Production agencies providing standard mc&g products do not have sufficient assets to meet all requirements. Shortfalls exist in area coverage, level of detail, currency, and accuracy. Products do not necessarily flow to the fighting forces when, where, and in the formats needed. Evolving third world conflicts exacerbate the problem. Data production solutions fall into elusive outyears with stopgap solutions reverting to cartographic source. The evolution of computer hardware capabilities has resulted in systems with significant processing capabilities at affordable prices. Generic, off the shelf systems are capable of satisfying tactical requirements. Significant amounts of software, focused toward specific applications, have been developed for data generation, integration, and exploitation. Evolving data sources (e.G., Multi-spectral, sar, and ie imagery), combined with standard mc&g products, intelligence, and weather data can provide enhanced knowledge of the spatial situation. Digital exploitation techniques and relational data base management systems can expand the functionality of these sources now - not in the outyears. This proposal provides a concept of operations for data base operations to support combat forces with required data that is functional within tactical timelines. It will demonstrate how this could be accomplished cost effectively within near time-frames.
