M a y / J u n e 2 0 0 9

Vol. 7 No. 3

Historic

A

ROLE
On My Mind

Keeping America Safe and Secure

Protecting American lives is our most important mission. Ensuring the security of the U.S. homeland 

requires collaboration among hundreds of local, state and federal agencies. NGA is proud to contribute 

to the vital homeland security mission. Geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) provides a critical perspective 

to security matters and provides a common operating picture that facilitates cooperation between 

stakeholder agencies, first responders and policy makers. Our support to the homeland security mission 

set has increased significantly.

GEOINT Adds Value

Our involvement will only continue to grow as we improve our capabilities and more partners understand 

the value that NGA adds. To complement our increasing role, NGA’s Office of Global Support has brought 

another Domestic Mobile Integrated Geospatial-Intelligence System (DMIGS) into service. These selfcontained vehicles represent “NGA on wheels” and can travel to any and all National Special Security 

Events to provide on-site analysis and secure communications between facilities. DMIGS also enables 

valuable real-time reach-back capabilities during natural disasters like flooding, hurricanes and forest 

fires, bringing analysis forward from headquarters to the field.

During the flooding in North Dakota and Minnesota in March and April, NGA provided critical GEOINT in 

support of FEMA and other federal, state and local organizations. NGA provided analysis that assisted in 

the planning and movement of resources to mitigate the impact to lives and property. NGA also supplied 

GEOINT from multiple imagery and geographic information system sources for all rivers in the area in 

order to identify critical infrastructure and affected population centers. This enabled analysts to monitor 

levees and gauge data for areas of potential impact. 

Working Together

Successfully supporting the homeland security mission requires building and enhancing partnerships 

across the Intelligence Community, the Department of Defense and civil agencies. Following the dramatic 

ditching of a US Airways A320 into the Hudson River, NGA provided graphics and satellite imagery to the 

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to assist in the after-action investigations. Working with NTSB 

demonstrates another example of partnership and collaboration. Our support enabled NTSB to meet its 

mission by helping with post-accident analysis and forensics, with implications for the improvement of 

airline safety. NGA can support these types of missions in a powerful way by providing a visual and spatial 

understanding. We are uniquely postured to positively impact the lives of Americans with our scientific 

understanding and current situational awareness of the Earth. 

Protecting America

Respecting civil liberties is a foundation of our country, and NGA remains tirelessly committed to the 

highest protections for the rights of American citizens and unwavering respect for our laws. Stringent 

intelligence oversight regulations enable NGA to effectively perform its required functions while ensuring 

that the constitutional rights and the privacy of U.S. citizens are protected. The revisions to Executive Order 

12333 maintain the privacy and civil liberty protections that are central to the way the NGA operates. 

The homeland security mission set will continue to grow. With the recently renewed focus on border 

security and drug violence in Mexico, GEOINT will continue to bring a valuable perspective and inform first 

responders and policy makers. NGA will support the Department of Homeland Security in upcoming National 

Special Security Events and natural disasters whenever and wherever needed. We are committed to serving 

our nation and our people are dedicated to serving this and every other national security mission. 

Robert B. Murrett

Vice Admiral, USN

Director
9 12

4

Contents

2 Letter to Our Readers

3	 Up Front: DNI Blair Announces Plan for the Next

Generation of Electro-Optical Satellites

›› F E A T U R E S

4	 Presidential Inauguration Connects a Community

5	 Inauguration Support to the U.S. Secret Service

6	 Inauguration Support to the FBI

7	 Inauguration Support to FEMA

8	 Inauguration Support to the Department

of Defense

9 Second-Generation Command Vehicle Enhances

Homeland Deployments

10 Response to Mumbai Attacks Confirms Unified

Operations Concept

12 Beyond the Museum Walls: National Air and

Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center Exhibits

GEOINT History

›› D E P A R T M E N T S

17 Partnerships: NGA Team Accelerates CENTCOM

Intelligence Delivery

19 Our Heritage: Regional Analysts, Deployers

and Legends

Pathfinder ›› May/June 2009 ›› Vol. 7 No. 3

On the Cover

The presidency of the United States commands the attention of the 

nation and the world. Protecting the continuity of the office and the 

safety of the officeholder represents both a crucial responsibility and a 

geospatial challenge. Many agency products and much agency support contributed to the successful inauguration of the nation’s 44th 

president on Jan. 20, 2009, exemplifying the importance of collaborating 

effectively with NGA’s domestic partners. The map book prepared by 

NGA for the presidential inauguration included the annotated graphics 

of Washington, D.C. that grace this issue’s cover along with the photo of 

President Barack Obama provided by the Department of Defense. Cover 

design and photo illustration by Anika McMillon.

More to the Story?

The online Classified Pathfinder, which is accessible 

by members of the Intelligence Community, may include additional information and expanded sections 

of some Pathfinder articles. The Classified Pathfinder 

provides a forum for reading and discussing topics at 

the level of “Unclassified//For Official Use Only” or 

higher. For information please contact the Classified 

Pathfinder editor, Heather Cox, at 301-227-2290.

1 Pathfinder ›› May/June 2009 
2 Pathfinder ›› May/June 2009 

Published by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

Office of Corporate Communications

4600 Sangamore Road, Mail Stop D-39

Bethesda, MD 20816-5003

Telephone: (301) 227-7388, 

DSN 287-7388

E-mail: pathfinder@nga.mil

Director

Vice Adm. Robert B. Murrett, U.S. Navy

Deputy Director

Lloyd Rowland

Office of Corporate Communications, Director

Paul R. Weise

Corporate Communications and Visual Division, Chief

Stephen Honda

Editor

Jason K. Michas

Managing Editor

Kelly M. Kemp

Graphic Designer 

Anika D. McMillon

Contributing Authors

Michelle Bonifas

Richard Hanes

Juanita Hartbarger

Matt Higham

Chris Vaughan

Chris Viselli

Al Trujillo

Dr. Gary E. Weir

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. For details on submitting 

articles, send an e-mail to pathfinder@nga.mil.

The Pathfinder is the medium with which the National Geospatial-Intelligence 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.

Letter to Our Readers

A Historic Role

No matter their politics or party affiliation, at 

each election the people of the United States 

celebrate the remarkable achievement of over 

two-and-a-quarter centuries of solid democracy and representative government. Every four 

years, citizens of all hues and stripes gather to 

welcome the newly elected president, joining 

in a show of unity as the nation collectively 

bids the chief executive well.

The faithful unrolling of America’s constitutional government throughout previous and 

future generations requires, as it always has, 

a dedication on the part of the citizenry to participate actively in the political process and to 

demonstrate that respect owed to the nation’s elected officials and institutions. 

The people at NGA recognize this duty and the specialized part that each person 

plays in securing the nation and its democratic heritage.

The agency fulfilled a decisive and acknowledged role during the preparations 

and events surrounding the 56th presidential inauguration. Several articles 

in this issue expand upon the support provided by the agency in concert with 

its domestic partners. Beginning with “Presidential Inauguration Connects a 

Community,” the reader will discover a web of complementary geospatial efforts 

coordinated among NGA Support Teams that helped protect the transition of 

power by aiding the operations of the U.S. Secret Service, the FBI, the Federal 

Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Defense.

American democracy is not alone in facing threats. The terrorist attacks in 

Mumbai, India, in November 2008 cruelly underlined this all-too-common reality. NGA responded to this crisis with the same determination that has become a 

hallmark of the agency. As author Matt Higham explains, NGA provided essential 

geospatial analysis and context, serving the needs of its partners investigating 

the attacks. This crucial operation communicates the value of coordinated, unified analytical cooperation.

Additional articles will remind readers of the technical enhancements that 

continue to propel geospatial intelligence, from the agency’s newest mobile 

support vehicle to an innovative pilot project serving the U.S. Central Command.

Then, explore the connection between NGA deployed analysts and the celebrated Lawrence of Arabia with NGA historian Dr. Gary Weir. Finally, take a walk 

through the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum Steven F. 

Udvar-Hazy Center as Weir shares the history of the many artifacts on display at 

the museum either donated by NGA or that relate directly to the agency’s history.

This issue presents just a few of the varied and critical elements of NGA’s support to national security. The next issue, July/August, will focus on the agency’s 

support to the nation’s military services and servicemembers.

Paul R. Weise

Director, Office of Corporate Communications

2 Pathfinder ›› May/June 2009 
3 Pathfinder ›› May/June 2009 

Up Front

DNI Blair Announces Plan for the Next Generation of 

Electro-Optical Satellites 

By the Office of the Director of National Intelligence

Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Dennis C. 

Blair announced on April 7, 2009, that the Office of the 

DNI, along with the Department of Defense (DOD), has 

put together a plan to modernize the nation’s aging 

satellite-imagery architecture by prudently evolving 

government-owned satellite designs and enhancing use 

of U.S. commercial providers. 

“Imagery is a core component of our national security 

that supports our troops, foreign policy, homeland 

security and the needs of our Intelligence Community,” 

Blair said. “Our proposal is an integrated, sustainable 

approach based on cost, feasibility and timeliness that 

meets the needs of our country now and puts in place a 

system to ensure that we will not have imagery gaps in 

the future. 

“When it comes to supporting our military forces and 

the safety of Americans, we cannot afford any gaps in 

collection,” Blair added. “We are living with the consequences of past mistakes in acquisition strategy, and we 

cannot afford to do so again. We’ve studied this issue, 

know the right course, and need to move forward now.” 

The joint decision by the DNI and DOD was based on 

the results of multiple government studies over the past 

several years and on the findings and recommendations 

of an independent panel of former defense and intelligence experts convened by Blair to assess the U.S. 

government’s review. The studies examined imagery 

needs, alternative architectures, cost and affordability, 

technological risk and industry readiness. 

Key features of the final plan endorsed by both the DNI 

and the DOD include: 

» Government-owned satellites would be 

developed, built and operated by the National 

Reconnaissance Office (NRO). The unique capabilities of these satellites, evolved from existing 

designs, would give the nation a timely, and often 

decisive, information advantage. 

» The DOD and the Intelligence Community would 

increase the use of imagery available through U.S. 

commercial providers. This additional capability 

would provide the government with more flexibility 

to respond to unforeseen challenges. These 

less-complex satellites, which are based on 

technologies already in production by U.S. vendors, 

would be available sooner than the much more 

capable NRO-developed and -acquired systems, 

making them especially useful as a near-term 

supplement and backup to the government’s 

existing imagery architecture. 

» NGA would continue to provide the infrastructure 

that integrates capabilities as well as imagery 

products, all of which would be available on a timely 

basis for military, intelligence, foreign policy and 

civilian users. 

Once Congress approves funding for the plan, implementation will begin in the next several months. The 

commercial imagery elements of the architecture would 

likely be operational in the next several years. The overall architecture would be fully deployed before the end of 

the next decade. 

The DNI oversees 16 federal organizations that 

make up the U.S. Intelligence Community. Additionally, 

the DNI serves as the principal intelligence adviser to 

the president, the National Security Council and senior 

policy makers.

Director of National Intelligence, Dennis C. Blair
4 Pathfinder ›› May/June 2009

Presidential Inauguration Connects a Community 

By Michelle Bonifas

NGA support for the 56th presidential inauguration

in Washington, D.C., demonstrated the ability of the 

agency to connect an entire crisis and consequence 

management community consisting of federal, state and 

local government partners in preparing for possible 

attacks against the president and other participants 

in the ceremonies of Jan. 20, 2009. The Department of 

Homeland Security (DHS) named the inauguration of 

President Barack Obama a National Special Security 

Event (NSSE) of the highest level, requiring all agencies 

supporting it to exercise due diligence to prevent attacks 

and prepare to respond to any incidents. NGA personnel embedded with the U.S. Secret Service, the FBI, the 

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the 

Department of Defense effected precise and real-time 

geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) to fulfill these partners’ 

critical needs, based on a shared, collaborative 

understanding of the mission.

Crisis management and consequence management 

are distinct missions, and NGA supports both. The FBI 

performs crisis management after a terrorist attack on 

the United States as the lead federal agency managing 

all domestic aspects of intelligence, investigation and 

law enforcement activities. FEMA, a component of DHS, 

performs consequence management when responding to 

a domestic terrorism event as the lead agency coordinating the federal government’s support to an affected area 

and victims. As the lead federal agency responsible for 

implementing and planning security, the Secret Service, 

another DHS component, plans extensively with federal 

partners to prevent an attack from occurring during 

an NSSE. If a terrorist attack were to occur, the Secret 

Service would safely secure and transfer any government 

officials it was charged to protect.

Planning for an NSSE begins months in advance, 

and President Obama’s inauguration was no different. 

The inauguration, which may have been the largest 

NSSE that NGA has ever supported, started with 

planning and data sharing among not only the numerous federal agencies involved, but also the many state 

and local government officials that share crisis and 

consequence management responsibilities. Planning 

for an event in the National Capital Region poses many 

challenges to data and information sharing because of 

the numerous federal offices and property surrounding 

the event locations.

While the Secret Service and the FBI concentrated 

on security and counterterrorism planning, FEMA 

worked busily with state and local governments to plan 

responses to a possible attack or other crisis. All aspects 

of the planning involved NGA. Agency personnel delivered numerous briefings and thoroughly shared how 

GEOINT support would bring together the community of 

agencies, governments and people involved through a 

geospatially enabled common operating environment.

For several days prior to the inauguration and for 

several days after, NGA personnel embedded with the 

Secret Service, the FBI, FEMA and other partners at 

Continued on page 6
5 Pathfinder ›› May/June 2009 

Inauguration Support to the U.S. Secret Service 

By Chris Vaughan

The 56th presidential inauguration again proved

that NGA remains at the forefront of cutting-edge 

geographic information system technologies. For 

this special event, the NGA team supporting the U.S. 

Secret Service delivered a total package consisting of 

high-resolution commercial satellite imagery, airborne 

imagery and immersive imagery (hand-held or ground 

view photography) of event venues to the agency’s 

mission partners, rendering a 360-degree view of their 

operational environment.

Immersive Imagery

A key benefit of immersive imagery is the ability to 

accurately depict an area of interest with realistic detail. 

Over the last several years, NGA has streamlined the delivery of massive amounts of data to end users through 

the use of online services. Immersive imagery, much like 

commercial satellite imagery, faces the same technical 

challenges regarding storage, access and dissemination.

For the inauguration, NGA ensured that forwarddeployed partners had an online warehouse of immersive imagery available. Pulling from various imagery 

vendors, partners could choose from a streaming feed 

of imagery or from selected feeds of digital 360-degree 

stills to enhance a user’s situational awareness. From 

an operational standpoint, decision makers could easily 

immerse themselves from a desktop environment into a 

complex, 3-D world.

Palmtop Computers

In support of the inauguration, NGA provided homeland security partners with palmtop computers used 

to watch the event feed from NGA’s recently updated 

Web application PalanterraTM, a family of interfaces for 

consolidating and disseminating geospatial Intelligence 

(GEOINT) resources. With an approximately seven-inch 

screen, the palmtops featured an integrated cellular 

modem, access to an unclassified network for official 

use, NGA’s Google EarthTM system and a Web browser, 

all running on a standard operating system. The computers ensured that NGA mission partners could take full 

advantage of GEOINT resources whether in a command 

center or on the street.

Service-Oriented Architecture

NGA analysts also made extensive use of the agency’s 

expanding geographic information system services 

through NGA’s service-oriented architecture (SOA), an 

information technology approach that allows developers 

as well as users to blend data stores from many providers to create unique looks into the available data. SOA 

allows NGA to reach out to all mission partners.

PalanterraTM X3, released just prior to the inauguration, typifies the use of SOA. PalanterraTM developers 

worked hard to integrate data from many sources into 

their application and make that data available to end 

users. In addition, developers added a new feature 

Continued on page 7

Crowds gather for the 56th presidential 

inauguration in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 

20, 2009.

Satellite image courtesy of GeoEye ©2009.
6Pathfinder ›› May/June 2009 

locations throughout the National Capital Region provided onsite GEOINT analysis, maps, data and imagery 

used for security planning and implementation. Each 

organization received support tailored to its particular 

needs, including commercial imagery and infrastructure 

data and event-specific information.

Active collaboration between NGA and its mission 

partners in the crisis and consequence management 

community allows the agency to continue to meet 

evolving GEOINT requirements. As demonstrated by the 

agency’s efforts to support the presidential inauguration, NGA’s resources 

and extensive network of embedded 

personnel are ready for even the most 

critical missions. 

Inauguration Support to the FBI

By Chris Viselli

NGA’s collaborative support to the FBI during

the 56th presidential inauguration marked seven 

years of deploying to support the bureau and other 

lead federal agencies during National Special Security Events. The agency has conducted over 50 field 

deployments in those seven years, reflecting mission partners’ increasing reliance on NGA. In true 

collaborative fashion, NGA analysts were embedded 

in a number of FBI command centers, including the 

bureau’s Joint Operations Center, Intelligence Operations Center and Tactical Operations Center. Each 

of these command centers seamlessly ties together 

and shares crisis management, intelligence and 

counterterrorism missions with the Secret Service, 

the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), 

and other federal, state and local security partners 

and first responders.

While providing dedicated geospatial intelligence 

(GEOINT) to inaugural activities, embedded NGA 

teams used a wide array of collaborative tools to 

maintain constant, real-time communication with 

agency teams located with the Secret Service, FEMA 

and the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee and 

at other locations. Using this model, NGA leads 

in providing dedicated, mission-specific GEOINT 

support, while ensuring that all NGA elements are 

connected virtually and operating in unison. NGA 

homeland deployments, although geographically 

dispersed, function as interlaced, partner-focused 

and well-coordinated operations.

Specific NGA support to the inauguration included use of NGA’s PalanterraTM Web application and 

the agency’s Google EarthTM system to track live 

incidents, perform strategic and predictive GEOINT 

analysis of activity patterns and trends, provide 

rapid analysis to FBI special agents conducting 

investigations and interviews, and furnish highly 

focused tactical information to members of the 

bureau’s SWAT (Specialized Weapons and Tactics) 

team and Hostage Rescue Team. From strategic to 

tactical, hardcopy to virtual, and restricted investigative to cross-community collaborative, NGA support to the FBI during the inauguration embodied 

the best practices applauded by mission partners 

as a successful model for the intelligence and law 

enforcement communities.

Michelle Bonifas is the NGA liaison 

officer at FEMA. 

Chris Viselli is the deputy director of the 

NGA Support Team at the FBI.

(Continued from page 4)
7 Pathfinder ›› May/June 2009 

that allows PalanterraTM users to add 

their own content to customize their 

GEOINT experience using data that 

the user maintains. PalanterraTM 

proved very popular because it 

requires only a Web browser 

and Internet access to use. 

The 400,000 PalanterraTM-

generated map draws on 

Jan. 20 alone validated the 

SOA approach. 

Users also enjoyed 

a 3-D option made 

possible by pairing 

NGA’s version of 

Google EarthTM 

with the agency’s 

Geospatial Intelligence Advancement Testbed (GIAT), 

which is charged with innovating new GEOINT solutions. 

The GIAT team provided this augmented experience by 

connecting with many of the same sources as the PalanterraTM team. For example, the GIAT team ingested the 

PalanterraTM team’s event feed and added 3-D features, 

including models of key Washington, D.C., landmarks, 

to provide enhanced GEOINT for NGA’s mission partners 

using the agency’s Google EarthTM system.

Although often behind the scenes, GEOINT resources 

assisted the agency’s numerous partners with carrying 

out their respective duties with precision. With major 

responsibilities before and during the inauguration, the 

NGA team assigned to the Secret Service delivered a 

substantial portion of GEOINT to ensure a secure 

transition of power.

Inauguration Support to FEMA

By Michelle Bonifas

NGA continued its ongoing collaboration with

the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 

during the 56th presidential inauguration. As it 

does for all National Special Security Events, FEMA 

coordinated the federal government’s preparations 

for and response to all domestic disasters, natural 

or man-made, including acts of terrorism.

In the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, FEMA 

activated and staged Urban Search and Rescue 

(US&R) teams comprising state and local first responders. For more than 10 years, NGA has provided 

crucial tactical geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) 

in the field to US&R teams during crises, and the 

inauguration proved no exception. NGA deployed 

its Domestic Mobile Integrated Geospatial-Intelligence System (DMIGS) to the US&R staging area to 

be ready to assist first responders, had they been 

called into action. DMIGS, a mobile, self-contained 

command vehicle, enables deployed NGA analysts to 

work onsite and collaborate remotely on analysis and 

time-critical products.

The NGA team in the DMIGS provided numerous 

on-demand GEOINT products to US&R operations, 

including commercial imagery and gridded search 

reference graphics. Being fully integrated with FEMA’s 

US&R operations, NGA analysts provided not only 

requested information but also predictive analysis to 

aid first responders in mission planning.

NGA continues to work closely with FEMA and 

US&R teams. As recently as March 2009, the agency 

deployed to support US&R operations in North Dakota 

in response to major flooding, demonstrating that the 

inauguration was another one on a long list of events 

and crises during which NGA has successfully provided critical GEOINT to the nation’s first responders.

Chris Vaughan is a geospatial intelligence analyst 

assigned to the U.S. Secret Service. 

Michelle Bonifas is the NGA liaison 

officer at FEMA. 

(Continued from page 5)

The U.S. Capitol hosts preparations for 

the inauguration of President Obama.

DOD Photo
8Pathfinder ›› May/June 2009 

Inauguration Support to the Department of Defense 

By Richard Hanes

Through the biting cold of a picturesque January

afternoon, the loudspeakers echoed across the National 

Mall, “... and will to the best of my ability, preserve, 

protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, 

so help me God.” With these words, Barack Obama 

became the 44th president of the United States. While 

millions watched the proceedings, NGA Support Teams 

(NSTs) worked behind the scenes to aid in the peaceful 

transition of power. Exemplifying these teams, the NST 

supporting the U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM), 

in concert with other teams, assisted the Department 

of Defense (DOD) and the Armed Forces Inauguration 

Committee (AFIC), which manages the military aspects of 

presidential inaugurations.

Throughout the inauguration and the time leading up 

to it, analysts from the NORTHCOM NST and other agency 

elements monitored events and incorporated geospatial 

information from several sources into NGA’s PalanterraTM Web application to provide a common operating 

picture. Prior to the inauguration, deployed NGA personnel standardized the way that the application represented all DOD elements involved. Before and during the 

ceremonies, analysts provided direct support to AFIC, 

creating planning tools included in PalanterraTM. While 

the DOD Blue Force GPS tracking system monitored air, 

ground and maritime locations on the historic day, NGA 

analysts also incorporated this data into the system to 

display any critical incidents at 15-minute intervals.

A real-time incident provided an example of how 

analysts respond quickly to critical information. Sens. 

Ted Kennedy and Robert Byrd both collapsed during the 

inauguration luncheon, delaying the start of the inaugural parade and subsequent activities. The NGA teams 

promptly updated the status of the affected celebrations 

within PalanterraTM so that everyone remained on the 

same schedule at all support sites.

The essential collaboration between DOD and NGA, 

led by the NORTHCOM NST, fulfilled a crucial link. 

NORTHCOM and the DOD continue to benefit from the 

skill of NSTs as geospatial intelligence gains increasing 

influence. Through successful deployments such as the 

inauguration, the NORTHCOM NST and other agency 

teams continue to foster strong, collaborative relationships with domestic partners. 

Tailored GEOINT products developed by NGA helped ensure a successful inauguration. 

Richard Hanes is a geospatial analyst with the U.S. 

Northern Command NGA Support Team.
9 Pathfinder ›› May/June 2009 

Second-Generation Command Vehicle Enhances 

Homeland Deployments

By Al Trujillo

In the first week of January 2009, the NGA 

Deployable Systems Program Management Office delivered on time and within budget the second-generation 

Domestic Mobile Integrated Geospatial-Intelligence 

System (DMIGS 2) to the NGA Office of Global Support 

(OGS). Based on a heavy-duty command vehicle, the 

system provides the robust mobility required for 

domestic security and disaster response.

Based on lessons learned from the original DMIGS 

acquisition and deployments, the DMIGS 2 provides 

greater tools to support national emergencies and security events. Unlike the first 

DMIGS, which was engineered in 2006 

from a command vehicle already in 

production, the DMIGS 2 was built from the ground up 

based on specific requirements from design through 

manufacturing. By executing an aggressive strategy, the 

agency accomplished the entire acquisition and systems 

engineering process in less than a year, even though vehicle production alone would typically exceed that. The 

result, a state-of-the-art early response vehicle, is now 

the flagship of NGA’s deployable analytical capability. 

NGA Photo

Al Trujillo is the program manager for NGA Deployable 

Systems and the DMIGS and DMIGS 2 acquisitions.
10Pathfinder ›› May/June 2009 

Response to Mumbai Attacks Confirms Unified 

Operations Concept 

By Matt Higham

On the afternoon of Nov. 26, 2008, 10 terrorist 

operatives began an assault on the Indian city of 

Mumbai. They attacked the main railway station, a 

movie theater, a hospital, two hotels, a Jewish outreach 

center and two popular restaurants, killing some 170 

people over the course of 60 hours. NGA analysts 

worked in conjunction with colleagues from across the 

National System for Geospatial Intelligence and with 

other partners to inform U.S. policymakers and law 

enforcement officials responding to the crisis and 

subsequent investigation.

The terror attacks and NGA’s response demonstrated 

the importance of applying Unified Geospatial-intelligence Operations (UGO) principles. The UGO concept 

emphasizes coordinated efforts to align and fulfill geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) requirements throughout 

the Intelligence Community (IC). Introduced in 2004, the 

UGO framework principles have increasingly informed 

GEOINT analysis and production. Among these are:

» Optimize access to data.

» Eliminate unwanted duplication.

» Maximize collaborative analysis.

» Drive implementation of new technologies, tools 

and methods.

Following the attacks, Indian officials quickly and 

publicly blamed terrorists originating from neighboring 

Pakistan for the assault. Because India experiences 

regular small-scale terrorism, the Indian public has 

increasingly demanded that the government take action to prevent future attacks. Given the sophisticated, 

high-profile, high-casualty attacks in Mumbai, an Indian 

military response against Pakistan seemed almost 

inevitable. The United States sought to prevent such a 

conflict, particularly since both India and Pakistan possess a nuclear arsenal.

Within days of the attack, NGA analysts familiar with 

southern and Southeast Asia shifted to crisis response, 

working extended hours and weekends to provide 

essential analysis to IC colleagues and policy makers. 

The value of UGO quickly became apparent as additional 

NGA analytic components stepped forward to assist with 

the workload. Communicating daily with colleagues, 

analysts contributed valuable information and 

experience related to India, Pakistan, weapons of 

mass destruction and other issues to daily IC reporting. 

Frequent communication exemplified UGO by bringing 

together analysts from multiple NGA directorates, 

NGA support teams at combatant commands and 

integrated operations centers, and other mission 

partners to discuss developments, collection issues 

and reporting requirements.

At the same time, an agency team began a 24x7 

operation at the NGA Command Center in Bethesda 

to manage, coordinate and fulfill official assignments 

and provide up-to-the minute information on the latest 

crisis developments to NGA senior leaders. Every major 

NGA component contributed personnel to the 24x7 

operation, which also enabled prompt responses to any 

technical, administrative or other difficulties that arose 

during the crisis.

NGA’s efforts during the crisis were not limited to 

traditional intelligence analysis activities. The FBI 

aided Indian intelligence and law enforcement agencies 

in their investigation into the terrorists, their training 

and their preparation. NGA analysts assisted the FBI 

with understanding coordinate data recovered from GPS 

units found on the bodies of the terrorists. Specifically, 

analysts examined and clarified location data, patterns, 

the environment around GPS points, and the data’s 

overall significance.

In the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks, NGA successfully applied UGO principles to provide urgent, precise 

GEOINT for a complex and fluid event. By sharing the 

workload, coordinating activities and communicating 

their analytical findings and requirements on a daily 

basis, NGA analysts and their UGO partners met the 

pressing GEOINT requirements of IC officials, combatant 

commands and U.S. decision makers alike with available 

resources. As the response to the attacks confirmed, 

correctly applied UGO principles are a considerable 

force multiplier. 

Matt Higham is a branch chief in the 

Office of Asia-Pacific.
11Pathfinder ›› May/June 2009 

On Nov. 26, 2008, terrorists attacked multiple locations in 

Mumbai, India, including the Trident-Oberoi (left) and Taj 

Mahal Palace (right) hotels.

Satellite image courtesy of DigitalGlobe ©2009
12Pathfinder ›› May/June 2009 

Beyond the Museum Walls

National Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center 

Exhibits GEOINT History 

By Dr. Gary E. Weir

When I was a child I took a trip with my mother 

beyond the museum walls. She had a passion for history and its mysteries. Thus the considerable historical 

resources in my hometown, New York City, made family 

museum visits both regular and an adventure. In one 

case, during my second grade year we visited the 

Metropolitan Museum of Art to see its Egyptian collection, complete with my sister in a stroller and my dad 

seemingly laden with all of the supplies necessary to 

scale Mount Everest. Just before we left the museum, 

my mother had an idea. She wanted me to see the 

knights. As we rounded a corner into the exhibit, all of 

the mystery of centuries past rode out to meet me. At the 

very entrance to the exhibit, the curators had erected 

an absolutely realistic, full-scale model of a medieval 

knight on horseback that towered over me. The war 

horse had its complement of armor, as did the knight, 

his helmet decorated with animal horns at the left and 

right. In his hand he held firm a long lance, extending 

forward with three blades protruding from the tip. This 

fellow meant business. His shield carried his coat of 

arms, and he leaned forward with determination. I stood 

there speechless for a time, experiencing the mystery my 

mother always described, understanding now the reality 

of all she had told me. In the context of her stories, that 

knight and I left the hall for a few moments, and in my 

imagination I watched him do battle in medieval France. 

The museum walls meant nothing. I saw it all, including 

the smile on my mother’s face.

Not too many weeks ago I had an opportunity to visit 

the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. This 

facility in Northern Virginia complements 

on a huge scale that very popular 

monument on the Washington, D.C., 

National Mall in both American 

enthusiasm for all types of flight 

and the need to examine the 

development of that endeavor to 

learn from it. The curators who 

erected the medieval knight in the 

Metropolitan Museum of my youth 

had the same historical and educational intention.

Data collected by the Vanguard 3 satellite contributed to the 

study of geodesy, an essential GEOINT tradecraft.

The space shuttle Enterprise 

greets visitors to the Steven F. 

Udvar-Hazy Center.

All photos by Rob Cox
13Pathfinder ›› May/June 2009 

As I rounded a corner from the flight exhibits and 

aircraft into the space hall along with my colleagues 

from NGA, I came nose to nose with the space shuttle 

Enterprise. Once again the walls disappeared. The size of 

the shuttle dwarfed me—as did that medieval knight 50 

years ago—and all of the memories came flooding back 

of those early mornings before school watching television coverage of astronauts Alan Shepard, Gus Grissom 

and John Glenn, and of Neil Armstrong’s 1969 walk on 

the moon. I did not visit medieval France, dependent 

upon my mother’s stories. This huge artifact played a 

role in my personal history while becoming, along with 

the manned capsules, satellites, and moon landing 

craft, a part of the national cultural fabric and common 

memory. Many who visited the museum with me at that 

moment experienced all at once not four walls containing interesting hardware, but rather their own lives 

and the progress of the nation taking steps beyond the 

museum building and into a realm of endless discovery 

and adventure.

If parents and children desire it, good museums will 

always propel them beyond the walls. On the same day 

we visited, I observed many families congregating at 

various parts of the space hall exhibits. My medieval 

knight once again came to mind as I watched a father 

and young son looking high up at an artifact 

hanging from the ceiling. Observing them I 

realized that the boy had noticed one of 

NGA’s contributions to this museum. 

He had discovered the extending arm 

from the Shuttle Radar Topography 

Mission, or SRTM, that went into space 

on board the shuttle Endeavour in 

2000, when NGA was known as the 

National Imagery and Mapping Agency 

(NIMA). The arm now extends across 

the ceiling at the Udvar-Hazy Center as 

it did in space when 

it helped collect topography data for over 80 percent of 

the Earth’s landmass, which sustains 95 percent of the 

planet’s population. This product, used in conjunction 

with NASA, permitted the astronauts and ground-based 

scientists to employ a technique called radar interferometry to effect the collection. Launched from the Kennedy 

Space Center at 12:44 p.m. EST on Feb. 11, Endeavour 

spent 11 days in flight, returning on Feb. 22. The crew 

responsible for the operation of the SRTM spent 222.4 

hours, almost nine days and eight hours, recording 

topographical data during repeated orbits 145 

miles above the Earth. After the 

mission, NASA duplicated the 

data tapes for the Jet Propulsion 

Laboratory, which processed 

and released them to NIMA one continent at a time. Over 

the next two years the staff at NIMA refined the data, 

identifying and resolving anomalies and making the information compatible with the agency’s standard Digital 

A mapping camera like this one captured images of the lunar surface that NIMA, now NGA, 

converted into the first lunar globe.
14Pathfinder ›› May/June 2009 

Terrain Elevation Data, DTED®, protocols. 

With the completion of all related tasks 

in 2004, this highly successful mission 

achieved its goals with a budget that would 

have permitted, without SRTM, only about 

7.7 percent of the desired results. Furthermore, gathering 

comparable data by traditional means would have taken 

at least 20 years. These data still inform NGA’s cartographic and foundation science tradecrafts.

Not too far from the spot that permits the best view 

of the SRTM arm, in a case full of cameras, a visitor can 

quickly discover the kind of camera used in conjunction 

with NASA to capture surface images of the moon that 

NIMA converted into the first lunar globe. You can 

find that globe in the collection at the NGA museum 

in St. Louis.

Moving from the real to the virtual became important 

to NIMA in the early 1990s. NGA has donated artifacts to 

the Smithsonian that not only demonstrate the analog 

tradition but also others that illuminate the agency’s 

first steps into the digital future. At the tip of the shuttle 

Enterprise’s port wing, the visitor to the Udvar-Hazy Center can find the classic photo interpreter’s light table, for 

years the most important tool used in imagery reading 

and analysis and still not absent from many analytical 

A classic photo interpreter’s light table echoes the 

history of imagery analysis.
15Pathfinder ›› May/June 2009 

spaces in NGA today. In 2005 NGA 

presented a Cutler-Hammer AIL MLT 

1540 light table with a Bausch and 

Lomb Zoom 240 lens set to the 

Smithsonian. The Richards Corporation built most NIMA and NGA light 

tables, so this represents an exception, but the NGA artifact collection 

now holds 22 light tables, most of 

which came from the Richards plant, 

each representing a significant 

change in both tradecraft method 

and table development.

Immediately next to the light 

table on the exhibit floor, the digital 

Imagery Data Exploitation II, or IDEX 

II, system demonstrates a revolution 

in imagery accessibility, sharing 

and analysis. Implemented in 1990 

to complement or surpass the light 

table, the IDEX II in most instances 

shifted the use of hardcopy imagery 

and film from the light table to a 

digital system that could automate 

the capture, dissemination and 

The Imagery Data Exploitation II, IDEX II, system revolutionized the 

accessibility and exploitation of imagery.

Using this extending arm, the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission collected Earth topography data from the shuttle Endeavour in 2000.

All photos by Rob Cox
16Pathfinder ›› May/June 2009 

retention of imagery. This opened the imagery libraries 

to many more analysts at the same time and at many 

more locations. During its lifetime, the IDEX surpassed 

industry standards with the best monochrome and color 

monitors, while at the same time employing a 4 GHz 

system speed when the industry average reached only 

4.77 MHz. The last IDEX II went offline on July 1, 2003, 

marking both 12 years of service and an ambitious 

introduction of digital technology to the analytical mission. At the Udvar-Hazy facility, both of these tools stand 

among a cluster of satellites and collection systems that 

fed lifeblood imagery to NGA and its predecessors. The 

same 2005 donation to the Smithsonian that included 

the Cutler-Hammer Light Table also provided this full 

IDEX II system, brother to the additional IDEX presently 

in the NGA collection.

Geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) tradecrafts and their 

tools have become part of the nation’s collective memory and an integral part of the cultural experience of space 

exploration. In the same space that will soon provide an 

entrance into a new wing of the Udvar-Hazy Center, one 

can also find replicas of some early efforts to measure 

the Earth’s magnetic field from space. The U.S. Navy 

satellite Vanguard 3 hovers on its wire hanging just a 

few feet away from a panel that explains the significance 

of the data it collected in 1959 and 1960 to support the 

study of geodesy, one of the GEOINT tradecrafts and 

essential to weapons performance then and now.

At the Smithsonian and at NGA’s own museum in St. 

Louis, NGA’s history team must provide parents with 

ways to help their children understand this amazing 

world and its fascinating past. In this way history may 

help a young person shape a fulfilling future. Given 

GEOINT’s presence in the space hall at the Smithsonian’s 

Udvar-Hazy Center, another second-grader may very well 

remember 50 years from now that he or she one day 

left the walls of the museum behind on a journey into 

space and the modern American experience because of a 

memory or inspiration provided by the tools NGA used to 

perform its mission. I would not be surprised. After all, it 

is part of NGA’s mission to show the way.

Dr. Gary E. Weir is the NGA Historian. 

The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center 

in Northern Virginia showcases 

several artifacts related to NGA’s 

history and tradecraft.

Photo by Rob Cox
17Pathfinder ›› May/June 2009 

Partnerships

NGA Team Accelerates CENTCOM Intelligence Delivery 

By Juanita Hartbarger

Geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) is a foundation 

for collaboration throughout the Intelligence Community 

(IC) as it supports the warfighter and the decision 

makers. This is one of NGA Director Vice Adm. Robert B. 

Murrett’s fundamental messages. The NGA Support 

Team (NST) at U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) gets 

it, as an innovative pilot program developed by the NST 

has proven.

Starting with GEOINT as the foundation upon which 

all other information sources are layered to develop 

actionable intelligence for the frontline, the technical 

executive (TX) at the CENTCOM NST decided to 

marry GEOINT with information technology 

to get actionable GEOINT to the 

warfighter faster and smarter. 

The result: the Data Production 

Environment (DPE).

The Challenges

Timeliness, a 

fundamental element 

of NGA’s mission, was 

the focus of the DPE 

initiative. Why? The 

NST’s TX described 

the working environment this way: 

“Before we launched 

the DPE initiative, 

our analysts [civilian 

and military] had to 

log on to multiple 

systems to access 

the mountain of data 

they needed to do their 

jobs.” There had to be 

a better way for NGA to 

maintain its record of effective collaboration in the face 

of the increasing volume of GEOINT. The TX and his team 

set out to find that better way.

The team identified three challenges. First, they had 

to develop a tool that would allow analysts to efficiently 

and effectively discover and capture information. Second, they needed to create products for GEOINT analysts 

(both NGA and military) and their mission partners to 

use in visualizing that information—to see a common 

operating picture. Third, they had to design a tool to 
18Pathfinder ›› May/June 2009 

disseminate those products in the fastest possible way 

to the command’s warfighters.

The Plan

The NST’s technical team rolled out a two-stage 

plan. First, they looked at all the tools available to the 

analysts, and then they studied the command’s existing 

GEOINT workflow to determine how to improve the effectiveness of those tools.

The team found that visualization was key. As the TX 

noted, “Visualization was the common thread in sharing 

GEOINT and in collaborating with NGA’s mission partners 

in GEOINT development and analysis.” Visualization is 

especially important for an NST supporting a combatant 

command because military imagery, geospatial and 

all-source analysts work side by side with their NGA 

counterparts. NGA had already led the way in the use of 

commercial visualization technology—Google EarthTM—

as a tool for GEOINT collaboration by the time DPE was 

initiated. It made sense, therefore, for Google EarthTM, 

already one of NGA’s enterprise services, to become the 

foundation for DPE.

Next, the team looked at how analysts did their work 

and what they needed to do it better. The team had to 

answer those two questions to design procedures that 

served not only the analyst’s workflow but also the mission partner’s operational tempo.

The team determined to provide all CENTCOM directorates with a single interface to visualize GEOINT 

and all-source intelligence, to quickly produce it in a 

streamlined, automated fashion, and to deliver it where 

it’s needed, when it’s needed. In the words of the TX, 

“As our forces confront increasingly adaptive threats, 

the technology infrastructure must adjust rapidly or the 

technology will become a burden, not an advantage.”

The team secured the services of two full-time, onsite 

developers from NGA’s GEOINT Visualization Services 

program office, who sat with analysts and studied their 

workflow. This allowed the developers to customize 

Google EarthTM to automate most of the analysts’ tasks.

The Outcomes

Is it working? If the words of the analysts participating 

in this pilot project are any indication, the answer is a resounding “Yes.” As a CENTCOM target specialist stated, 

“Once we saw how quickly they [the DPE developers] 

gave us exactly what we asked for, we started developing our own efficiencies. They started us thinking about 

seriously streamlining our workflow.”

One CENTCOM imagery analyst noted that “DPE 

is changing the culture from a Cold War intelligence 

mentality to a streamlined, modern process that makes 

collaboration work better and faster.” Observed another 

target analyst, “With the DPE approach, gone are the 

days of too many mouse clicks and too little analysis.”

With this kind of success, DPE has grown beyond just 

CENTCOM. Because this tool is so effective, NGA is now 

shipping DPE to its IC mission partners around the world 

so that they can better support the men and women in 

harm’s way.

The TX summed it all up. “By marrying the business 

process and the information technology, DPE enhances 

our ability to quickly get the data from headquarters to 

the tip of the spear.” It’s all about fulfilling the mission 

in the most efficient, effective and timely way possible. 

18Pathfinder ›› May/June 2009 

Juanita Hartbarger is a public affairs officer with NGA’s 

Office of Corporate Communications.
19Pathfinder ›› May/June 2009 

Our Heritage

Regional Analysts, Deployers and Legends

By Dr. Gary E. Weir

Once in a great while, history demonstrates that 

the human experience can make even fiction’s greatest 

adventures seem dull. In 1913, Oxford graduate T.E. 

Lawrence wrote home to his mother while on board 

an Egyptian steamer between Beirut and Jaffa. He 

had just agreed to add his regional expertise to an 

expedition for the British Museum intent on surveying 

the area between Gaza and Petra. Beginning in 1909, 

Lawrence had walked literally hundreds of miles over 

many months seeking out first hand the Near East that 

fascinated him, going well beyond his extensive reading and Oxford education and all the while practicing 

languages and dialects. These walks took him to the 

region then known as Palestine, Syria, modern-day 

Lebanon, and north into Ottoman Turkey. His exploits 

during World War I, enhanced by popular journalists like 

the American Lowell Thomas, would soon turn this rather 

short and unimposing scholar into the international hero 

Lawrence of Arabia. However, on board that steamer in 

1913 he commented, “We are 

obviously only meant as 

red herrings, to give an 

archaeological colour 

to a political job.” 

In his letter, 

he openly 

shared with his mother a sense that this latest expedition went beyond simply gathering data to support 

biblical studies. He already displayed the instincts of a 

regional intelligence analyst, with a sense for the link 

between culture and success in conflict. In this case his 

instinct served him well, for the Bible had little to do 

with the actual problem that lay before them.

The British Director of Military Operations had discovered a dangerous strategic gap in local geographical 

knowledge. Having established a protectorate in Egypt 

in 1882, the British soon surveyed the Egyptian side of 

the Sinai frontier and quickly discovered a substantial 

cartographic void between this effort and the old 

survey of Palestine done by the young Lord Kitchener in 

1872, when he and his fellow lieutenants in the Royal 

Engineers began their careers in the Queen’s service. 

Working under academic cover for the British army, Lawrence and the expedition extensively surveyed over 400 

square miles to bridge the gap in current knowledge.

With the advent of the Great War soon thereafter, Lawrence found work as a highly valued, resident regional 

expert who had literally experienced his account on foot. 

Very much like NGA Support Teams (NSTs), British intelligence in the eastern Mediterranean and Turkey in those 

years consisted of a forward network of experts, many of 

them university-affiliated, serving the local commands 

and linked by the controllers who directed their work. 

These men and women knew one another well, 

coming from the same social class, the 

same universities, and the same 

regional interests. They possessed a local knowledge of geography, 

language, 

culture, 

Photo by Getty Images
20Pathfinder ›› May/June 2009 

religion and tribal politics that the leadership of the British army lacked, and they worked in groups, as Lawrence 

did with mentors like British archaeologists Sir Leonard 

Woolley and D.G. Hogarth. Indeed, Lawrence never had 

any formal military training, but with Hogarth’s intercession, he received a commission as a second lieutenant 

interpreter in the British army with rank from Oct. 23, 

1914.

In his efforts both to help the army undermine the 

Turks’ alliance with Germany in the Near East and to 

support the Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire, 

Lawrence witnessed the British army failing to use the 

very resources that NGA’s regional analysts, forwarddeployed NSTs and allies bring to current efforts in the 

same region. After a 1916 trip to support the British head 

of military intelligence in Iraq, Lawrence severely criticized that command for not understanding the region 

and culture that shaped the people from whom they 

sought information. Unlike 21st century coalition forces 

who benefit from regionally based analysis from NGA 

and allies, Lawrence complained in one Army report, 

“They do all their examination of agents, prisoners, and 

refugees, through interpreters. They have never learnt or 

read anything of the manners of the Turk or Arab, or of 

their customs. They know nothing of the country beyond 

them ....” He emphasized the importance of the Arab 

Bureau, which his mentor Hogarth came to Cairo to lead 

as a newly minted lieutenant commander in the Royal 

Navy. The Arab Bureau endeavored to raise cultural appreciation of the region to the status of a strategic tool. 

One had to understand the people of Turkey and Arabia 

in their own context. Lawrence appreciated that, both as 

a lover of Arab culture and as a student of history while 

at Oxford University.

As a forward-deployed regional analyst, Lawrence 

helped conceive the strategy that led the Arab revolt to 

attack and seize the port of Al ‘Aqabah from the nearly 

impossible desert side. He took part in both the dangerous desert crossing that made the victory possible and 

the final assault on the port as the only British officer involved in the attack. He brought with him all of his tools 

of persuasion: the white Arab costume he received as a 

gift and wore regularly, the language, an incomparable 

knowledge of the religion and culture and, if it became 

necessary, £20,000 in gold sovereigns in his camel’s 

saddlebags. Al ‘Aqabah soon became an essential port 

of supply for British Gen. Edmund Allenby’s successful 

campaigns against the Turks. Practical experience and 

a cultural knowledge of the region, the essence of the 

regional analyst’s tradecraft and the NST experience, 

helped turn the regional expert T.E. Lawrence into the 

legendary Lawrence of Arabia. 

20Pathfinder ›› May/June 2009 

Dr. Gary E. Weir is the NGA Historian. 

Map of the Middle East.

Photo by Jupiter Images
21Pathfinder ›› May/June 2009 
www.nga.mil