Geo-Spatial Intelligence
As anything else in our society today, it should be said that this webpage was not dedicated to showing how GEOINT should be the one and only form of intelligence gathering. Actually, it would seem that the most successful forms of intelligence gathering success comes from using all the tools and agency has at their disposal, GEOINT being one of those tools. With that being said though, it seems critical to not only continue using this style of information gathering, but also continue to try and become more innovative in performing geo-spatial intelligence gathering activities. The following section will address some of the major topics regarding as to why GEOINT is an important aspect of the intelligence gathering community.
Intelligence Gathering
First and foremost, the ability to gather a variety of information should make this an incredibly appealing option for any department within the field of intelligence gathering. Having discussed a variety of different systems and platforms through this webpage, it should be no surprise that the products derived from data gathered via the means of GEOINT are almost never ending. One of the most intriguing aspects of the GEOINT process is how the science of gathering this type of information and producing a product is constantly striving to reach new heights. With this sort of enthusiasm pushing programs such as these, it is no wonder that is seems to be having a profound impact on the intelligence gathering community since its first implementation many years ago.
Also worth touching upon is simply the fact that this style of intelligence gathering offers a new look at old problems our nation has be constantly dealing with over the years. Just as any other innovation in technology, the GEOINT process is allowing us a completely different view on some of the most important events taking place around the world. Having our intelligence gathering community working in a more two dimensional or even three dimensional capacities is critical for not only the success of these organizations, but also the safety of the United States of America.
Wide Ranging
The field of GEOINT is something that is truly innovative in all aspects of the program, relating to both the technology being used and the specified fields of study. One of the most important aspects of geo-spatial activities is simply how much of an impact these types of programs can have on almost any type of subject matter. Dealing specifically with the field of intelligence gathering, there is an endless amount of products and applications that can be conducted through the use of GEOINT, thus allowing for full and thorough investigations to be conducted no matter what the field of interest is or who the target is. For example, one assignment may involve mapping out a mission using infrared imagery to highlight where the hostile enemy is located, and provide our troops moving into the area the advantage to help keep them safe. Another example of this is to simply be creating a reference model of the area through the use of LIDAR imagery, before planning a mission into an unknown territory, developing a model of both the terrain and elevation can have a profound impact on the success in achieving the mission objective. Simply, the point of these examples is to show that there are numerous ways the GEOINT process can be incorporated into ongoing missions, making it a critical component for the intelligence gathering community’s future success throughout the world.
Safety
Touched upon very briefly in the preceding paragraph, ensuring the safety of our nations citizens, both domestic and international located, is paramount to understand the need for GEOINT products. When it comes to deploying troops overseas, it is crucial today to provide these brave men and women as much information about the enemy as possible before they get to these hostile environments. Throughout history, there has always been the need for “scouting reports” to highlight where the enemy can be located and potential obstacles that could be caused by the terrain of the area. Well now with the innovations of GEOINT, our troops are receiving some of the most detailed scouting reports, without the risk of having to sacrifice lives to gather the information. This is one of the most important takeaways of understanding the GEOINT process. Knowing that the fundamental principle behind this process is gathering data from a distance, we are essentially taking the risk away from soldiers who once used to be tasked with gathering this data, and providing it to them in a much more detailed manner. With the incorporation of satellite systems, the UAV drone program, and numerous other technologies, our troops are going into hostile environments with the knowledge of potential enemy locations, extremely detailed terrain maps, and mission schematics offering some of the most high quality imagery to display critical details of the missions objective.
Final Thoughts
Essentially, to conclude the message being discussed throughout this webpage, the most important piece of information to take away from all this is simply the fact that this technology exists, and our government is using it to try and ensure the safety of this nation. Geo-spatial intelligence gathering has now secured itself as a staple point within our intelligence gathering community, ensuring the highest level of products being produced for analytical and planning purposes. The need for this type of technology is more crucial now than ever before, ensuring that our troops fighting in the war on terror are superior in every way to those that wish to cause them harm. It is my hopes that as we continue to progress technologically as a society, there will be a direct correlation to innovations in the field of GEOINT, thus allowing for more accurate products to be created for the benefit of this great nation.