Border Zone Tactical Planner

Published Feb. 13, 2013

Background

Border zones continue to be areas where political and cultural differences clash throughout the world and conflict often erupts where boundaries converge. Our military personnel are frequently called upon to assist in any conflict or aid with any discrepancy. The Border Zone Tactical Planner (BZTP) provides a comprehensive, map-based tool for analyzing complex terrain along physical and cultural borders of interest. Infrastructure, topography, and environmental features within these areas are digitized and displayed using standard Army adopted software. The BZTP is a GIS database for small, tactical-sized areas of interest (AOIs) alongconflicting border zones. The AOIs for a BZTP are typically concentrated to less than 100 square kilometers and provide end users with a GIS foundation. Customers have the option to create additional GIS analysis specific to their mission. The BZTP provides a solid data foundation using the most up-to-date, unclassified data available in order to support our warfighters and civil affairs personnel.

Key Capabilities

Finding compatible datasets over borders of interest can be extremely problematic. The data are often digitized in a different scale, displayed in a different projection and use different sources of collection standards. The BZTP solves these differences by merging the datasets to offer a comprehensive and unified geographic dataset. The dataset is compiled using the highest quality raster and vector data over a customer-requested AOI. The dataset is then fine-tuned using customer input to achieve mission objectives. BZTP assembles the highest quality data through direct collaboration with the customer in order to deliver a superior geospatial solution.

Current Status

The database can be displayed in a traditional ESRI ArcMap geodatabase, free ESRI ArcReader application, KML format (Google Earth) and a PDF. Dissemination of the database is not software-specific and the three base packages are offered to the customer. The power user receives a full geo-database and MXD to allow for their own spatial analysis and a complete KML and PDF for the decision makers planning and briefing. The Border Zone Tactical Planner enables the warfighter to make intelligent and informed mission-planning decisions.

Points of Contact

Customer requests for information are handled by the Environmental Analysis Team at (703) 428-6261, DLL-AGC-ENVIRO@usace.army.mil.