Description and Background
The US Army Geospatial Center (AGC) has investigated the urban mapping problem and has developed an expeditious process to analyze, map and display layers of urban area information. This information, terrain and cultural, is presented and easily manipulated with the use of ArcGIS software -- a user friendly, flexible, geospatial tool. The digital data formats in ArcGIS are very flexible and can be adjusted to meet specific customer needs. The product is capable of exploiting numerous data inputs such as DTED, commercial imagery, NGA topographic products, and intelligence sources. AGC can produce this data set in about six weeks depending on the size of the urban area. The capability of meeting rapid response requirements is addressed by providing only mission essential data for valid DA requirements. Therefore, it is not inclusive nor strictly an intelligence data set in the traditional sense; it is a terrain analysis data set. The data set can be produced to operate at the unclassified level by using the appropriate data sources for that level (such as imagery, maps, and ground photos).
Key Capabilities
The urban environment is displayed as an aggregate of features that affect urban area operations, such as building form and function (broken out as polygons of like-building types), building height, vertical obstructions, terrain features, bridges, lines of communication, landmarks, etc. These features are shown as themes or layers that can be displayed, on-or-off, as decided by the user. Attribute tables that provide additional information, e.g., building data, vertical obstruction data, road and bridge data, are linked to these layers. In addition, with the click of a
button, hot-links provide the user with more information: ground photos of the terrain and building types, and architectural drawings or site plans (if available). These themes or layers are displayed on top of a map or image base at the user's discretion. The user can apply this data to their specific needs. For example, a soldier could determine the key features within their operational area, such as a mosque or other cultural sites, and the area extent of “residential” built-up terrain or an Army aviator can display only those features that affect navigation
(landmarks), route choice, and landing. Planners for ground operations can display urban areas that will likely be occupied by noncombatants, show the approach routes to town, and also display key terrain on their area of operation, such as a ridge surrounding the town or the tallest buildings in the town. Each urban area is presented at varying degrees of detail. A user can show an overview of the area (showing relief and major routes for example), zoom into an urban view or larger scale, and finally down to a one square kilometer view of a selected site or sites within the urban area. The product can be tailored to specific customer requirements. A library of UTPs can be accessed on PKI, SIPRNET and JWICS. PKI site is https://cac.agc.army.mil/.
A full UTP dataset is hosted as part of the Enterprise Geospatial Data Management (EGDM) web application (https://jecop.usace.army.mil/egdmapp (permissions required)) on the USACE Joint Engineering Common Operating Picture (JECOP) ArcGIS Enterprise Portal (external site), along with the Regional Terrain Planner (RTP), Engineering Route Study (ERS), and other military terrain datasets. The JECOP web portal also allows a user to store and share geospatial products and can be accessed here: https://jecop.usace.army.mil/portal.
Enterprise Geospatial Data Management (EGDM)
AGC's Warfighter Support Directorate recently deployed a web application that allows users to interactively request areas of interest for AGC's foundational datasets. The EGDM application allows for and enables co-production between AGC and its mission partners. Within the EGDM web application, users are able to request UTP data in several formats (Shapefile, KML, File Geodatabase, Geopackage, Map Package) based on pre-existing UTP areas of interest. Automated custom workflows run user-generated jobs to visualize, model and obtain data. The
presence of the UTP dataset on the EGDM Web Application brings this data significantly closer to the point of need for the Army consumers. The seamless format and on-line tools available allow CAC enabled users easy manipulation and extraction of key data to achieve mission success.
Current Status
The product has undergone various enhancements and is continuing to evolve. Requirements production started in FY98. AGC employs in house and contract capabilities to generate this dataset and product. A reprioritization or any new requirements can be submitted to the HQDA DCS G-2. Product specifications have been compiled. As of FY22, 865 datasets have been completed and posted on AGC homepages. Currently, the level of information over an urban area is tied to its priority.
Point of Contact:
Michael A. Cioffi
Lead, Terrain Generation Team
COMM: 703-428-6932
(U) michael.a.cioffi@usace.army.mil
(S) michael.a.cioffi.civ@mail.smil.mi