operations
Convergence
GIS Is About Integration
Supporting Individuals, Groups, and Organizations

3. Integrating All Types of Information – Beyond Maps
GIS Normalizes The Variety of Information Needed for Special Operations Missions . . .
. . . And Makes Them Accessible Widely
Imagery
Databases
Services Sensor
Networks
Big Data
SpreadsheetsMaps
Social Media

4. ArcGIS for Special
Operations

5. ArcGIS for the Special Operations
Planning
Operations
Management
Mounted
DismountedProvisioning
Intelligence
Operations
Server
Data Management, Analysis and Planning, Field Mobility, & Situational Awareness

6. Staff
Products
Services
Mobile Apps
WebAppsDesktop Apps
Operational
Environment
Content
Operations
Content
Role of the Server
GIS
Server
Managed
Content
Apps
Data
Appliance
Feeds

7. AOR / Responsibilities / Feature Functionality
Main CP
Brigade Battalion Company Platoon Squad
TheatreandHigherHQ
Rear CP
Tac CP
Main CP
Tac CP CO PC SL
CurrentOps
Plans
Fires
Intelligence
CivilAffairs
InfoOps
CurrentOps
Plans
Fires
Intelligence
CurrentOps
Plans
Logistics
Medical
Logistics
CivilAffairs
CurrentOps
CurrentOps
Reports
COP
Orders
Operational Functions Wireless / Med
B/W Comms
Reliable / High
B/W Comms
Wireless / Low
B/W Comms
Special Operations
Orders
Reports
COP
Intent, CCIRCOP
Intent, CCIRCOP
Collaboration
Reports
COP
Orders
Reports
COP
Orders
Reports
COP
Orders
IntentCOP IntentCOP
COP

8. Protection
Communications
Future Operations
Civil Affairs
Fires
Transforming The Special Operations Force
Operations Room
PlansCOMMANDING
OFFICER
FIRES
INTELLIGENCE
SUSTAINMENT
PROTECTION
LIAISON
TACTICAL
Intelligence
INTEL
OFFICER
INTEL
WARRANT
OFFICER
INTEL
ANALYST
INFORMATION
MANAGER
WATCHKEEPER
Information Superiority for all Missions

9. Operational Environment
Template for Managing for understanding environment
Support for vectors, rasters, images, elevation data
… and increasingly for high-resolution urban data

10. Intelligence Analysis Map Templates
To support the ISR Process
Helicopter Landing Zones Beach Landing
Military Aspects of Terrain
Military Aspects of Weather
Incident Analysis

11. Operations Planning Map Templates
To support the Operations Process
Lodgement Area
Range Cards
Military Planning Overlays
Target Engagement Area
Vehicle Check Point

12. Mobile Operations Application Templates
Squad Leader (Android)
Vehicle Commander (Linux)
Ground/Air/Maritime

13. Case Study:
NATO Core GIS

14. NATO CORE GIS Objective
Enables “fighting off the same map”
providing timely, accurate, and guaranteed
geo(spatial) information to the NATO coalition
14

15. Sites Serving Geospatial Data
Mission: Geospatial Collaboration
at the strategic and operational levels.
JWC Stavanger, NOR
ACT Norfolk, USA
ACO Mons, BEL
Joint HQ Lisbon, PRT
JALLC Montesanto, PRT
NCISS Latina, ITA
JFC HQ Brunssum, NLD
CC Mar Northwood, GBR
CC Air Ramstein, DEU
CC Land Heidelberg, DEU
JFC HQ Naples, ITA
CC Mar Naples, ITA
CC Air Izmir, TUR
CC Land Madrid, ESP
KFOR
ISAF

16. Joint
Air
Land
Maritime
SOF
Intel
Logistics
SR
CBRN
EW
Plans
T&E
Joint FS
GIS
Messaging
Doc MgmtWorkflow
Hardware OS
ServiceManagement
SecurityServices
Office Apps
AirC2IS
LC2IS MCCIS
SOF FS
Intel FS
LOGFS
SR FS
CBRN FSEW FS
TOPFAS
T&E FS
COP Environment.
Storage Virtualization
Portal
Data Mgmt
Discovery
Directory Registry
Communications Services
Other NATO
C2 SystemsNational C2ISCRO C2IS
Gateway Services
Use or potential
use of GIS
technology
Use of
CORE GIS
NATO Network Enabled Capability (NNEC)
Core Services
Functional Services

17. Case Study:
GIS and
the US Army
Geospatial
Enterprise

18. NGA
AGC
OpenStandard
Interfaces
GD&I
SSGF
Glob
e
Serv
er
Glob
e
SVC
Connected
Disconnected
JWICS
SIPR
CX-I
Mission
Net
Command Post
NIPR
Content Management
Globe /
Data/
Services
SSGF DATA
and
UPDATES
Disconnected
Data Center Computing Environment
Mounted
Mobile
Sensor
Real Time/Safety Critical
Disconnected
Local
SSGF
Store
GD&I
Store
MAPSERVER
Glob
e
Glob
e
Serve
r
Global
SSGF
Store
GD&I
Store
MAPSERVER
Globe
Other
SSGF DATA
and
UPDATES
US Army Geospatial Enterprise Data Flow
National
Data
Sources
Army
Data
Centers
Army
Command
Posts
Army
Mobile
User
Systems
Army
Sensors

19. Intelligence/Operations Synchronization
US Army Geospatial Enterprise (AGE)
Planning
COP Mounted
DismountedProvisioning
Intelligence
Common
Geospatial
Server
Sensors
Data Management , Analysis and Planning, Mobile and Situational Awareness
Geospatial Toolkit for
Embedded command and control systems
Multi-intel
component
of command
and control
In-Vehicle
Hand-Held
A Standard and Sharable Geospatial Foundation (SSGF)

20. Conclusions

21. • Data Management
• Analysis and Planning
• Mobile Operations
• Shared Situational Awareness
Analysis
Tradecraft
Intel
Production
Apps on
Standard
Clients
Content
Catalog
Groups
Hosting
Apps
Maps
Services
Cloud
Content
Management
The GIS Platform Brings It All Together
How We Create, Share, and Leverage GeoIntelligence
HUMINT
Open Source
1
SIGINT/IMINT
Collection Operations
Ground and
Airborne
Distributed
Geospatial
Services
Big
Data

22. RDBMS based
Multi-user / Department
File-based
Single user
Services oriented
National / Infrastructure
GEOINT
Network based
Installation wide / Enterprise
Capability
GIS & Special Operations
An Evolution of Technologies…
All Source
IMINT
OSINT
SIGINT
HUMINT
COP