Press Release
☷GEOINT advances key to sensing and navigating future threats
U.S. Army ( By Press Release office)
May 02,2022
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Army Modernization panelists present their thoughts on the role of geospatial intelligence in future warfighting environments . Pictured from left to right: Ed Mornston , Director of Intelligence and Security at Army Futures Command; Willie Nelson , Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Research and Technology , ASA ( ALT ) ; Maj . Gen . John Rafferty , Director of Army Futures Command’s Long Range Precision Fires Cross - Functional Team; Mark Kitz , Chief Engineer , Program Executive Office for Intelligence , Electronic Warfare and Sensors: Brig . Gen . Stephanie Ahern , Director of Concepts at Army Futures Command’s Futures and Concepts Center; and Col . Jimmy Blejski , Director of Army G - 8 Force Development Intelligence , Department of the Army . AUSTIN , Texas – Geospatial intelligence experts convened in Aurora , Colorado , last week for the annual GEOINT Symposium , hosted by the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation . Multiple Army leaders , including representatives from Army Futures Command , attended the event to speak about the importance of GEOINT within an Army modernization context . “We’ve got to be able to see farther , sense farther , target faster , process mission faster to deliver the kind of lethality at the scale and speed that the Army’s going to need in future conflict , ” said Maj . Gen . John Rafferty , Director of Army Futures Command’s Long Range Precision Fires Cross - Functional Team . According to Rafferty , “geospatial intelligence plays a huge role” in enabling these operational goals . Rafferty and colleagues from Army Futures Command , the Office of the United States Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition , Logistics and Technology , and the Army G - 8 participated in a Monday panel – titled Army Modernization – that provided insight into what the Army anticipates future battlefields will look like , as well as what Soldiers will need to succeed in high - tech , high - stakes operating environments . “The Army will clearly fight differently than we do presently , ” said Ed Mornston , Director of Intelligence and Security at Army Futures Command , of the nature of future warfare , which will likely be defined by rapid advances in technology and more fast - paced , lethal and widely dispersed fighting . In an operational environment rich with sensors , small robotics , drones and other next - generation apparatuses that require enhanced support for precision sensing and maneuver , “the applications from a GEOINT perspective are absolutely critical , ” added Brig . Gen . Stephanie Ahern , Director of Concepts at Army Futures Command’s Futures and Concepts Center . Panelists highlighted how GEOINT developments are informing warfighting preparations while also evolving the threat landscape . Finding ways to evade detection in a battlefield marked by increased visibility on the ground , in the air and in space is a significant challenge , for example , as is navigating a new era of machine warfare . “We have to start planning now for how things will be different , ” Ahern said . She explained that Army Futures Command is developing and testing concepts with many partners to ensure the Army has the best understanding possible of potential operational scenarios , specifically those involving Multi - Domain Operations . GEOINT technologies used by the Army help operators and decision - makers navigate challenging terrain , locate and visualize distant threats , and communicate across long distances and in degraded environments . As GEOINT capabilities progress , so will the Army’s ability to detect and respond to adversarial actions . One key GEOINT technology under development is the Tactical Intelligence Targeting Access Node ( TITAN ) , a maneuverable platform that will use artificial intelligence and machine learning to draw and analyze data from sensors distributed across all layers , providing the Army with heightened situational awareness . Other areas of growth include automatic target recognition and deep sensing abilities . The Army regularly conducts experimentation in Europe and the Pacific to assess the field utility of novel GEOINT technologies . The experimentation includes measures to ensure that the information infrastructure is highly adaptive , data can be transmitted across low - bandwidth areas effectively , and equipment prototypes meet end user needs as well as rigorous operational demands . This year’s signature modernization experiment , Project Convergence 2022 , will also test numerous GEOINT capabilities to determine their suitability for future warfighters . These experiments and incremental advances in geospatial intelligence are critical to ensuring the Army maintains a strong competitive advantage over adversaries . “Our modernization efforts are necessary to ensure that we achieve overmatch against strategic competitors , who continue to enhance their capabilities for challenging our Army , our Joint Force and our Allies , ” Mornston said . - - To view a full recording of the Army Modernization panel session , visit https://vimeo . com/703052961 .
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