PAT

T h e G e o s p a t i a l I n t e l l i g e n c e 

HFINDER

M a g a z i n e

N o v e m b e r / D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 7

t h e n a t i o n a l g e o s p a t i a l - i n t e l l i g e n c e a g e n c y

N G A Co n ve rts Pro d uc ts to 

G eo P D F ® Fi l e s

Vol. 5 No. 6

Technology 

Expands

S e r v i n g t h e F r o n t L i n e

GEOINT Capabilities

‘G u n coa st ’ A i m s fo r R e a l -

Ti m e Ta rg et i n g

New Campus East Groundbreaking, pg. 3
On My Mind

Technology Advances GEOINT Products 

and Delivery

Our nation and our allies continue to face a rapidly evolving threat environment. To confront and defeat 

these threats our intelligence and defense communities, now more than ever, must succeed in the critical 

task to predict, penetrate and pre-empt threats to our nation and her allies. NGA is at the forefront of this 

effort, developing new capabilities and harnessing new technology to efficiently manage the available data 

and ensure our mission partners have timely access to information. These technological advances, new 

capabilities and innovative solutions aid us in our ability to keep our nation secure.

The drive for new technologies has different meanings for different users. A forward-deployed analyst 

might use collaboration tools for reachback to a parent organization. An imagery analyst might use new automated tools to ingest, process and review volumes of imagery far beyond a human’s capacity to absorb. 

A cartographer might use new technology to generate new and advanced terrain maps. However, all of our 

users of geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) have a common need—the ability to collect the right data, access 

it when they need it and disseminate it to those who are making decisions. NGA looks at these data needs 

and pursues the technology that can both support and further our mission.

Data Collection: Sensor-Neutral Architecture

NGA is actively building collaborative partnerships to facilitate data-sharing, introduce a multi-intelligence approach, enhance persistent surveillance efforts and improve research and development (R&D) 

initiatives. In the last four years, NGA has widened its aperture from relying primarily on data gathered 

by government satellites to a system that also integrates airborne, commercial and foreign data sources. 

Through improved acquisition processes, NGA is now leveraging an increasing amount of commercially 

available technology to satisfy the demands of the GEOINT operating environment. 

The amount of data that we need to process is exponentially increasing, all of which we need to represent 

visually. Additionally, the systems used to process this information must be just as robust for our personnel 

overseas as they are for our personnel in the states. For example, advances, such as NGA Earth, enable our 

military and government users to access unclassified maps and imagery of hot spots around the world.

GEOINT Dissemination: Access on Demand

Decision makers, warfighters and emergency response personnel’s ability to act is reliant on the 

information available at decision-making time. This means that disseminating timely, relevant and accurate 

GEOINT to end users in all four corners of the globe is a critical element of achieving mission success. Take 

the tool Top Drawer as an example. Top Drawer is a storage and retrieval system which is now operational 

in theater. This tool exists today because analysts decided they needed a central location to store working 

documents. The key to Top Drawer’s effectiveness as a collaboration tool is the standardization of metadata 

which allows NGA’s mission partners to use intuitive search terms to find GEOINT.

NGA’s information-technology (IT) enhancements include a movement towards a service-oriented 

architecture (SOA). This move makes the search and location of GEOINT in an online environment possible. 

This user-friendly access, also known as data virtualization, will be facilitated by the establishment of data 

centers that will establish standard storage and processing environments. 

NGA’s e-GEOINT initiatives are enhancing the data virtualization user experience. The Web-based Access 

and Retrieval Portal (WARP) has already assisted over 18,000 individual mission partners in finding, 

accessing and retrieving GEOINT to address intelligence and homeland security challenges. Moreover, the 

2008 launch of GEOINT Online (GO) will make GEOINT accessible through publicly available Web browsers, 

geographic information systems and commercially available visualization and analysis tools. 

continued on page 6
13 29

7

Contents

2 Letter to Our Readers

3 Up Front: NGA Breaks Ground for the 

Headquarters Complex

4 Up Front: NGA Celebrates Launch of WorldView-1

5 Up Front: 18,000 Get GEOINT, Thanks to WARP

6 Up Front: GEOINT Online Set to Go in 2008

7 From the Technical Executive: Technology Expands 

GEOINT Capabilities

›› F E A T U R E S

10 NGA Converting Products to GeoPDF® Files

13 Data Centers Are a Technology Breakthrough

15 ‘Guncoast’ Aims for Real-Time Targeting

17 NGA Has NextView: Looking at Foreign SAR 

Satellites 

19 Achieving Persistent Surveillance Requires 

Community Effort to Build One Continuum

23 Interview with SI Director: Changes in SI Will Be 

Transformational

›› D E P A R T M E N T S

25 Partnerships: GST Helps Iraq Build GEOINT 

Capability

26 Working for NGA: Telling Agency’s Story Has Its 

Proud Moments

27 Our Heritage: What Is ‘Doing History’?

29 21st Century: Testbeds Turn Difficult Challenges 

Into Practical Solutions

31 Industry: Commercial Airborne Completes the 

Picture

Pathfinder ›› November/December 2007 ›› Vol. 5 No. 6

On the Cover

Getting access to the best geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) possible, 

where and when it’s needed, is crucial to the success and safety of today’s 

warfighter. How technology continues to expand GEOINT capabilities by 

overcoming barriers to access and strengthening its content with new 

sources and more timely information is the subject of this Pathfinder. This 

issue also celebrates the groundbreaking for New Campus East, NGA’s new 

headquarters complex at Fort Belvoir, Va. Coverage of the ceremony is on 

page 3, and an interview with the Director of Security and Installation Operations, Joe Composto, is on page 23. The cover design is by Carmella Bender.

1 Pathfinder ›› November/December 2007
2Pathfinder ›› November/December 2007 

Letter to Our Readers

Enabling Access to the Best GEOINT

On Sept. 25, I was privileged to serve as 

master of ceremonies for the groundbreaking 

of NGA’s new headquarters complex. To see 

the start of this momentous building project 

in the history of our Agency was exciting. Of 

course, the real benefits will come through the 

revitalization of NGA’s mission, as the Director 

emphasized in his address. For example, a unified environment, with state-of-the-art systems, 

collocated with the NGA college and in close 

proximity to many mission partners, should 

create ideal conditions for rapid advances.

There’s no question NGA professionals in St. 

Louis and other locations across the map will 

become even more valuable as enablers of the overall mission. They will serve 

as a source of stability and consistency as the transition to the new campus accelerates. At the same time, getting the right people together in the right place 

on our new eastern campus is an objective we can all embrace. To learn more 

about NGA’s New Campus East, read Kate Worley’s interview with NGA’s Director 

of Security and Installation Operations, Joe Composto, in this issue.

This Pathfinder is devoted to examining some of the technology challenges 

that are important to our partners, especially those on the front line. Leading 

off with “Technology Expands GEOINT Capabilities,” NGA Technical Executive 

Steve Wallach cites the need to improve both GEOINT and access to GEOINT. Our 

most significant short-term challenge may be improving access to GEOINT. As 

you read this issue, you will see this challenge being repeatedly addressed, from 

two articles in our “Up Front” section—“18,000 Get GEOINT, Thanks to WARP” 

and “GEOINT Online Set to GO in 2008”—to at least three feature articles: “NGA 

Converting Products to GeoPDF® Files,” by Darrell Garrett, explains the enormous 

potential of the familiar Portable Document Format as a vehicle for accessing 

NGA products easily and quickly. How consolidated data centers will link NGA 

work centers with our customers to provide net-centric GEOINT is the subject 

of Steve Zenishek’s article, “Data Centers Are a Technology Breakthrough.” And 

“‘Guncoast’ Aims for Real-Time Targeting,” an interview by Roger Gant with the 

program’s director, Ted Cody, looks at both access and the longer-term challenge 

of providing new and better GEOINT.

One of the new sources under consideration, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), 

is the subject of an article by Michael Hales, “NGA Has NextView: Looking at 

Foreign SAR Satellites.” Finally, Pat Grieco discusses the challenges of establishing persistent surveillance, including access and data, in “Achieving Persistent 

Surveillance Requires Community Effort to Build One Continuum.” Our next 

Pathfinder will highlight some of NGA’s achievements in providing operational 

support to our customers. See you in 2008!

Paul R. Weise

Director, Office of Corporate Relations

Published by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

Office of Corporate Relations

Strategic Communications Branch (OCRNS)

4600 Sangamore Road, Mail Stop D-54

Bethesda, Maryland 20816-5003

Telephone: (301) 227-7388, 

DSN 287-7388, or

In St. Louis: (314) 676-9082, 

DSN 846-9082

E-mail: pathfinder@nga.mil

Director

Vice Adm. Robert B. Murrett

Office of Corporate Relations, Director

Paul Weise

Deputy Director

Art Haubold

Strategic Communications Branch, Chief

Louis Brune

Editor

Paul Hurlburt

Managing Editor

Jennifer Harris

Visual Communications Division, Chief

Richard Hardwick

Graphic Designer

Carmella Bender

Contributing Authors

Gary W. Fuller

Roger Gant

Darryl Garrett

Patrick A. Grieco

Michael Hales

Shawnarah Kelly

Len LaFeir

Kensey Liebsch

Kristen Mackey

Air Force Maj. Tim O’Hara

Steve Wallach

Dr. Gary E. Weir

Kate Worley

Steve Zenishek

GETTING PUBLISHED

All members of the geospatial intelligence community are welcome to submit articles of community-wide interest. Articles are 

edited for style, content and length. The copy deadline is the last 

Friday of the third month before publication. For details on submitting articles, send an e-mail to pathfinder@nga.mil.

The Pathfinder is the medium with which the National GeospatialIntelligence Agency enhances and promotes public awareness 

and understanding of the discipline of geospatial intelligence. The 

Pathfinder is an authorized Department of Defense publication for 

members of the Department of Defense. Contents of this publication are not necessarily the official view of, or endorsed by, the 

U.S. government, Department of Defense or NGA. Articles in the 

Pathfinder may be reproduced in whole or in part without permission, unless stated otherwise. If they are reproduced, please credit 

the author and the “National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the 

Pathfinder magazine.” Any reproduction of graphics, photographs 

and imagery is subject to the original copyright.

PATHFINDER
Vice Adm. Robert B. Murrett, NGA Director, hosted 

members of the Intelligence Community, Department of Defense and NGA workforce on Sept. 25 to break ground at the 

future site of the NGA headquarters complex, also known 

as New Campus East, at the Engineer Proving Ground, Fort 

Belvoir, Va. 

“New Campus East will allow NGA to work more cohesively in doing the work that only it can do,” said senior guest 

speaker Army Lt. Gen. Ronald Burgess, Acting Principal 

Deputy Director of National Intelligence. He also addressed 

the apprehensiveness that some of NGA’s workforce may 

feel about the move, saying, “We’re not at these jobs for the 

recognition, money or the commute. We’re here because we 

believe in a cause greater than ourselves—the causes of 

freedom and security.” He also congratulated and thanked 

the NGA workforce for all NGA does for the nation and the 

Intelligence Community.

 Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. James R. Clapper Jr., Under 

Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and former NGA Director, also made remarks. Referring to the consolidation of 

NGA east facilities, Clapper noted, “This is emblematic of 

the continuation of transformation of the agency and the 

synthesis and melding of mapping, charting and geodesy on 

one hand, and imagery, imagery analysis and intelligence on 

the other.” 

Murrett called the groundbreaking event “a momentous 

step in NGA’s mission deployment to the new campus.” He 

emphasized the idea of consolidation in five key points. 

First, workforce fragmentation will be eliminated, allowing 

NGA to reexamine and transform processes and procedures. 

Second, the presence of the NGA college at the new facility 

will improve the quality 

Up Front

NGA Breaks Ground for Headquarters Complex 

By the Office of Corporate Relations

of analysis and tradecraft. Third, the new facility will be 

constructed with a uniform informational technology infrastructure that will allow for smooth integration of enabling 

technologies as they emerge. Fourth, this consolidation 

will accelerate the development of new technologies and 

products by fusing geospatial intelligence research and 

development with operations. And fifth, the other core NGA 

entities in St. Louis will continue to serve critical roles during and after the consolidation in the east. 

In closing, master of ceremonies Paul Weise, Director, 

Office of Corporate Relations, invited eight key players 

in the consolidation to officially break ground. Among 

the group was Matthew Davis, an NGA employee who 

entered on duty the day the Base Realignment and Closure 

(BRAC) Commission recommendations were signed into 

law in November 2005. NGA will consolidate its eastern 

operations at the Engineer Proving Ground, which is in the 

Springfield, Va. area, by Sept. 15, 2011, in accordance with 

the BRAC directives. P

3Pathfinder ›› November/December 2007

Photo by Larry Franklin

Photo by Tony Boone
Up Front

NGA Celebrates Launch of WorldView-1 

By the Office of Corporate Relations

NGA joined DigitalGlobe in celebrating the successful

launch of their WorldView-1 satellite Sept. 18. 

“We have enjoyed an excellent working relationship 

during the development phase over the last four years, 

with an open dialogue regarding their progress, issues 

and challenges leading to this significant milestone,” said 

NGA Director Vice Adm. Robert B. Murrett. 

“We are excited about and eagerly await delivery of the 

first new imagery,” said Murrett. “With the improved resolution, agility and capacity of the WorldView-1 satellite, 

we anticipate increasing the use of commercial imagery to 

satisfy the nation’s geospatial intelligence requirements.” 

Commercial imagery has proven to be useful for a 

mixture of Department of Defense, intelligence, policy 

and civil applications. With improved resolution and 

capabilities, the new Worldview-1 imagery will facilitate 

even broader applications across the diverse community 

of geospatial intelligence analysts, military forces and 

coalition partners, as well as first responders and nongovernmental organizations. P

4Pathfinder ›› November/December 2007 

Photo by the U.S. Air Force
Up Front

18,000 Get GEOINT, Thanks to WARP 

By Maj. Tim O’Hara

The Web-based Access and Retrieval Portal (WARP) 

is an NGA system that provides worldwide access to 

geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) at multiple security levels, 

secret and below. Through WARP, users can search for several types of GEOINT, such as national, airborne, commercial 

imagery, imagery-derived products and several other types 

of intelligence.

WARP gives users free access to multiple data sources 

through a single Web portal without their having to 

perform searches on individual archives. Specialized hardware and software are not required; users need only have 

network access and a commercial browser.

Other systems also use WARP as an information broker 

through WARP’s Geospatial Data Service (GDS) interface. 

For example, the Enhanced Quality Imagery Search (EQUIS) 

system uses WARP to display imagery footprints on NGA 

Air Force Maj. Tim O’Hara

is the WARP Program Manager.

maps. Some of the other systems that depend on WARP to 

meet their mission requirements are the Battlefield Visualization Initiative (BVI), Broadcast Request Imagery Technology Environment (BRITE) and Threat Human Intelligence 

Reporting, Analysis and Display System (THREADS).

WARP has grown tremendously since becoming operational in 2002 and today provides access to 14 archives. 

The system has also been gaining users at the rate of 400 

a month. Over 18,000 users at more than 1,500 locations 

currently have access. 

WARP users come from a variety of government departments and agencies including 

the Departments of Defense, Homeland 

Security and State, the Intelligence Community and other federal agencies. These users 

download an average of 30 terabytes of data 

per month. WARP’s rapid growth, in part, can 

be attributed to its easy-to-use graphical 

user interface and its extensive access to 

data. P

5Pathfinder ›› November/December 2007

NGA’s Web-based Access and Retrieval Portal (WARP) 

provides access to 14 archives of national, commercial and 

airborne imagery and imagery-derived products through a 

single Web portal.
Up Front

GEOINT Online Set to Go in 2008 

By Gary W. Fuller

A new Web-based capability for finding, viewing, 

analyzing and sharing geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) is 

set to launch by the end of 2008. GEOINT Online (GO) will 

integrate several systems, Web sites and capabilities into 

an environment where partners and customers can intuitively discover and access NGA products and services. 

Initially, GO’s content will be in the form of standard 

products, for the most part, while successive versions 

will increasingly feature seamless layers, or coverages, 

of GEOINT. These coverages will be accessible through 

publicly available Web browsers, geographic information 

systems and visualization and analysis tools like Google 

EarthTM and ESRI ArcGIS Explorer (AGX)TM.

All of GO’s data, information and knowledge will also 

be accessible by customer-unique tools and applications, 

whether they are mission planning systems, weapons 

systems, or on-board navigation systems.

GO will provide the best capabilities from systems like 

PalanterraTM, NGA-Earth and Top Drawer. Each of these 

systems was developed to serve a particular mission 

segment with a particular type of content. Through GO, 

their underlying functionality and access to content will 

be brought together.

GO’s combination of a rich set of capabilities and a 

network-centric approach enabling interaction between 

providers and users is key to the strategy of collaboration 

set forth by the Director of National Intelligence. GO will 

enable the National System for Geospatial Intelligence 

to become one global, online, collaborative community, 

capable of sharing GEOINT on demand. P

Gary W. Fuller

is a Senior System 

Engineer and Strategic 

Planner with an NGA 

contractor supporting the 

eGEOINT Management 

Office. 

6Pathfinder ›› November/December 2007

Innovation: Leading Edge Science and 

Technology

NGA is not only leveraging available technologies to 

collect and disseminate data, it is also driving the development of new solutions to technical challenges. Our Focus 

Area to “advance basic research and development of leading-edge science and technology” demonstrates NGA’s 

commitment to forward-leaning solutions. NGA is currently 

supporting a variety of initiatives, programs and projects 

to harness innovation and advance the GEOINT discipline. 

For example, NGA is developing net-centric products to 

support improved capabilities. Using data fusion and 

software agent technology, Global Net-Centric Surveillance 

and Targeting (GNCST) will provide user-specified target 

reports at the appropriate level of classification.

Our biggest technological advancement will be our 

mission deployment to the New Campus East (NCE) in 

Springfield, Va., and our ongoing emphasis on facility 

enhancement in St. Louis. NCE will be constructed with 

a uniform and robust IT infrastructure allowing for the 

smooth integration of enabling technologies as they 

emerge for decades to come. The enhancements at our 

facility in St. Louis will ensure that it continues to serve 

its critical role in providing redundant capabilities and 

continuity of operations before, during and after our 

mission deployment in the east.

The talented men and women of NGA are continuing 

to make a difference ensuring that GEOINT gets into the 

hands of those who make life and death decisions daily. 

Technology is critical, but only in that it serves our people 

and their remarkable ability to move out on the mission.

Robert B. Murrett

Vice Admiral, USN

Director

Technology Advances GEOINT Products and Delivery 

continued from inside cover
7 Pathfinder ›› November/December 2007

From the Technical Executive

Technology Expands GEOINT Capabilities 

By Steve Wallach

Throughout its history NGA has embraced emerging technology to provide timely, relevant and accurate 

geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) for our nation. The drive 

for new technologies has different meanings for different 

users. A forward-deployed analyst might use new collaboration tools for reachback to a parent organization, 

an imagery analyst might use new automated tools to 

ingest, process and review volumes of imagery far beyond 

a human’s capacity, and a cartographer might use technology for terrain generation. NGA pursues all technology 

that can support its mission. 

Partners Drive Direction

A core goal in NGA’s National System for Geospatial 

Intelligence (NSG) Strategic Intent is to forge the future 

environment by constantly driving 

technical research and applying 

technological development to 

operational needs. Decisions 

about which technologies 

to pursue are driven by the 

needs of NGA’s national, 

military and civil partners. 

In short, improved GEOINT 

needs to be more accurate, 

have improved information 

content, and be more responsive 

to emerging national security needs.

To do this we partner with government, 

industry and academia. We work closely with other government research and development activities, including 

the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Intelligence Advanced Research Products Activity, other DoD 

and Intelligence agencies, the service and national labs, 

and international partners, to collaborate on research 

and development (R&D) efforts and pool our resources. 

Partnering with industry, we use commercial technology 

wherever possible, focusing development efforts on 

niche areas with little or no commercial market, and align 

industry’s independent R&D with NGA’s needs. We forge 

partnerships with academia to harness the expertise and 

brainpower of universities for both research and advanced 

training and education.

Growing Sources Expand Capabilities

Years ago we primarily used a single source for both 

analytic intelligence and geospatial data. Now NGA employs imagery from across the electromagnetic spectrum 

using both literal and nonliteral exploitation, what we now 

call advanced geospatial intelligence (AGI). NGA also uses 

airborne, commercial and Overhead Non-Imaging Infrared 

(ONIR) imagery. New airborne platforms and sensors, such 

as the Army’s Buckeye and a number of commercial light 

detection and ranging (LIDAR) systems, will dramatically 

increase the content and quality of GEOINT. We are also 

now working closely with the Army and Marine Corps 

on broader-area persistent imagery collectors such as 

Constant Hawk and Angel Fire and are standing up a Joint 

Persistent Surveillance Integration Office to integrate 

these sources into our enterprise architecture.

Likewise, over the last several years our ClearView imagery partners have delivered unprecedented commercial 

imagery quality, and follow-on NextView systems being 

delivered by Digital Globe and GeoEye will be tremendous 

steps forward. These systems will dramatically increase the 

Photo provided by TEC Buckeye office

New airborne platforms and sensors, such as the Army’s Buckeye, shown 

above, will dramatically increase the content and quality of geospatial 

intelligence.
area coverage, resolution and accuracy of commercial imagery and significantly improve revisit and response times. 

We are also investigating and will increase our use of 

foreign commercial imagery. Recently launched systems 

such as Germany’s TerraSar-X and Italy’s Cosmos Skymed, 

along with Canada’s soon-to-be-launched Radarsat 2, 

show great promise in supporting NGA’s mission. 

Additionally, our ONIR capability is dramatically improving, transitioning from being squiggly lines for an expert 

image scientist to interpret to a true persistent imaging 

capability for our analytic workforce.

We need to think of these as a complementary collection of imaging systems, none of which totally meets our 

GEOINT needs alone. But together they provide a vast 

capability to meet our current and future GEOINT needs 

for the community. With this increase of new sensors and 

nonliteral (AGI) exploitation, our analytic workforce will 

need to become more knowledgeable on the capabilities 

of these new sensors, and we will need to increase our 

numbers of imagery scientists to assist our analysts. 

We’ve also worked closely with our mission partners to 

better integrate the various forms of intelligence (signals 

intelligence, human intelligence, etc.), sometimes referred 

to as horizontal integration. We now have better access to 

these various sources, tipping and cueing one another and 

creating fused intelligence analysis to provide a better product to the all-source analysts and our operational users. 

We are also working hard to improve access and discovery of these various sources and our GEOINT. We have 

used PalanterraTM to support a variety of operational needs 

over the past few years, and we’ve had NGA Earth providing access at the unclassified level, most notably using 

Microsoft® Virtual EarthTM to provide commercial imagery 

to the general public following Hurricane Katrina. In June 

we launched our GEOINT Visualization Service (GVS) on 

classified networks. GVS uses Google EarthTM to provide 

more streamlined access to our GEOINT across the entire 

NSG enterprise. Over the next few months we will add a 

similar, but more robust, analytic capability using ESRI’s 

ArcGIS ExplorerTM, and we’re using the Top Drawer and 

Analytic Spatial Data Initiative to provide storage and access to our nonstandard GEOINT holdings, increasing the 

availability and reuse of data across the NSG community.

When you add all this to our increased use of open 

source and commodity data, it’s apparent that we are 

producing our GEOINT from a broad array of sources of 

varying qualities. This makes standards and metadata, or 

descriptive data about our GEOINT, absolutely critical. In a 

perfect world we would provide perfect GEOINT. However, 

since this is not the case, we owe it to our partners and 

operational users to clearly define the quality of our 

GEOINT. This includes indicators of both the quality and 

confidence of our analytic products and our geospatial 

data (currency, datum, accuracy, content, etc.).

Updating Processes 

So we’ve come a long way, but are we where we need to 

be? Absolutely not. 

While we’ve added tremendous capabilities, we have to 

make it easier to access and use GEOINT. Security policy 

issues challenge our effectiveness because sources and 

8Pathfinder ›› November/December 2007
users span all levels of security. We need an architecture 

with multilevel security that allows broad access to 

GEOINT sources and information through a single log-on. 

As Adm. McConnell said when he came on board as the 

Director of National Intelligence, “We need to change our 

way of thinking from need to know to need to share.” 

Though legacy cultures sometimes inhibit our taking full 

advantage of new capabilities, technology and policy can 

also be limiting factors. In our fast-paced world of seemingly never-ending crises, we must not only focus on the 

mission but make time to import new capabilities that will 

save work for our analysts. NGA is also working closely 

with other DoD and Intelligence Community components 

to move to a service-oriented architecture, which, along 

with a more iterative spiral development process, will 

improve response to operational needs with “plug and 

play” capabilities (sources and services) instead of the 

longer development timelines of the past.

We will continue to evolve our processes to effectively 

manage information, and we will try to glean every bit 

of information possible from across the electromagnetic 

spectrum. We will also expand our efforts on broader 

field-of-view persistent imagery collectors and exploitation and work to automate and move upstream processes 

(automated change detection, target recognition, terrain 

generation, etc.). Our goal is to free our workforce to 

spend more time on analysis and other activities that 

require human interaction.

As we take advantage of these new technologies and 

automation, we must ensure that we don’t become totally 

9Pathfinder ›› November/December 2007

reliant on them. We must maintain expertise in our core 

sciences and techniques that underlie our tradecraft, 

which include the following:

» Remote sensing and imagery science 

» Photogrammetry and geomatics

» Geodesy and geophysics

» Geographic information systems and geospatial 

analytics

» Cartographic science

We will continue to pursue the best and brightest 

candidates from diverse backgrounds for employment at 

NGA. We will also continue to develop the technical and 

analytic expertise of our workforce through the broad curriculum provided by NGA’s college and our Vector Training 

Program. Offering advanced formal education, the Vector 

Training Program is a model for the community and arguably the single greatest benefit NGA offers its workforce. 

The responsibility of our Director to serve as Functional 

Manager for the NSG requires NGA to continue its leadership in GEOINT research and development and analytic 

tradecraft. With our world-class workforce and the community working together, I am sure NGA is up to the challenge 

of providing the GEOINT to ensure our nation’s security. P

Steve Wallach

assumed his current position as NGA’s 

Technical Executive, where he serves on the 

Agency’s Executive Committee and leads NGA’s 

transformation efforts, including advancing 

geospatial intelligence, and moving towards 

Foundation-Based Operations for the community.
10Pathfinder ›› November/December 2007

NGA Converts Products to GeoPDF® Files 

By Darryl Garrett

NGA is converting its products to a specialized form

of the Portable Document Format (PDF). The new format—GeoPDF®—has enormous potential for transforming 

the way NGA supports its customers because it can be read 

with the Adobe Acrobat Reader® installed on nearly every 

personal computer and many mobile devices. By downloading a free GeoPDF® Tool Bar for Adobe Reader®, customers 

can perform a variety of viewing and editing functions.

GeoPDF® was created by Layton Graphics as part of the 

eChart initiative undertaken by the National Technology 

Alliance (NTA) in 2004 to digitize NGA’s nautical charts. 

The NTA is a government program aimed at discovering, 

initiating or accelerating commercial technology to meet 

the needs of national security and military defense. NGA is 

the program’s executive agent.

At the same time, Layton Graphics formed a new company, TerraGo® Technologies, to create applications for 

converting complex geographic information to the GeoPDF® data standard. The suite of tools is called Map2PDF®. 

This software enables geospatial analysts to embed 

GEOINT into PDF maps created from any geographic information system (GIS) or mapping application.

Two Formats Provided 

GeoPDF® has two file formats—raster and vector. Both 

formats provide scalable digital map displays. The raster 

files are created by scanning existing paper maps that 

are saved in a PDF format. The vector files are created by 

plotting points, lines and polygons to represent different 

map features, which are saved in layers that can be turned 

on or off.

GeoMark Enable, a tool created by TerraGo®, allows 

users to add annotations, drawings and symbols on a 

georeferenced layer of a GeoPDF® map. The annotated 

layer can then be sent to other users or imported into NGA 

systems in a GIS file format. 

Through the NTA, TerraGo® has also developed a 

prototype capability for displaying GEOINT sources and 

supporting data. 

Why Use GeoPDF®?

GeoPDF® enables users to read layered, georeferenced 

map and imagery products with the tools they already 

have and without being a geospatial expert. NGA standard 

products formatted as vector GeoPDF® files are up to 80 

percent smaller than previously possible, which means 

that products can be e-mailed as attachments or easily 

downloaded from Web sites. Users can download GeoPDF® map files and print them on their local printer, which 

provides the potential to make NGA’s geospatial product 

distribution more flexible and responsive.

With GeoPDF® maps, users can:

» display coordinates in latitude/longitude, Universal 

Transverse Mercator (UTM) or screen units 

» zoom to points by coordinates

» display bearing, length and area measurements

» maintain layers within maps and turn the layers on 

and off

» display tracks and locations from the Global 

Positioning System

» create spatial bookmarks and hyperlinks

» print maps to any desktop printer

» use Adobe® collaboration tools in conjunction with 

maps

» add georeferenced notes, symbols, drawings and rich 

media to maps and share them with others

» distribute products via e-mail, Web-based networks, 

DVD or CD-ROM, due to their relatively small file size.

Agencies Adopting GeoPDF®

GeoPDF® is rapidly becoming a preferred distribution 

format. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is using GeoPDF® to make its 1:24,000-scale quadrangle maps (quads) 

available online as a free service. More than 60,000 quads 

were converted to GeoPDF® files in the initial project.

The Army Corps of Engineers Topographic Engineering 

Center (TEC) is using GeoPDF® to create country DVDs. TEC 

is scanning standard NGA map sheets, converting them to 

GeoPDF® files and packaging them with a thumbnail index 

on a DVD. So far map scans for five countries have been 

completed and distributed to Army field units. 

“Having NGA products on one DVD for use in a demandbased replication environment was an astonishing sight 

for most people,” said a TEC cartographer involved with 

the project.

TEC also is converting its Urban Tactical Planners (UTPs) 

into GeoPDF® vector files and will produce all future UTPs 

in this layered format. 

Other agencies adopting GeoPDF® include the Depart-
11Pathfinder ›› November/December 2007

ment of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Agriculture, U.S. Secret 

Service, Department of State and National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration.

Two commercial-imagery providers—GeoEye and DigitalGlobe—also have the capability to produce imagery in 

GeoPDF® .

NGA Products in GeoPDF®

At NGA, GeoPDF® technologies have played a major role 

in transforming both existing standard geospatial production and modernizing operational GEOINT support. 

The initial GeoPDF® products included prototype 

digital atlases for selected areas of Iraq, developed by the 

Global Foundation and Central and Southwest Asia Offices. 

GeoPDF® versions of NGA’s GEOINT Contingency Packages 

(GCPs), formerly called, in hardcopy, Noncombatant Evacuation Operations Packages, or NEO-Packs, have also been 

developed. GCP also incorporates Geospatial Intelligence 

for Operations Support and the Battlefield (GIB) in a merger 

of these two products.

In support of the upcoming Summer Olympic Games, 

analysts from the Asia-Pacific and Global Foundation 

Offices have created a new digital image city map of 

Beijing in GeoPDF®.

The Source Operations and Management Directorate 

Research Center contracted directly with TerraGo® to 

scan and georeference 40,000 NGA and native (foreign) 

products into the GeoPDF® format, based on countries of 

The GeoPDF® format is portable geospatial data that leverages Adobe Reader for ubiquitous access to intelligent, interactive maps.

Image courtesy of TerraGo Technologies Inc.
12Pathfinder ›› November/December 2007

interest. By late summer, large portions of 136 countries 

had been converted. TerraGo® also produced GeoPDF®

files for worldwide coverage of Operational Navigation 

Charts (ONCs, 1:1,000,000 scale), Tactical Pilotage Charts 

(TPCs, 1:500,000 scale) and Joint Operations Graphics 

(JOGs, 1:250,000 scale).

Customers now have Web-based access to over 12,000 

GeoPDF® files and an electronic index for browsing. As 

many as 1,000 GeoPDF® files can be downloaded at a time. 

USGS quadrangle maps are also available through the 

Research Center. 

NGA Support Using GeoPDF®

The Global Foundation and Precision Engagement 

Offices are currently using GeoPDF® for a variety of uses 

ranging from homeland security to allied humanitarian 

and peacekeeping missions in Africa. 

Global Foundation analysts have demonstrated 

GeoPDF® versions of NGA products with Adobe Acrobat 

Reader® to many customers. The technology is currently 

being used by

» the Department of State Diplomatic Security Command Center and regional security officers, who 

are using it to improve force protection and train 

embassy security personnel 

» protective service details of the Department of State 

and Secret Service, who are using it for city familiarization and dignitary security planning with help from 

NGA Support Teams

» U.S. allied coalition forces and Iraqi security forces, 

which are using the Iraq country and urban area 

atlases for operational and tactical planning. 

» U.S. Marine Corps units for mission planning related 

to U.S. diplomatic facilities

» the U.S. Agency for International Development and 

U.N. forces in Africa for humanitarian missions in the 

Darfur region of Sudan and peacekeeping efforts in 

Somalia.

In 2006 NGA, along with the CIA and Defense Human 

Intelligence Management Office, invested in TerraGo®

through its partnership in In-Q-Tel, an independent notfor-profit strategic investment firm that engages with 

high-tech start-up companies on behalf of the CIA. NGA 

joined as a partner in In-Q-Tel in 2002. Part of that investment called for each agency to get 25 free Map2PDF®

licenses, which the NGA In-Q-Tel team distributed to NGA 

Darryl Garrett

was Director of the 

Technology Office at the 

National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) from 

1996 to 2000. He is now a 

consultant to NGA, formerly 

NIMA. 

Support Teams and geospatial analysts in the Analysis 

and Production and Source Operations and Management 

Directorates.

To support initiatives in the U.S. Central Command 

(CENTCOM) area of responsibility, the Enterprise License 

Office, in partnership with Adobe®, TerraGo® and Carahsoft Technology Corp., is providing approximately 500 

Map2PDF® enterprise licenses. The partnership also 

includes enough user licenses for GeoMark Enable to 

support all of NGA’s end-users in the CENTCOM area of 

responsibility. The Analysis and Production Directorate’s 

CENTCOM Reachback Office is also funding Map2PDF® and 

GeoMark Enable licenses for offices directly supporting 

Operation Iraqi Freedom. The purchase includes Adobe®

LiveCycle Policy Server and Reader Extension Live, which 

will allow NGA to provide digital rights security on maps 

and track usage.

Challenges Ahead

Sometimes NGA transformation is like playing in a symphony orchestra: A composition is laid out with each musician knowing his or her parts, being careful to stay within 

the rules. In contrast, the move to GeoPDF® as an NGA 

distribution format of choice feels more like jamming in a 

jazz quartet: Individuals riff on the musical theme within 

their areas, but stay true to the tune. Offices from across 

NGA have worked on this transformation because they see 

the advantage that it provides to their customer. GeoPDF®

is already approved as a standard product for the Imagery 

Exploitation Capability (IEC) workstation, and the TerraGo®

software suite is going through certification and accreditation. The final goal and challenge is to have the software 

installed as a standard part of the NGA Enterprise suite, so 

that all analysts who need it will have it. P
13Pathfinder ›› November/December 2007

Data Centers Are a Technology Breakthrough 

By Steve Zenishek

NGA is all about information—it gathers data sources, 

exploits data, integrates various kinds of data, shares 

data and collaborates in its exploitation. These are core 

activities for an intelligence operation. The ability to store 

massive amounts of data, move the right data to the right 

place in timely fashion, exploit it collaboratively—these 

are intelligence imperatives.

At a time when electronic communications were slow 

and costly, NGA (and its predecessors) fielded hundreds of 

libraries across the globe. Today, with improved networks 

and bandwidth, operating and maintaining small, distributed libraries is becoming cost-prohibitive. For example, 

installation of software upgrades to libraries takes so 

much time that by the time the last site is upgraded, sites 

that received the upgrade earlier have already begun 

installation of the next software version.

Data Centers Are the Answer

As in the private sector, data centers are the clear 

answer. The role of the data center is to consolidate data 

holdings into one data storage and processing environment. This data (and value-added information from other 

parties) is then visible through Web services. The availability of that data and more efficient functionality allow 

better collaboration based on information that all involved 

analysts can see.

Data centers also enable data virtualization—the 

display of current information tailored to the needs of the 

individual end user but always in the context of a foundation data set (imagery or maps or both). In the future NGA 

data centers will link to data centers of other mission 

partners to obtain additional intelligence sources and 

analysis.

The ability to collaborate between organizations by 

exposing and sharing data is the basis for net-centric 

warfare, which theorizes that an enterprise composed of 

interconnected nodes increases mission effectiveness 

exponentially as the number of nodes increases linearly. 

The data centers enable net-centric geospatial intelligence 

(GEOINT) by breaking down existing data “silos” and linking NGA work centers with our customers in an integrated 

enterprise of interconnected nodes. 

With Data centers, a team in one area of responsibility 

(AOR), for example, the U.S. Central Command AOR, is 

not limited to information within its own library. The Data 

Center’s multiple nodes, consisting of commands, ground 

stations, analysis centers and other mission partners are 

enabled to collaborate across the National System for 

Geospatial Intelligence (NSG). As a result, the team’s analysts and operators have the capability to collaboratively 

develop the GEOINT they need to complete a mission in 

near real time.

Data centers will play a critical role in the NGA move to 

its New Campus East (NCE) in the next three to four years. 

Their use will mitigate risks associated with the consolidation of many data stores as systems and personnel move. 

Imagery libraries will migrate to the data centers before the 

NCE move and make the data accessible across NGA. Once 

the data is migrated and operations are ensured, internal 

users will move to the NCE without risk to mission continuity. An additional benefit will be the improved ability of 

analysts in the Washington, D.C. area to collaborate with 

analysts in the St. Louis area using a richer data set. Ongoing studies of the network throughput will identify and fix 

bottlenecks prior to any move to ensure mission continuity.

Photo by Dick Fonner

Advanced concepts like net-centric warfare are studied and developed in 

the laboratory environment of NGA’s Geospatial Intelligence Advancement 

Testbeds. To enable net-centric warfare, NGA is developing plans to link its 

data centers with those of mission partners.
14Pathfinder ›› November/December 2007

NGA Is Moving to an ISP/ASP Model

Operation of the data centers will transform the way 

NGA currently operates, moving to an infrastructure service provider (ISP) and application service provider (ASP) 

model. In this new construct, NGA’s Enterprise Operations 

Directorate will provide the necessary infrastructure to run 

software applications and communications. The Acquisition Directorate will provide the application software that 

will “ride” that infrastructure. An important concept will be 

the implementation of capability planning, through which 

changes in applications and infrastructure will be forecast 

and changed. The goal is to anticipate needed changes in 

mission. To make this possible, NGA and its partners will 

collaborate, identifying trends, future needs and emerging 

requirements.

Data centers will not be restricted to just GEOINT data 

and applications, but will also include business management capabilities and data. This will enable collaboration 

among various NGA organizations on business processes 

such as human resources. Imagine an environment in which 

human-resource specialists have immediate access to both 

current information and online tools in a manner similar 

to the collaboration among dispersed GEOINT analysts. 

The bottom line: Data centers will play an important role in 

unifying NGA, the NSG and the Intelligence Community. P

Photo by Dick Fonner

Steve Zenishek

is an NGA Staff Officer in the Acquisition Systems 

Office, Acquisition Directorate. An Air Force veteran, he 

was a program manager for the Air Force Distributed Common Ground System. He also served as a crew commander for 

Minutemen ICBMs and Ground-Launched Cruise Missiles.

Data centers will play an important role in unifying NGA, the National System for Geospatial Intelligence, and the Intelligence Community.
Interview with Program Director

‘Guncoast’ Aims for Real-Time Targeting 

By Roger Gant

The Global Net-Centric Surveillance and Targeting 

(GNCST) program, or “Guncoast,” is an activity of NGA’s 

InnoVision Directorate. 

Representing a potentially transformational capability, GNCST promises to shorten the targeting process, 

providing near real-time intelligence on targets that users 

specify with the precision they need to act. The system 

automatically performs multi-intelligence data mining 

and fusion in direct response to user queries and then 

responds with timely, relevant and actionable intelligence 

at a usable classification level.

An article—“‘Guncoast’ Promises Transformational 

Capability”—appeared in the November-December 2006 

Pathfinder. In this issue, GNCST Program Manager Ted 

Cody provides a status report.

Q: Please summarize the GNCST program for us.

A: This is a great success story in the making. GNCST 

uses cutting-edge data-fusion technology to produce 

actionable information on high-value targets—faster and 

with more precision. It addresses the toughest challenges 

of military users and national agencies.

Q: So what’s the status of GNCST now?

A: We’ve made significant progress since we 

awarded the GNCST contract in July 2006. We’re 

on track to transition to operations over the next 

few years. Our current effort is scheduled for 

demonstration as the Pathfinder goes to 

press. Over the next year, we’ll focus our 

next capability on expanded targets, data 

sources and fusion techniques, which 

should be ready by next summer. Transition to operations happens after that. 

Q: How does GNCST function?

A: It starts with a user’s request to find 

a particular type of target within a specified area of interest. Based on this, GNCST 

extracts key information from a variety of data 

sources. This is done “upstream”—before the 

data is processed—to get richer data, faster. The 

extracted information is algorithmically fused to 

locate and track the specific high-value target. Multiple 

15Pathfinder ›› November/December 2007

Ted Cody, GNCST Program Manager
sources identify a target that a single source couldn’t. 

Automated algorithmic fusion speeds up the process and 

leverages a larger amount of data. When GNCST finds a 

target, it notifies the requestor with the location, time and 

identity. The best part is that users will just need a Web 

portal to access GNCST, no new software. Additionally, 

GNCST will be interoperable with the rest of the community using NGA’s evolving service-oriented architecture. 

While it sounds easy, putting it together is tough.

Q: What types of targets can you find now, and what 

data sources do you use?

A: We’ve proven the fusion capability against a limited 

set of military targets, and we’re working hard to add more 

targets to our baseline. However, threats to our nation 

today are not limited to traditional military forces. We are 

engaging with potential national agency and military users 

to prioritize target classes (types) and focus new sources, 

including tactical sensors, to our baseline in annual spirals.

Q: What’s the toughest part of making GNCST fully functional?

A: Great question. GNCST is a product 

of its environment: We’re only as good as the 

sources and target models available to us. Many 

technologies and sources of potential interest 

simply aren’t mature enough for GNCST’s upstream, 

algorithmic approach. That’s why we’re eager to partner 

with developers of enabling technologies.

Q: Last question—Why is GNCST so important?

A: Our analysts and sensing systems are very good 

at finding things, but this is very challenging, due to 

operational imperatives for speed, accuracy and volume. 

GNCST helps by finding objects that usually don’t want to 

be found and that pose significant challenges for existing 

approaches that rely on a single intelligence discipline. No 

one has fused information algorithmically, using multiple 

intelligence sources, like we’re doing. GNCST’s attributes, 

namely its net-centric ability to automatically detect and 

locate targets through raw data fusion, will maximize the 

utility of collected data, enhance analytic efforts and enable faster and more effective decisionmaking. P

Roger Gant

is a contractor supporting the GNCST 

Program Management Office as a Principal 

Program Analyst. He served as an Air Force officer 

with assignments including intelligence analyst, 

military attaché and systems analyst.

16Pathfinder ›› November/December 2007

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Graphic provided by GNCST PMO

GNCST—Putting the “INT” pieces together.
17Pathfinder ›› November/December 2007

NGA Has NextView:

Looking at Foreign SAR Satellites 

By Michael Hales

A speaker at a remote-sensing conference recently 

said that 80 percent of all information has a geospatial 

component. If true, one would believe that the growing 

availability of geospatial information is enabling its wider 

use in our daily lives. Now that DigitalGlobe’s WorldView-1 

is in orbit, even more geospatial capabilities will be available to the public. WorldView-1 was launched through 

NGA’s NextView program, which acquires satellite and 

remotely sensed imagery from commercial providers 

through a competitive selection process.

Commercial space systems outside the United States 

are also providing, or will soon provide, new geospatial 

capabilities of immense value to NGA. Determining how 

NGA (on behalf of its diverse customer base) will evaluate, 

acquire and use this data is a significant component of 

NGA’s Focus Area involving the development and execution of a comprehensive commercial imagery strategy. 

Using data from commercial space systems outside the 

United States also supports the Focus Area goal of being 

the “most collaborative partner with the Intelligence Community and warfighter.” (These and other NGA Focus Areas 

were the subject of a series of reports under the heading 

“NGA Moves Ahead in Focus Areas, Looks to Future Challenges,” in the September-October 2007 Pathfinder.) 

Synthetic Aperture Radar

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is a form of radar that 

can be used for remote sensing through manipulation of 

the radar data during post-processing. The availability of 

foreign commercial SAR data is increasing dramatically 

with the launches of Italy’s CosmoSky Med-1 (June 7, 

2007) and Germany’s TerraSar-X (June 16, 2007), along 

with the upcoming launches of Canada’s RADARSAT-2 and 

Cosmo Sky Med-2 (both in December 2007). CosmoSky 

Med-1 and TerraSar-X are the first satellite missions in 

their multisatellite constellations, whereas RADARSAT-2 

will join an existing system already in orbit. South Korea 

is also planning to launch KOMPSAT-5, a high-resolution dual-use SAR system, in 2008. This is part of South 

Korea’s 20-year National Space Plan through 2015. 

Foreign data-sharing partnerships and the foreign purchase of turnkey systems are also on the rise. European 

countries like France, Germany and Italy have pioneered 

data-sharing arrangements among their collective commercial electro-optical (EO) and SAR space systems. 

This approach has proven to be both cost-effective and 

exclusive since each country shares its commercial remote-sensing resources but has knowledge only of its own 

encrypted telemetry and downlink activities. 

In some countries, commercial companies are also selling satellite system designs and/or turnkey systems. An 

example of the latter is Israel, which is marketing an impressive <300kg turnkey SAR system for a very competitive price by satellite standards. Even the United States is 

competing to provide turnkey EO and SAR remote sensing 

systems to a consortium of allied Middle Eastern countries. No matter how you look at it, the foreign demand for 

SAR data and its geospatial applications is growing. 

Why SAR? 

SAR imagery has some obvious advantages over EO 

imagery because it is not dependent on daylight or fair 

weather to acquire remotely sensed information. It is also 

extremely useful for developing digital elevation models 

used by scientists, academics and analysts from all sectors of government. On behalf of the United States in 

Photo courtesy of Infoterra GmbH

Commercial space systems outside the United States are providing, or will 

soon provide, new geospatial capabilities of immense value to NGA. Shown 

above is Germany’s TerraSar-X, launched in June 2007.
18Pathfinder ›› November/December 2007

2003, NASA and NGA (known as the National Imagery and 

Mapping Agency at the time) received global appreciation 

for processing and distributing Shuttle Radar Topography 

Mission (SRTM) Level-1 data (nominal post spacing of 90 

meters) very openly and for making Level-2 data (nominal 

post spacing of 30 meters) selectively available to U.S. 

government-approved users. These datasets, still being 

widely used today, include highly accurate interferometric 

SAR (INFSAR) data from February 2000 covering approximately 80 percent of the Earth’s land mass between 60 

degrees north and 56 degrees south latitudes.

In 2009, Germany’s planned TanDEM-X mission will join 

the recently launched TerraSAR-X and provide commercial 

IFSAR data corresponding to Level 3 of NGA’s Digital 

Terrain Elevation Data, with geolocational accuracies 

of approximately 10 meters. Over a three-year period, 

TerraSAR-X and its twin TanDEM-X will create a detailed 

global elevation dataset. Meanwhile, the SRTM data will 

remain unique because no U.S. or foreign commercial 

entity is planning to collect, process and archive such a 

comprehensive SAR data collection.

NGA’s Evaluation of Foreign SAR Data 

NGA’s Technical Executive is currently conducting a 

data-evaluation study to examine the quality of SAR data 

from three of the foreign commercial systems mentioned 

above. The missions being evaluated include Germany’s 

TerraSar-X, Italy’s Cosmo SkyMed-1, and Canada’s RADARSAT-2 satellites. The purpose of this SAR data evaluation 

is to examine how foreign commercial SAR data may satisfy Department of Defense and Intelligence Community 

requirements, especially in the areas of broad area search, 

macro change detection, mapping applications (including 

feature extraction and disaster response), intelligence 

applications, elevation and subsidence data, and possibly 

even support for targeting. 

 By conducting the study, NGA is also developing a 

comprehensive understanding of the future commercial 

SAR capabilities coming online before 2012 as part of a 

larger acquisition effort for effectively meeting current and 

future national requirements. Understanding one system 

will help NGA to understand the others. The KOMPSAT-V 

payload, for example, will be derived from the Cosmo 

SkyMed system. Cosmo SkyMed will consist of three more 

identical satellite systems like the one being evaluated 

by NGA. Cosmo SkyMed-2 is expected to be launched in 

December 2007, and Cosmo SkyMed missions 3 and 4 are 

expected to be launched in 2008. 

Challenges and Opportunities for NGA

While the proliferation of foreign commercial SAR data 

provides many opportunities for NGA, it also creates 

challenges. These include development of a foreign SAR 

tasking, processing, exploitation and dissemination 

process; managing multiple unique data licenses from 

numerous non-U.S. vendors; ingesting commercial SAR 

data into the National System for Geospatial Intelligence 

architecture; and understanding how non-U.S. access to 

non-U.S. systems may provide possible advantages (especially asymmetric ones) to our adversaries. Continuing to 

acquire, evaluate and understand the characteristics and 

capabilities of foreign commercial SAR data will help NGA 

better address all these challenges in a manner that best 

supports the U.S. warfighter and our coalition partners. P

Michael Hales

is an NGA Staff Officer 

in the Policy Division of 

the Office of International 

Affairs and Policy.

© 2007 Jupiterimages Corporation
Achieving Persistent Surveillance Requires Community 

Effort to Build One Continuum 

By Patrick A. Grieco

“Look long enough, often enough and with enough 

fidelity to achieve the mission requirement.”

That’s a shorthand definition of “persistent surveillance.” NGA defines it as “assured monitoring of entities 

and environments with sufficient frequency, continuity, 

accuracy, precision, spectral diversity and data content to 

obtain desired information, even in the presence of denial 

and deception.” 

Persistence is situational in nature: How an object or 

target is surveiled will depend on the information needed. 

Persistent surveillance must be sustained for the period 

of time appropriate to mission need, be it minutes, days, 

weeks, months or even years. It is possible to achieve 

persistent surveillance through a combination of sensors 

and tasking, collection, processing, exploitation and dissemination (TCPED) activities. 

Leveraging Saturated Collection

Taking data from multiple assets, correlating it as much 

as possible and fusing it to obtain a more comprehensive 

view of the environment under surveillance can provide a 

clearer understanding of 

events and indications and 

may detect the significance of an event (for example, a 

truck entering a facility) that no single asset by itself may 

be capable of providing.

Using current tasking mechanisms, collection managers 

may saturate an environment with a combination of land, 

sea, air, commercial and national sensors as available 

and appropriate for the area, object or facility under 

surveillance. These mechanisms are in reality a series of 

collection-management processes at the unit, theater and 

national levels, tied together to form a greater whole. 

Individual units maintain control of limited numbers of 

operations intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance 

(ops/ISR) assets, which they use to address their information requirements. Units pass their unmet information 

needs to the command- or theater-level collection manager for resolution at that level. 

Theaters maintain control of a different set of ops/ISR 

assets to support information needs adjudicated and 

prioritized through a joint collection management board 

(JCMB). The board passes information needs that can’t be 

addressed or resolved at the theater level to the national 

level for resolution. 

The national level uses a central tasking and adjudication process that receives, adjudicates and prioritizes 

global requirements and tasks collection requirements to 

available assets. This process is transitioning from today’s 

manual and semiautomated mechanisms to a more net19Pathfinder ›› November/December 2007

DoD photo by TSGT Erik Gudmundson

A U.S. Air Force U-2 Dragonlady high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, 99th 

Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron, makes a high-speed takeoff.
centric, machine-to-machine process designed to maximize the efficiency of cueing and tasking by minimizing 

human influence in the process. 

National information needs best suited for collection by 

theater assets are passed to the theater level by means of 

“advisory tasking.” This essentially is the reverse of the 

national collection management process in that national 

needs passed to the theater are subject to the JCMB 

process before possibly being addressed through use of 

theater-or-below ops/ISR assets.

The objective is to make the links between these 

disparate processes as seamless as possible, feasible 

and appropriate. The same requirement that will provide 

actionable information to the unit user may provide critical 

forensic-level data to the rear analyst. The end-to-end 

collection management and tasking process needs to be 

automated to the extent possible and prudent to remove 

barriers to the use of assets to address user needs. Moving beyond advisory tasking increases the transparency 

of national information needs in theater-level collection. 

Automation of end-to-end collection management and 

tasking would also mirror, where appropriate, national 

process improvements in theater processes. 

Once collected, new data can be compared or fused 

with existing archives as part of the analysis process. 

Thus, how data is managed is critical to its availability, 

accessibility, utility and interoperability.

Removing Impediments to Interoperability

NGA has been involved over the past several years in 

the convergence of hardware and infrastructure to consolidate and merge systems inherited when the Agency stood 

up. While this infrastructure convergence is a positive 

development for persistent surveillance, the interoperability that is required also depends on data convergence.

A horizontally integrated exploitation environment 

should encompass data streams, data processing, data 

storage and archiving, data dissemination to users, data 

manipulation by those users and the ultimate creation of 

products using data transparently from across the spectrum of intelligence disciplines.

Data convergence will provide interoperability through 

the creation, promulgation and enforcement of data standards within and between spectrum disciplines. Interoperability will allow for the creation of a common processing 

environment where data from multiple sensor systems can 

be treated identically, making it transparent and to some 

extent interchangeable to the user as it is correlated, 

fused and layered in displays, visualizations and other 

products during the analysis process. 

Common data formats will enable the automation of 

exploitation tools into a common suite. Common data 

formats will also enable the creation of common storage 

and archive practices and methods for both the data itself 

and the various products derived from it. Fused, layered, 

multi-intelligence (multi-INT) products will be the ultimate 

result of user interaction with this converged data within 

the horizontally integrated exploitation environment. 

NGA’s InnoVision Directorate is leading the development 

of community standards at the level of metadata (descriptive data about data). However, much remains to be done 

to achieve cross-spectrum, multi-INT data convergence.

Maximizing Access to Tactical Collection

Achieving data convergence in a common exploitation 

environment doesn’t necessarily mean that users will have 

access to all the data they need to adequately address 

mission problems. There is a plethora of platforms at the 

national and tactical levels, but the data from each platform does not necessarily go beyond the immediate user 

for that data. Tactical systems may provide information to 

a relatively small number of immediate users who do not 

store or archive that information for later use. Rather the 

data “falls to the floor” after use and is lost to others for 

further analysis or exploitation in conjunction with other 

information sources. 

A classic example of this occurred with the use of 

ground-moving target indicator (GMTI) data. GMTI is a 

radar technology that detects, locates and tracks moving 

vehicles and vessels. The Joint Surveillance and Target 

Attack Radar System (JSTARS) used GMTI operationally for 

the first time in 1991 during the Persian Gulf War. However, 

only starting in 2004 were provisions made to ensure that 

GMTI data was kept and archived at the national level and 

made available to researchers and analysts for development and use in intelligence applications. Today, the use 

of GMTI data is becoming widely accepted as a part of 

many types of mission-support analysis. 

Tactical data such as GMTI data may have enormous 

application on a broader analytical stage. Thus it is crucial 

to incorporate tactical collection into national archives 

wherever possible. This broadens the base of information 

20Pathfinder ›› November/December 2007
Photo by the U.S. Air Force

available for multi-INT fusionbased analysis by a wide range 

of analysts working both tactical 

and national mission problems. For example, in rolling exploitation, available data is used to 

build on the existing understanding of an environment or 

battle space. A single piece of data five days old could 

be the missing piece of a puzzle that allows actionable intelligence to be produced and provided to 

warfighters, allowing them to take preemptive 

or proactive action against a particular target 

set. 

It is not enough to increase the flow of 

tactical data to national archives, however. 

Users, who may be widely separated on an 

organizational level, must be able to exploit and share the 

data with interoperable tools, whether they are sitting in 

the Washington, D.C. area or Bahrain. 

Part of the challenge is to move the data from point A 

to point B without loss of data coherence, resolution and 

structure. Due to the complexity and high volume of data, 

with multiple sensors employed against a single-mission 

problem, persistent surveillance increases the demands 

placed upon communication infrastructures. Sensors like 

electro-optical full-motion video systems place a high 

demand on in-theater and theater-to-national communications capabilities, due to large raw and compressed 

data-file sizes. Larger data files will stress communication 

capabilities as operators seek to retrieve data from one 

place and deliver it to another in a timely fashion. 

Whether or not cable, microwave or satellite communications are used, the data needs to be sized to fit the existing bandwidth, or the bandwidth needs to be increased 

to meet the increased requirements. In short, it is imperative to ensure data receipt with no loss of functionality. 

Making Data Available

Having the ability to move data without loss of functionality leads to the challenge of ingesting it into a storage and 

archive system that allows for meaningful retrieval. Storage 

capacity must be easily expandable and adaptable enough 

to accept new data flows and emerging data formats. 

To enable standards development and interoperability, 

metadata (information about a dataset) also needs to 

be preserved. Formulation and adherence to developed 

standards at the metadata level will provide the basis 

for universal data interoperability across 

the intelligence and spectrum disciplines. 

Ensuring metadata is available for all data types 

enables advanced processing such as data conversion, translation, correlation and fusion.

Some applications might require an unconstrained, 

machine-language flow of data, unsuitable for unaided 

human use, in order to mine for specific information 

types. However, most data is retrieved in finely focused 

segments relevant for a specific mission. Even with most 

exploitation today being computer-aided or enhanced, the 

Mark 1 eyeball is still relied upon for the examination and 

analysis of imagery.

The type of analysis being conducted also may well impact how the data needs to be archived. Data correlation 

and fusion are basic elements of modern analysis (nodal, 

pattern, change detection, etc.). Therefore, data must be 

archived in a manner that allows for the transparent merging of different data types in a common processing and 

exploitation environment.

Early involvement in the development of new sensor 

systems provides an opportunity to influence their development and enables analysts to get the new data in the 

earliest time frame to develop transition and permanent 

archiving mechanisms for the data. Having the data available early also enables the use of existing and evolutionary data sources in revolutionary ways previously not 

thought of or not possible because the data was simply 

not available for use.

Moving to Rolling Exploitation

Despite today’s rapidly changing environment, the traditional phases of exploitation are still valid. The quick look 

at the tactical level, followed by a more extensive review 

and analysis, and finally the long-range review and exploitation to address a particular mission problem or aspect of 

an ongoing operation continue to meet critical information 

needs at all levels. 

21Pathfinder ›› November/December 2007

Global Hawk in flight.
22Pathfinder ›› November/December 2007

At the same time, these traditional phases have merged 

into a continuum, blurring the traditional distinctions 

between them. Just as first- and second-phase exploitation 

enable the third-phase work, third-phase efforts now enable 

first and second phase-like activities. Data having time 

latencies is still important for forensic analysis and exploitation because it may provide the one critical piece of information that may be the key to supporting current operations. 

A transition is under way to a continuous process of rolling analysis or exploitation, which occurs where existing 

information is overlaid and combined with newly captured 

and archived data in multi-INT and all-source analysis. 

Each data segment increases the overall picture and 

understanding of the mission problem, enabling planning 

and operations against an agile and adaptive foe.

As data becomes available, it can be used in a missionlayering approach, enabling different tasks based upon 

resolution and format. Data mining, visualization and 

smart-agent applications, such as notifying analysts of activity in their area of interest, allow different layers of the 

mission problem to be addressed with increasing degrees 

of accuracy as analysis and emerging data combine to 

help resolve difficult aspects and operational enigmas. 

Rolling analysis supports the full range of analytical and 

operational functions:

» surveillance and targeting

» temporal analysis (an event- or network-based activity enabling tracking of objects forward and backward 

in time within a defined geospatial reference)

» change-detection, geospatial-trend, nodal, normalcy, 

pattern and traffic analysis

» case studies in areas of interest.

Rolling analysis is consistent with the use of different 

sensors for different tasks. Different sensors have different resolutions, spectrums and fields of view. A comprehensive persistent-collection strategy should leverage 

these differences to provide a layered mix of data, giving 

analysts a more comprehensive view of their environment 

and allowing them to fuse different types of data.

Within this continuous analysis process, federated 

exploitation leverages hands-on in-theater experience and 

rear-area depth of analytical support and assets to maximize the exploitation effort at each organizational level. It 

takes advantage of the strengths of all parties and, when 

mixed with judicial provision of forward-deployed national 

Patrick A. Grieco

is a Principal Member of the Professional 

Staff of the Riverside Research Institute, an 

independent, not-for-profit scientific institution that primarily supports customers in the 

Department of Defense, Intelligence Community 

and National Institutes of Health. At NGA he is 

supporting the Imagery Studies Division of the 

Analysis and Production Directorate’s Analysis 

and Integration Center.

analysts, provides a layered, in-depth capability to address all aspects of the mission problem.

Summing up

Surveillance by its very nature is ambiguous. It may 

not impart the nature or meaning of an observed activity. 

Only by combining the power of persistent collection with 

in-depth capabilities to find, retrieve, fuse, analyze and 

disseminate needed data and products is it possible to 

approach clarity. Each element of sensor and TCPED configuration must be optimized to provide a seamless flow of 

data and products addressing mission problems.

No definition of persistent surveillance by itself adequately captures the details that need to be in place to 

truly create such an environment. And “the devil is in the 

details,” as the old saying goes. Limited, localized persistence may be achieved today by being conscious of all the 

elements required to bring the full force of sensors, data 

and analytical expertise to bear against a mission problem. However, true persistence will not be achieved until 

sensors and TCPED are combined into a single continuum, 

from collection strategies to the production of relevant, 

actionable intelligence products, even in the presence of 

denial and deception.

Although vital to successfully meeting the challenges of 

today and tomorrow, achieving persistence is not a trivial 

or short-term undertaking. It will require a long-term focusing of resources and personnel in a robust, concerted, 

and comprehensive community effort. P
Interview with SI Director

Changes in SI Will Be Transformational 

By Kate S. Worley 

As the Director of NGA’s Security and Installation Operations Directorate (SI), retired Brig. Gen. Joe Composto 

ensures that NGA people, facilities and systems are secure. He assumed the SI directorship in 2003, after retiring 

from a 32-year career in the U.S. Marine Corps. His last 

military assignment was Commanding General, Marine 

Corps Base, Quantico, Va.

The SI Directorate’s mission is “to secure NGA people, 

facilities and systems while providing a safe and efficient 

operating environment.” SI’s government and contractor 

personnel are working together to provide installation 

operations, facilities management, security and counterintelligence services across NGA. 

Q: Sir, what are the plans for enhancements and upgrades to NGA facilities and security at the New Campus 

East (NCE) in Springfield, Va.?

A: The NCE presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity 

for NGA. A move of this scale is something that comes 

along for an agency maybe once every generation or two. 

It is going to give us the ability to remake the way we do 

business. Over the last 10 years, we have successfully 

integrated eight separate organizational cultures under 

the NGA umbrella, but geographical dispersion remains an 

issue. Consolidating our eight Washington, D.C., offices at 

the NCE will enhance our ability to collaborate and cooperate with one another. The new facilities will provide our 

workforce with the newest technological advancements in 

our tradecraft and are purposely designed for the production of geospatial intelligence (GEOINT). The new facilities 

are designed so that we can grow with the advancements 

of technologies, and the ability of our workforce to apply 

their trades will be greatly improved. I will say that the final 

modern benefit of the new campus will be the enhanced 

workplace security. We will be far better protected from terrorist threats, espionage and other criminal activities. The 

location of the NCE is more secluded, and we will employ 

the most modern and latest security features and devices.

Photo by Rob Cox

23Pathfinder ›› November/December 2007

Retired Brig. Gen. Joe Composto , SI Director

Photo by Larry Franklin
Q: Are there any plans for 

upgrades and enhancements to 

facilities and security at NGA West 

campuses?

A: Upgrades and enhancements are already under way 

at the west facilities. NGA West is a vital component of 

the Agency and we have not forgotten them. Many of the 

improvements to our west facilities are behind the scenes, 

such as new plumbing, electric, heating, ventilation and 

air conditioning. Improvements and renovations continue 

at our Second Street location in St. Louis. There, you will 

have a hard time walking down any hallway without seeing work carts and areas under construction. We continue 

to initiate enhancements to areas like the fitness center, 

cafeteria and hallways. We’ve opened a new mail handling 

facility at Arnold, and we are in the process of obtaining 

more parking and developing a conference center at Second Street. Additionally, the security at our west facilities 

is becoming more robust. NGA wants to make certain that 

all our facilities, both east and west, are capable, attractive and safe. 

Q: NGA has been transitioning to a new Data Center in 

the west. What are the benefits of this move?

A: The new NGA Data Center we have built in the west 

is a big part of NGA’s future ability to gather, protect and 

disseminate geospatial data. This center is very much part 

of our plan to transition and deploy to the NCE. As we prepare to move to NCE, the majority of the various libraries 

and data systems will be moved to the Data Center West 

to ensure they remain stable and secure. We can’t afford 

the luxury of packing our boxes and closing down for a 

few weeks while we move. We must be able to continue to 

operate at an optimal level and the Data Center is going to 

play a big role in our successful deployment.

Q: Could you tell us a bit about NGA’s Radio Frequency 

Identification (RFID) initiative? 

A: Simply stated, RFID will better enable NGA to track 

the location of all the accountable and reportable property 

we have in our trust. Essentially, we place a small radio tag 

that emits a very weak signal on each piece of accountable 

property. That signal sends out the property number to 

receivers stationed around the building, allowing us to 

take a real-time inventory of our property. We have a pilot 

program under way at the Washington Navy Yard. The pilot 

has been very successful, and we are planning for the 

deployment of RFID at NCE and at our facilities in the west.

Q: Over the past 10 years, how has NGA developed and 

evolved to become a more robust, efficient and secure 

intelligence and combat support agency?

A: NGA security has developed quite a bit, especially 

since 9/11. There have been a number of visible changes 

in our security such as the various barriers, gates and 

turnstiles that have been installed. We have also made 

changes around the Agency that are not as visible but 

have greatly improved our ability to protect our people 

and our property. We have increased the size of our security police force and have improved their training. NGA’s 

highly trained and motivated security police force does a 

superb job and, in my judgment, is the finest that you will 

find anywhere in the federal government. Additionally, our 

counterintelligence office within NGA is working hard to 

deter and defeat espionage, and our counterintelligence 

program has quickly become a showcase for the counterintelligence field.

Q: What are some of SI’s success stories since you 

became Director of SI four years ago?

A: The men and women of SI are my success stories. 

There is no doubt that they have done an outstanding 

job in the time I have been here. They are a very talented 

and energized workforce, and I enjoy working with them. 

Additionally, there have been dramatic improvements and 

renovations to the exteriors and workspaces at all of our 

NGA locations. I am also extremely proud of the improvements to our security—the safe and secure working conditions at NGA today did not exist a few years ago. We have 

also pursued and implemented our own security- clearance adjudication authority for NGA, a real milestone in 

becoming a world-class intelligence agency. I truly believe 

I have the best job in the Agency, and SI will continue to 

enhance, develop and secure our facilities in support of 

the GEOINT mission. P

24Pathfinder ›› November/December 2007

Photo by Tony Boone

Kate S. Worley

supported the Office 

of Corporate Relations 

with speechwriting. She 

was a senior strategic communications consultant 

with an NGA contractor.
Partnerships

GST Helps Iraq Build GEOINT Capability 

By Geospatial Support Team 32

NGA’s Geospatial Support Team (GST) 32 in Iraq 

recently completed a leadership change. Exiting the 

relative safety of the Baghdad International Zone, still 

referred to as the Green Zone, team members drove to the 

nearby Red Zone to introduce their new leadership to Iraqi 

counterparts. There, they made contact with Army leaders 

building the Iraqi Directorate of Imagery and Mapping 

Intelligence Affairs (DIMA). 

Besides supporting the Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq (MNSTC-I), GST 32 interfaces directly 

with members of the Ministries of Defense and Interior 

to facilitate DIMA’s rise. In short, GST 32 is charged with 

assisting the establishment and standup of an Iraqi 

geospatial intelligence organization.

GST members work under the watchful eyes of U.S. 

Army Lt. Gen. James Dubik, head of 

the Transition Command. The 

MNSTC-I mission is to assist the 

Iraqi government in the development, organization, training, 

25Pathfinder ›› November/December 2007 

equipping and sustainment of Iraqi Security Forces and 

ministries. That makes the GST a close partner defeating 

terrorism and providing a stable environment in which 

representative government, individual freedom, the rule 

of law and a free market economy can evolve. The team 

also hopes to contribute to Iraq’s external security and the 

security of the Gulf Region. 

GST 32 is assisted by a large NGA in-country support 

structure and the U.S. Central Command NGA Support Team. 

The prognosis for the standup of DIMA is guardedly 

optimistic. The Iraqis must overcome many challenges 

such as power generation and personnel shortages. NGA 

has given the Iraqis a leg up with data and the capability 

of viewing and doing some simple analysis. This progress 

was achieved because of the close and personal interface 

the team maintains with their Iraqi partners, which is so 

important in Arabic culture. 

GST 32 is one of a handful of teams that have a six-month 

tour length instead of the usual four months. A six-month 

deployment counts as a one-year joint duty assignment. 

GST 32 is an NGA Volunteer Deployment Team supported 

by NGA’s Office of Global Services. P

Bombed-out Baath Party headquarters

Photo courtesy of Larry Plumart
26Pathfinder ›› November/December 2007

Working for NGA

Telling Agency’s Story Has Its Proud Moments 

By Kensey Liebsch

“How did I get here?” I asked myself in late August, 

as I walked through the French Quarter in New Orleans. 

The humidity was so thick it was visible, the temperature 

was nearly 100 degrees, and my body was so warm that 

I panted even thinking about walking outside. But I was 

having a great time. I was attending Synergy ’07, my first 

conference as an NGA ambassador.

Co-sponsored by the Office of the Undersecretary of 

Defense for Intelligence, Government Emerging Technology 

Alliance and National Military Intelligence Association, 

Synergy ’07 focused on the use of technology to provide 

synchronized support to the warfighter.

I was at Synergy ’07 as a member of NGA’s Ambassador 

Program, sponsored by the Office of Corporate Relations, 

through which a cadre of employees represent NGA at 

conferences across the country. 

While managing NGA’s booth, I felt the excitement surrounding NGA’s products and successes. I fielded countless questions from conference attendees about NGA’s 

project with Google EarthTM, how private companies may 

access unclassified NGA products and how small businesses can participate in the NGA mission. I was delighted to 

witness the high esteem in which members of the defense 

and intelligence communities held NGA.

Holding the conference in New Orleans on the second 

anniversary of Hurricane Katrina was poignant for many 

attendees. NGA’s contributions to the recovery effort mark 

the time I was most impressed by our geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) mission. At Synergy ’07 I learned that 

many others feel the same way.

My favorite moment occurred during the lunch break on 

the conference’s second day. I was at the NGA booth, and the 

exhibit hall was mostly empty of attendees. Army Lt. Gen. 

Russel L. Honore, commander of Joint Task Force Katrina, 

approached to tell me how much he appreciated the support 

that NGA provided following the catastrophe. The pride that I 

feel about working for NGA swelled at that moment.

Reflecting on my experiences at Synergy ’07, I saw clearly that NGA and the Ambassador Program provided me 

with an opportunity to spend a few days doing something 

that I care about: explaining the GEOINT mission to audiences who partner with NGA to support our warfighters. P

Kensey Liebsch

is an NGA Staff Officer 

in the Analysis and Production Directorate, Office 

of Plans, Resources and 

Metrics.

Photo by Charles Monroe

Kensey Liebsch represents NGA at Synergy ‘07 in New Orleans through the Ambassador 

Program, sponsored by the Office of Corporate Relations.
Our Heritage

What Is ‘Doing History’? 

By Dr. Gary E. Weir

Doing history. That sounds odd, doesn’t it? It seems 

normal to read history, write history, and make history, but 

how does one do history? The Renaissance scholar J.H. 

Hexter of Washington University in St. Louis gave the title 

of this essay to a book he wrote years ago on the process 

of historical analysis. That book is a favorite of mine, and 

yes, I said analysis. People think of historians as collectors 

of old documents and old books, with old minds, gathering the past and knowing its facts and events for their 

own sake. This same perspective often equates history 

with the past. We tune into the History Channel, and the 

announcer tells us that this is “where the past comes 

alive.” Well, if you ever see the past come alive, 

try to escape because you have just walked into 

the plot of a Stephen King novel! The past has 

definitely ended. However, the history we do 

relative to that past has only just begun. 

History happens in each moment of every 

day when a qualified historian examines the 

sources left behind and offers a perspective 

on the past, in any of its aspects, 

that enables us to better understand 

ourselves and our world. 

Historians use a variety of research techniques and analytical methods to evaluate and understand the past for 

itself, to employ that understanding to better appreciate 

the present, and to plan more effectively for the future. 

Oral history interviews, documents, any sort of media, 

and artifacts provide the historian with the raw material 

needed to do history.

Mastering the historical sources on any given subject 

usually provides scores of surprises, as well as a depth 

of insight few of us ever achieve. A few years ago I flew to 

San Diego to do some documentary research at the 

archive of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla. I also had an oral history visit 

27Pathfinder ›› November/December 2007
scheduled with a retired physicist, Victor Vacquier. My visit 

to his home provided surprises on a number of levels and 

brought me to an unexpected understanding of a topic 

I never planned to explore with him. First, I discovered 

that Dr. Vacquier could no longer see. This disability had 

dampened neither his spirit nor his lively manner, and he 

quickly took me to his favorite room in the house for our 

conversation. I soon found myself sitting in the basement 

laundry room next to the clothes dryer! He had his favorite 

easy chair just opposite and a cool drink waiting. 

As I asked him questions about his early life for context 

in an effort to appreciate his capabilities as a scientist, I 

learned that he did not come to this country in his youth 

from France, but rather from Russia. Since my subject had 

already entered his eighth decade, I also realized that 

the Russia he remembered lived under the last czar and 

the name of his home town, St. Petersburg, had not yet 

become Leningrad. Then to my astonishment he recalled 

at length standing at the window of his grandmother’s 

apartment in 1917 watching the Bolshevik Revolution occur as thousands of people passed by on the street below 

headed toward the czar’s residence. I had studied that 

revolution many times in college and graduate school, but 

I never saw that event, its people, their manner, or their 

clothing, or heard the words they called out in the cold 

night air as well as I did that day listening to the sharp 

childhood memories of a scientist whose eyes no longer 

Dr. Gary E. Weir

is the NGA Historian.

served him. The Soviet Union at its beginning now has a 

depth in my mind achievable in no other way. 

At NGA, we’re doing history in a variety of ways. During the past year we celebrated the 10th anniversary of 

geospatial intelligence (GEOINT), documenting the highlights of the first decade of this remarkable young intelligence specialty. Our new Time Cabinet, holding tools, 

products, and other artifacts of our GEOINT tradecrafts, is 

currently touring our facilities to mark the closing of the 

10th anniversary celebration. At NGA’s St. Louis facility, 

new exhibits appear three times each year at our on-site 

museum, which is open to staff always and to other 

visitors by appointment. We also made available a short 

analytical survey of our history entitled, The Advent of the 

National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

Just as we need data sources for GEOINT, we need 

people for history. As we identify insightful expert employees at NGA who can open the door on a special episode of 

NGA’s past, we turn their memories about how NGA and 

GEOINT have fit into our nation’s history into historical 

sources. My office is also publishing original articles and 

research in an internal newsletter and on NGA’s internal 

Web sites, with a new history Web page forthcoming. In 

addition, a new, fully animated online virtual museum 

is now in development. By “doing history” as we live it, 

we can understand, as never before, the richness of our 

Agency’s heritage. P

28Pathfinder ›› November/December 2007

NASA Image, © 2007 DigitalGlobe

© 2007 Europa Technologies Image

2

1

3

4

NGA employees can open the door on a special episode of NGA’s past, just 

as an eyewitness account of the Bolshevik Revolution brought new meaning 

to landmarks depicted in the above satellite image. The landmarks include 

the (1) The Neva River, (2) Russian Admiralty, (3) Winter Palace Square, and 

(4) Winter Palace, now the Hermitage Complex.
21st Century

Testbeds Turn Difficult Challenges Into Practical 

Solutions 

By Shawnarah Kelly

NGA’s Geospatial Intelligence Advancement Testbeds 

(GIATs) are laboratories—not the traditional kind with 

beakers and lab coats—but the kind where computers and 

networks serve as the main tools. As with all laboratories, 

they are staffed with experts and idea people who have a 

passion for science, innovation and discovery.

The acronym GIAT refers collectively to 10 labs located 

across the country to exploit expertise and assets 

throughout the Intelligence Community and five nodes 

embedded within the customer community abroad. GIAT is 

a service-driven focal point for innovation within the field 

of geospatial intelligence (GEOINT), excelling in prototype 

development, applied analytical research, technical studies and evaluations, and risk-reduction activities. While 

each lab contributes uniquely to the GIAT program, all 

collaborate to bring synergy of talent and resources into 

play for timely solutions to tough problems. Simply put, 

GIATs discover the possible and make it practical.

A Bustling Conglomerate of Working Labs

Organizationally the GIAT program is executed as a division within the InnoVision Directorate’s Information Integration Office. A quick tour through the sites, with a glance 

at a selected project or focus area, will serve to illustrate 

the breadth, value and wide-reaching impact of the GIAT.

At the National Reconnaissance Office, GIAT personnel 

collaborate with lab members of the Rapid Response Operations Center. Together, they have developed a system 

that provides report feeds in near real time from multiple 

sources into one environment. It’s called the Time Dominant Alert Message System. 

29Pathfinder ›› November/December 2007 

Photo by Tony Boone

NGA’s Geospatial Intelligence Advancement Testbed excels in prototype development, applied analytical research, technical studies and evaluations, and 

risk-reduction activities.
30Pathfinder ›› November/December 2007

The newest GIAT is at the National Air and Space Intelligence Center in Dayton, Ohio. Here NGA scientists will 

be developing the possibilities of advanced geospatial 

intelligence, also known as AGI, including overhead nonimaging infrared (ONIR). 

The GIAT in Denver focuses on identifying new methods 

of merging intelligence data in a GEOINT framework. This 

GIAT collaborates with other Intelligence Community (IC) 

agencies to support a number of projects, such as the 

development of tools to more effectively use ONIR. GIAT 

scientists here are driving work the ESRI Center for Innovative Geospatial Technology is doing for NGA to enhance 

the company’s software to address IC requirements.

The GIAT at Fort Meade, Md., leverages close ties with 

the National Security Agency (NSA) to exploit source 

fusion and develop processes for advanced analysis. 

Besides researching the added benefits of signals intelligence, the GIAT here is expanding NGA and NSA’s role 

in three-dimensional modeling, both for imagery and 

computer-assisted design.

In Reston, Va., the GIAT is really three entities: the GIAT 

front office, Geospatial Collaboration Initiative Laboratory 

(GCIL) and Persistent Surveillance Lab (PSL). The GCIL 

coordinates with experts in other countries on exercises 

of mutual benefit. The PSL is a showcase for special 

projects and exercises across NGA, as well as a development and test environment. PSL is currently hosting a 

number of projects. For example, Watch-It enables users 

to view the Earth through tree cover, while the Dot Matrix 

Tool displays tracking data for moving vehicles detected 

through the radar technology called ground-moving target 

indicator. 

The largest GIAT is in St. Louis. It develops tools to 

exploit all data sources and imbed them into the National 

System for Geospatial Intelligence. Analysts at this site 

are assessing the utility and impacts of Google EarthTM

and other three-dimensional visualization technologies for 

operations of the Department of Defense and IC. A Google 

EarthTM pilot, launched from this GIAT, led to the offering of 

Google EarthTM by NGA.

NGA leverages expertise of U.S. Joint Forces Command 

through a GIAT in Suffolk, Va. This GIAT identifies opportunities to develop and insert emerging geospatial capabilities into joint experiments, exercises and demonstrations. 

It supports modeling and simulation-based operations 

and develops tools to ensure horizontally integrated 

GEOINT to and from the last tactical mile.

The GIAT at the Washington Navy Yard hosts a virtual 

lab to collaborate with U.S. allies. It also serves as a 

gateway to access IC resources and provides network 

infrastructure for the development of federated architecture and exploitation techniques.

There is also a Deployable Interoperable Node for GIAT 

Operations (DINGO), which is collocated with the combatant commands. DINGO provides warfighters overseas 

access to rapid prototypes, early access to non-baseline 

tools, and the ability to tap into the GIAT “brain trust” for 

solutions to difficult problems.

Turning Challenges Into Solutions

Reaching out across the defense and intelligence communities, the GIAT is a bustling conglomerate of working 

labs that act as a single entity to turn difficult customer 

challenges into practical solutions. Operating on networks 

at multiple security levels, the GIAT provides a robust, 

flexible and risk-tolerant environment, where scientists 

bring their wide range of expertise to bear on top-priority 

geospatial problems. P

Shawnarah Kelly

was an intern in the InnoVision 

Directorate. Valedictorian of her class 

at Chantilly (Va.) High School, she is now 

a senior at the College of William and 

Mary, where she writes for the newspaper 

Dog Street Journal.

Photo by Tony Boone

Persistent Surveillance Lab
Industry

Commercial Airborne: Completing the Picture 

By Len LaFeir

A thriving commercial airborne industry has developed 

since balloon-borne Gaspard-Felix Tournachon captured 

his first images over Paris in 1858. Collected from a spectrum of available sensors, commercial airborne imagery 

can be tailored for many needs and mobilized as needed.

Modern commercial airborne collectors satisfy consumers of geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) with a variety of 

data products. Large and small companies with broad 

capabilities—over 100 in the United States alone—offer 

a regional, a national or an international reach. Multiple 

providers offer flexibility through state-of-the-art sensors 

on platforms ranging from helicopters to low-flying fixed 

wing aircraft to Gulfstream and Lear jets.

Commercial airborne offers unclassified, high-resolution, multispectral imagery that complements the requirements of NGA, other agencies and emergency responders. 

Analysts integrate commercial airborne and unclassified 

satellite imagery to create geospatial products used in the 

field for response and recovery.

For security and safety, commercial assets cannot be 

deployed over denied air space. However, the nonmilitary 

commercial airborne industry provides data for homeland 

defense, counterterrorism and counternarcotics, among 

other uses. Commercial airborne has supported relief 

efforts and damage assessments after almost every major 

disaster in recent years. Some companies fill a specific 

niche—such as the single-plane proprietor 

whose infrared camera precisely counts 

individual geese in a wildlife refuge.

Commercial airborne providers can fly under clouds and 

take off almost on a moment’s notice. Following Hurricane 

Katrina, days of cloud cover minimized the ability of commercial satellites to fill the immediate damage-assessment needs of emergency personnel. Local commercial 

airborne providers offered immediate imagery collection 

along with historical imagery for comparison. 

Responses to crises such as Hurricane Katrina and 9/11 

have reminded the Intelligence Community (IC) about this 

effective and easy-to-interpret imagery source. However, 

commercial airborne data carries a price tag, just as 

commercial satellite imagery does, and may be subject to 

license restrictions. To ensure that emergency responses 

proceed without delay, NGA maintains relationships with 

commercial airborne providers.

GEOINT standards for commercial airborne imagery will 

increasingly ease its acquisition and distribution. NGA 

continues to improve the National System for Geospatial 

Intelligence architecture and implement image standards 

that facilitate the use of commercial airborne. As the use 

of commercial airborne imagery rises within the IC, its 

value and that of the GEOINT derived from it is likely to 

increase rapidly. P

31Pathfinder ›› November/December 2007

© 2007 Jupiterimages Corporation

Len LaFeir

has supported the worldwide remote 

sensing industry for more than 30 years, 

including 25 years with Kodak, where he was 

manager of Aerial Systems. Currently, as a contract employee, he supports the NGA Commercial 

Solutions Division.
32Pathfinder ›› November/December 2007

NGA Updates Chief Information Officer’s Role

By Kristen Mackey

Nothing is more essential to NGA’s 

success in fulfilling customers’ needs 

than information technology (IT). 

Vastly increasing volumes of data 

need to be moved, processed, 

exploited, stored and managed. 

The future IT base must be 

much more agile, reliable, 

capable and faster than the 

current system.

In Aug. 2007, the Director of NGA announced 

his decision to separate 

the Chief Information 

Officer (CIO) from the Enterprise 

Operations Directorate and bring the CIO 

into NGA’s Executive Committee (EXCOM). That step 

was part of an ongoing effort to further strengthen the 

agency’s governance processes, including the planning 

and management of IT and information sharing activities 

and initiatives.

Dr. Robert Laurine, former Director of Enterprise Operations, serves as the CIO. “It is vital to have a common IT 

infrastructure for NGA’s global enterprise that is centrally 

planned, developed and operated. Further, as an agency, 

we must be much more cost effective, efficient, reliable 

and secure in the way we run IT (infrastructure and applications) to meet the requirements of our mission at the 

lowest cost consistent with that mission,” he states.

The NGA CIO has full responsibility for the NGA infrastructure and applications and their continued evolution 

to support the mission. That responsibility includes the 

funding authority with the ability to evaluate IT business 

cases for approval as well as the follow-on responsibility 

to review progress on those business cases to ensure 

compliance to cost, schedule and performance measures 

through their life cycle. Programs will be started, continued or stopped base on the evolving needs of the mission 

of the agency. In addition, the CIO has assumed the roles 

of NGA Accreditation Approval Authority and Senior Risk 

Executive. 

Another critical component of the CIO office is the 

NGA-wide IT governance process. In particular, the CIO 

will define the Capital Planning and Investment Control 

process as the vehicle to manage the full life cycle of 

cost, schedule and performance. The CIO will also seek 

to streamline and simplify the other aspects of the IT 

governance process to ensure the right projects to get the 

appropriate level of support in a timely manner across 

their life cycle, focusing on the rapid insertion of mission 

support tools.

Kristen Mackey

is the Lead Communications Officer for the 

Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO). 

She previously served as a communications 

specialist for the National Center for Geospatial 

Intelligence Standards (NCGIS) in NGA’s Chief 

Architect’s Office, which now resides within the 

CIO.

www.nga.mil