Annex E. International Armaments Strategy Army Science and Technology Master Plan (ASTMP 1997)
Annex E. International Armaments Strategy L. Battlespace Environment
An understanding of battlefield environments and effects are essential in all aspects of a military system's life cycle, from modeling and simulation for design, through mission planning and rehearsal, to actual configuration and programming of sensors and weapons in execution. Here cooperative international programs are needed to ensure that coalition forces can interoperate effectively with a common and consistent understanding of the battlespace, and with an ability to receive and process environmental information required to execute the battle.
The technologies and capabilities addressed in this section are critical to realizing the JCS long term strategy for information superiority and dominant battlespace knowledge. Table E.II-11 highlights specific areas identified in Chapter IV of the ASTMP.
Table E.II-11. Battlespace Environment
| L. BATTLESPACE ENVIRONMENT | UNITED KINGDOM | FRANCE | GERMANY | OTHER COUNTRIES | JAPAN | PACIFIC RIM | FSU |
| COLD REGIONS |  Norway |
Russia |
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| TOPOGRAPHY | |
|
|
Many |
|
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| COMBAT ENVIRONMENT | |
 Remote sensing; |
Remote sensing; Robotics |
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| BATTLESCALE METEOROLOGY | EC Nations
and Canada share overall capability in weather prediction |
|
Russia Weather prediction |
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| ATMOSPHERIC EFFECTS | EC Nations
have capabilities in various areas |
Israel Atmospheric effects Canada
3D data display Atmospheric dispersion |
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The availability of global satellite data, coupled with more powerful low-cost information systems to manage large quantities of data, has fostered growing international dissemination and standardization of topographical data. Technology for application of the data to military uses (real-time generation and prediction of terrain signatures from stored or measured geographic/topographic data; mission planning and targeting, etc.) will be found predominately in the U.K., France, and Germany. However, significant niche capabilities may be found elsewhere. Similarly we observe growing international exchanges in weather prediction and in research related to predication of long-term environmental and climatic conditions. Specific expertise in short-term, high-resolution battlescale weather predictions, and in real-time prediction of atmospheric effects on battlefield sensors is presently limited to the EC nations (notably Germany and the U.K.) and Canada. In addition, within the US/Canadian infrastructure, Canada has notable capabilities in weather prediction, and in techniques for visualization and presentation of large three dimensional data sets.
The following identifies a specific opportunity where an existing agreement offers significant potential benefits.