Terrain Analysis Methods for Army Reserve and Army National Guard Warfighters

Author: Jeffery Scott Reichman
Organization: National Imagery and Mapping Agency

3200 S. Broadway
St Louis, MO 63118
USA

Phone: 314-457-1966
reichmanj@nima.mil

The purpose of the paper was to develop tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP) of terrain analysis utilizing NIMA's NIMAMUSE and Esri's ArcExplorer software. The TTP discusses the development of three tactical decision aids (TDAs) using the combined functions of two software packages that can be downloaded from the WWW--ArcExplorer and NIMAMUSE.

NIMAMUSE was primarily used to develop ArcView GIS shapefiles, although it has the ability to develop a whole host of terrain-related functions, some similar to TerraBase. ArcExplorer is used to develop terrain overlays, perform some vector analysis, and export graphic images for terrain briefings for use with software packages such as Microsoft's PowerPoint. When combined with the terrain visualization features of the U.S. Army's TerraBase II, soldiers are able to develop a wide range of terrain TDAs such as slope, vegetation, cover and concealment, and hydrology overlays. The combined use of ArcExplorer, NIMAMUSE, and TerraBase II allows soldiers the ability to develop and produce a wide range of TDAs in a manner that enhances terrain analysis as part of an intelligence preparation of the battlefield (IPB).