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Track: Defense and Intelligence
Tarek Rashed
Quality Standards
19 Amen St
Dokki
Cairo,
EGYPT
Telephone: 011-202-361-2344
Fax: 011-202-360-4899
E-mail: trashed@iti-idsc.gov.eg
Using GIS as an Educational Tool for Military Academy Students
Defining Issue: Developing an educational and examining system for Military students about the new approaches in battle planning. This system includes selecting the most suitable location they must occupy to attack the enemy or to defend a strategic point; simulating the suitable reaction in the different battle situations; visibility studies and 3D modeling; mobility of different vehicles based on the army unit; nature of equipment; speed of wind; nature of soil, slope, and elevations; and finally, modeling of topographic features. GIS Solution: Quality Standards team (Esri distributor in Egypt) along with the Information Center of the Military Academy and military instructors developed an ArcInfo-based application. The final product runs on several UNIX workstation connected by an Ethernet network. Methodology: The Military Academy GIS System (MAGS) is divided into two main parts, the war skills system and the topographic system. Each represents a curriculum assigned by the military instructors.
Each also includes scenarios for several training exercises. MAGS has two modules: the instructor module and the student module. The exercises may be instructor defined. The instructor, using the instructor module, may redefine the exercise changing the scenario of the situation. A student module measures the ability of the student in understanding and performing the exercise correctly, according to the parameters set by the instructor. The whole MAGS has other modules that manage the system, such as the evaluation module, which allows the instructor to display the student's results for one exercise or more and the score he got and to print out these results; the security module, which prevents any student to log in without using his own password; the symbology and cartographic module; on line help module; and other modules to be discussed in detail in the paper. Finally, the application is based on server/client approach, which allows students and instructors to log in and communicate from any
terminal and use the application. Software: The application was written using AML. It includes the ARC, GRID, TIN and INFO modules. The purpose of the paper is to highlight the application and its functions through a brief overview of the traditional methods that were used in the military academy to teach war skills and topographic topics. The methodology carried out by the Quality Standards team in building this application and technical challenges encountered during the development of the application will also be highlighted.
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