Abstract

National Geospatial Intelligence Agency Support to Operation Deep Freeze
Track: Defense and Intelligence
Author(s): Michael Kehoe

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) has supported Operation Deep Freeze (ODF) with aeronautical safety and navigation data/products since 2003. ODF, which began during the Antarctic summer of 1955-56, is the military transportation operation which supports scientific research of the civilian U.S. Antarctic Program and National Science Foundation in Antarctica. The hazardous Antarctic terrain, in conjunction with the extreme weather conditions, makes Antarctica one of the most dangerous places in the world to operate aircraft. NGA has created a variety of aeronautical safety and navigation products to assist in safer operation of aircraft in Antarctica. The aeronautical products include Strip Charts, Landing Site Graphics, Approach Charts, and 1:250,000 topographic charts and were created with ArcGIS, ERDAS Imagine, and Abode Photoshop software. Aeronautical safety and navigation data have also been created as digital shape files which work with Falcon View software, both for Antarctica and at ODF training areas in Greenland.

Michael Kehoe
NGA
3838 Vogel Rd.
Mail Stop L-93
Arnold , Missouri 63010
United States
Phone: 314-676-5284
E-mail: michael.w.kehoe@nga.mil