UNDERSTANDING THE BATTLEFIELD


ON THE SAME PAGE


ERDC’s Map-Based Mission Planning program allows planners to collect, process and share information. It enables all elements of the force to operate on the same map and supports real-time coordination and collaboration. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Army ERDC)


The Army faces a challenge to integrate weather with geospatial services or to fully understand how the weather impacts the terrain across functions and courses of action.


Small units require specialized geospatial analysis tools for complex urban environ- ments, such as ERDC’s Urban Landscape Terrain Reasoning and Analysis tool. It uses knowledge about Soldier equipment loads, terrain, roads and population density— as well as dynamic information such as enemy positions, local civilian behavior, weather and other factors. It enables units to rapidly plan unconventional missions in urban environments, providing new options to support small team movement in a true three-dimensional depiction of urban infrastructure displaying subterra- nean, interior and rooftop pathways.


CONCLUSION Preparing for multidomain operations in areas that are heavily guarded by enemy anti-access and area-denial systems, or that are inherently complex, requires advanced knowledge of the terrain, weather and environmental factors specific to military operations. Analysis tools must inform mission planners’ options and alternative


courses of action. Deriving and deliver- ing useful information from an increasing volume, variety and velocity of data will be critical to success in the anticipated complex operational environments.


With a long history of terrain and environ- mental expertise for the Army and DOD, ERDC stands ready to provide this infor- mation on a variety of platforms that can be easily accessed by mission leaders, from high-echelon planners to Soldiers in the field at the tactical edge. Tat information is strengthened by ERDC’s understand- ing of environmental factors and how they affect the terrain warfighters will encoun- ter, as well as its ability to incorporate that knowledge into its geospatial tools.


For more information, contact ERDCinfo@ usace.army.mil.


To read the first in the series, go to: https:// asc.army.mil/web/news-alt-jfm20-engi- neering-the-theater/.


DR. ROBERT DAVIS is the chief scientist and senior scientific technical manager for Geospatial Research and Engineering and the technical director for Army programs at the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, part of ERDC. He holds a Ph.D. in geography, an M.A. in geography and a B.A. in geology and geography.


WILLIAM JONES is an associate technical director at ERDC. He works to maximize the contribution of the built and natural environment to enable mission effective- ness and operational success from the Army’s installations to the battlefield. He is respon- sible for delivering advanced environmental and military installations technologies to the Department of the Army and the Soldier though basic and applied research and devel- opment. He received his master’s and his bachelor’s degrees from Mississippi College.


124


Army AL&T Magazine


Summer 2020


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