Preserving capacity, General Tom Lawson, Chief of the Defence Staff, Keys to Canadian SAR
Issue link: http://vanguardcanada.uberflip.com/i/274231
e eXecutiVe INTERVIEW 34 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2014 www.vanguardcanada.com landscape on which everything else happens. Once these events are overlaid, they can quickly be analyzed and the data used to make informed conclusions. Q Geospatial has been key to intelligence analysis, but is it fully integrated with intelligence processes? PB: We learned some great lessons in Bosnia and Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, for example, we had the All-Source Intelligence Centre (ASIC), which is now being adopted as a concept in Can- ada. ASIC combines various information sources including intelli- gence analysis, imagery analysis, geospatial analysis, human intelli- gence, open source data and terrain data. In theatre, you typically have imagery analysts working with geospatial analysts – they are co-located, where in the past, they were isolated – creating the geospatial imagery support team. Q We've seen a convergence of training with mission rehearsal. Are we moving to a point where databases in training or mis- sion rehearsal systems will be updated in real time and con- verge with those used in operational theatres? GH: Very much so. This is a natural convergence that just makes sense. In the past, data was trapped in the specialized system used by geospatial operators. Now, using IT standards and Web ca- pabilities, high-resolution global datasets can be made available to everyone. When forces are deployed, part of their mission in- cludes collecting high-resolution data. In Afghanistan, a higher resolution elevation dataset was collected which was 25 times higher than what was commonly available. I see the incorporation of high-resolution models (e.g., buildings, airfi elds and harbours) created for simulator environments using commercial-off-the- shelf (COTS) software and global elevation and imagery datasets. Q Given the government's interest in economic development of the North, I would imagine the Arctic is the next step, is it not? PB: The Arctic is the next frontier; however, most of the data is considerably out of date. The capture and availability of imagery in the North is also an issue. We're hopeful that in the future, we'll be able to add high-resolution coverage of the Arctic region once it's available. We continue to seek out sources of data to augment our current database. The nautical chart coverage in the North is also key to Canada's economic development and security and has become a priority for the federal government. The main challenge for the government will be to invest in updating and maintaining geospatial datasets in the North. GH: One of the key planning tools will be GIS, because in the North, space and time are critical planning factors. In the North, the "art of the possible" with respect to resource allocation will be of primary concern. Questions such as: "What plane is located at which base?" need to be answered to effectively respond to an incident. A database with the status of ships, aircraft and army resources would be valuable to support northern operations. The Rangers are also asking for higher resolution data to support their operations. The capability exists for them to collect information that would contribute to the CAF. With a simple application, they could collect information on streets, facilities, tracks and trails within their community. This would bring value not only to the northern communities, but also to the military and governments that support them. You've mentioned the art of the possible. What's the next evo- lution for this technology? PB: The major trend we see for GIS in defence is the increased use of mobile devices, where every soldier on the battlefi eld would become a collection platform. This includes crowdsourcing and the use of social media. Soldiers are no longer going into the- atres where they're isolated from the local population. When the revolutions began in northern Africa, Esri developed map viewers so that users could see Twitter feeds, Flickr photos and YouTube videos of the events. One could easily see what was happening in Egypt, and that the incidents were concentrated in Tahrir Square. It was the same during the Boston Marathon bombing. For police and public safety agencies, it's a new way to visualize and make sense of all the information that's now available in real time. Another evolution we see in the future is indoor mapping. In 3D and terrain databases, one can see only the exterior of the building. Now, we're able to map the inside of the building using technology such as Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR). One can now visualize the interior before entering the building. This is especially useful in special event planning and critical infrastruc- ture protection. We're also seeing greater use of geo-fencing such as in commercial applications which allow stores to notify shop- pers on their smartphone of a sale based on their location. Simi- larly, alerts can be sent to soldiers on the battlefi eld when they're within a certain distance of a minefi eld. GH: Another trend is the move towards a cloud GIS environment and virtual machines (VMs) to sustain mission-critical information systems. In the near future, the Army's new cloud environment will permit them to continually add, change or update geospatial capabilities. This environment is no longer about hardware boxes that have to be replaced as everything is on the cloud. It's a huge advantage to any organization. In the past, you built something and were stuck with it for many years. Development cycles are going to be much faster, and the addition of new functionality and capabili- ties will only take weeks, not multiple years. D O M E S T I C E V E N T S 2014 CADSI w w w . d e f e n c e a n d s e c u r i t y . c a Soldier Systems Showcase Improving the protection and survivability of the Canadian soldier December (date and location to be confirmed) The Showcase is a two-day multi-track, integrated tradeshow and conference exploring the latest technologies, services and products related to the protection and survivability of the Canadian soldier. SME Day Navigating defence procurement in Canada February 18 | Westin Ottawa Helping the small to medium-sized business (SME) better understand the Canadian procurement process. Learn about Government programs and initiatives available to help businesses like yours! DRDC/Joint Force Development Outlook Scientific and technological outcomes and opportunities for industry December (date and location to be confirmed) Insights into the future direction of S&T at DND plus the latest development opportunities and projects supporting the three Services and Joint Forces – with a focus on space, C4ISR and cyber. 2014 Canadian Armed Forces Outlook Series Perspectives and insights into the three Services going forward Navy (April 8) Army (April 9) Air Force (April 10) Ottawa Convention Centre Procurement reform, fiscal pressures, CFDS renewal and operational tempo mean transformation is the watchword at Defence. Learn what these developments foretell for the three Services! Security Outlook Trends, challenges and business opportunities in the public safety and national security sectors March 19 | Westin Ottawa Projects, initiatives and business opportunities in counter-terrorism, cyber-resilience, critical infrastructure protection, and border security. International Outlook Helping to grow your business outside Canada February 19 | Westin Ottawa Learn about trends and opportunities for defence- related business in the U.S., NATO and emerging markets in Latin America and the Asia-Pacific. CANSEC Canada's premier defence tradeshow May 28-29 | EY Centre, Ottawa Last year CANSEC welcomed 10,000+ registrants, 287 exhibiting companies and 12 international delegations: it is Canada's premier meeting ground for suppliers and customers of defence equipment, products, technologies and services. Event Sponsor Show Sponsor Conference Sponsor Ottawa Convention Centre 10.25.11 - 10.26.11 OFFICIAL SHOW GUIDE SecureTech Canada's leading public safety, emergency management and security Showcase November 4-5 | Ottawa Convention Centre The Showcase is a driver for greater community and organizational resilience via knowledge exchange and engagement of the security community including industry, government, emergency responders and practitioners.