3.11.1 Warfighter Needs
The Warfighter requires accurate terrain information and the ability to visualize such to optimize force movement and employment to successfully engage a potentially larger enemy force. Needs also include: weather-impact TDAs, combat equipment designed for possible terrain and climate, knowledge of impact or cold regions including logistics planning and doctrine, and the ability to identify nuclear weapons tests to improve the U.S. capability to monitor a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and support the DoD initiative in counterproliferation. The warfighter needs the types of capabilities listed to achieve superior knowledge of the battlefield through a common picture of the battlespace, win the information war and dominate maneuver during operations in all types of terrain.
3.11.2 Terrestrial Environments Overview
The Terrestrial Environment subarea emphasizes characterization and modeling of the physical phenomena, processes, interactions and effects associated with terrain, and its surface/subsurface features at scales of interest to ground combat forces.
3.11.2.1 Goals and Timeframes. The Terrestrial Environment goals and timeframes are shown below:
| FY97 | Demonstrate and transition to Army simulation centers a dynamic terrain visualization capability for obstacles to help create a virtual 3-D tactical environment to support training and mission planning during the Army's Task Force XXI exercise. |
| FY02 | Automated generation/update of topographic data for mission rehearsal and terrain visualization. |
| FY07 | Battlespace fly/walk-through and automated terrain analysis capability. |
Understanding Terrestrial Environments is important to the design of Radars (3.1), Electro-Optic Sensors (3.2) and the planning of military missions.
3.11.2.2 Major Technical Challenges. A number of major technical challenges remain. These include:
3.11.2.3 Related Federal and Private Sector Efforts. Other investment in this research is relatively low in cold regions and topography due to the focus on warfighting needs, although significant outsourcing does occur in seismology.
3.11.3 S&T Investment Strategy
3.11.3.1 Technology Demonstrations
3.11.3.1.1 Rapid Battlefield Visualization ACTD. DTO B02. Demonstrate capabilities to collect source data and generate high resolution digital terrain databases within the timelines required by the commander to support crisis support and force projection operations. The RBV ACTD will also demonstrate capabilities for the commander to manipulate and display terrain databases integrated with current situation data to: analyze courses of action; use embedded wargaming; and conduct mission rehearsals to visualize his desired end state.
3.11.3.3 Basic Research. Basic Research, in support of the terrestrial environments subarea, fall under the following three categories - cold regions, topography, and seismology. Cold regions research develops first principle models to predict the multispectral signatures of winter terrain surfaces and to provide simulation capabilities for evaluating environmental constraints early in the development cycle of imaging systems.
Topography research develops methodologies to use multispectral and hyperspectral remote sensing in tactical decision aids to support tactical command, control, communications and intelligence (C3I) requirements for real-time identification of man-made and natural features.
Finally, seismology research efforts are focused on providing
a scientific understanding of the processes underlying seismic
detection, location and discrimination. Thereby providing new
knowledge that will form the basis of formulating innovative techniques
to detect, locate and discriminate underground nuclear explosions.