GEOINT stands for GEOspatial INTelligence, which is an intelligence discipline comprising the exploitation and analysis of geospatial information to describe, assess, and visually depict physical features and geographically referenced activities on the Earth. GEOINT data sources include imagery and mapping data, whether collected by commercial satellite, government satellite, aircraft (such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles [UAV] or reconnaissance aircraft), or by other means, such as maps and commercial databases, census information, GPS waypoints, utility schematics, or any discrete data that have locations on earth.
There is no universally accepted definition of GEOINT. It has been considered that GEOINT is just a new term used to identify a broad range of outputs from organizations that use a variety of existing spatial skills and disciplines including Photogrammetry, Cartography, Imagery analysis, Remote Sensing, and Terrain Analysis. However GEOINT is also considered as these and other disciplines combined, yet is more than the sum of these parts. GEOINT can synthesize any intelligence or other data that can be conceptualized in a geographic spatial context.
In particular, confusion and dissension is caused by the separation of 'imagery' or 'satellite information' from 'geospatial information' as imagery is generally considered just one of the forms which geospatial information might take or be derived from. GEOINT can be derived entirely independent of any satellite or aerial imagery and should be clearly differentiated from IMINT(imagery intelligence).
GEOINT can probably best be described as a product occurring at the point of delivery. i.e. by the amount of analysis which occurs to resolve particular problems, not by the type of data used. For example, a database containing a list of measurements of bridges obtained from imagery is 'information' whilst the development of an output using analysis to determine those bridges which are able to be utilised for specific purposes could be termed 'intelligence'.
Similarly the simple measurement of beach profiles is a classical geographic information gathering activity, whilst the process of selecting a beach which matches a certain profile for a specific purpose is an analytical activity, and the output could be termed an intelligence product.
In this form it is considered to be generally used by Agencies requiring simple definitions of their outputs for descriptive and capability development purposes. (or, more cynically, as a marketing strategy).
Notably, the Digital Geographic Information Working Group [1] has twice rejected proposals to have 'Geographic Information' replaced with 'Geospatial Intelligence'.
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GEOINT agencies
- Australia: Defence Imagery and Geospatial Organisation (DIGO)
- Canada: CFJIC - Canadian Forces Joint Imagery Centre
- European Union: European Union Satellite Centre (EUSC)
- United Kingdom: JARIC - The National Imagery Exploitation Centre
- USA: National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA)
GEOINT Units
- Australian Army: 1st Topographical Survey Squadron (1 TOPO SVY SQN) [2] (Homeland Security: Army Spatial Information Capabilities)
- United States Marine Corps: 1st Topographic Platoon (1st TOPO) [3] (1st Marine Expeditionary Force - Marine Headquarters Group - 1st Intelligence Battalion - Production and Analysis Company)
- United States Marine Corps: 2nd Topographic Platoon (2nd TOPO) [4] (2nd Marine Expeditionary Force - Marine Headquarters Group - 2nd Intelligence Battalion - Production and Analysis Company)
- United States Marine Corps: 3rd Topographic Platoon (3rd TOPO) [5] (3rd Marine Expeditionary Force - Marine Headquarters Group - 3rd Intelligence Battalion - Production and Analysis Company)
- United States Army Europe: 60th Engineer Detachment, Geospatial Planning Cell (60th GPC) Theater Geospatial Database (TGD)
See also
- Dino A. Brugioni
- HUMINT: Human intelligence
- SIGINT: Signals intelligence
- ELINT: Electronic intelligence
- IMINT: Imagery intelligence
- MASINT: Measurement and signature intelligence
- Geospatial engineering
- Google Earth
- Microsoft MapPoint
- WikiMapia
- Geospatial Information Officer
- Stewardship: Geospatial-Intelligence
- ESRI
External links
- DGI - Defence Geospatial Intelligence Conference
- GEOINT Symposium 2008
- GEOINT Symposium 2007
- GEOINT Symposium 2006
- GEOINT Symposium 2005
- National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA)
- Defence College of Intelligence Royal School of Military Survey (DCI RSMS)
- Center for Geospatial Intelligence
- Australian Defence Imagery and Geospatial Organisation (DIGO)
- Penn State GEOINT post baccalaureate certificate program
- University of Missouri - Undergraduate GEOINT Certificate Program
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