Page 33 - Military Technology 12/2018

Features MT 12/2018 · 31

Tim Mahon

Contingency Planning for the Future

Preparing and Ensuring Flexibility and
Effectiveness of GEOINT Training

Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) is truly multi-faceted, encompass- ‘the Nintendo generation,’ by which we are meant to understand the issue
ing every domain of military activity from space to the depths of the of today’s youth growing up in a technology-dense environment in which
oceans, and involving just about every person in our armed forces in educational, recreational and occupational digital devices are the norm.
one way, shape or form. It has given birth to new military career spe- Having been used from an early age to virtual worlds, digital manipulation,
cialisations and an entirely new ‘language’ of acronyms and abbrevi- high fidelity computer imagery and, increasingly, environments such as
ations. Books are being written about it, conferences on the panoply augmented reality, the argument goes that these young people are better
of subjects it covers are multiplying at a bewildering rate and special- suited to the type of discipline required and more familiar with the type
ised agencies to focus on and exploit it effectively are being created of digital tools they will have to work with – and are therefore a couple of
in an increasing number of nations. It is also, arguably, the single most steps ahead of the curve at an earlier point in their training programme. But
important activity in which a military force seeking the Nirvana of 21. (there’s always a but) there’s a problem here, too.
Century development – transformation – can invest its resources.
Creative Solutions, Multiple Contingencies
So what challenges are faced by this ‘new breed’ of operative – the Before examining the way in which better solutions can be crafted, it is
GEOINT professional? This is not a discipline in which serried ranks of in- worth reflecting for a moment on another societal issue. Education systems
dividuals learn processes, procedures tend today to produce people good at
and policy hunched over computer passing exams and with a background
terminals in hushed classrooms. The in analysis of original source material
overarching necessity is to ensure that from which fresh insight can be de-
teams of individuals, working in inti- rived. The one thing they tend to lack,
mate collaboration and harmony and though, is experience. Even a PhD in
supported by the best, most effective a specific discipline in his or her twen-
and fastest acting technology money ties will have to make a great leap of
can buy, have the capacity to position faith to be able to apply unique skills
as many pieces of the intellectual jig- to the creation of a complex construct
saw in a sensible arrangement in the such as actionable intelligence with-
shortest possible timeframe. out at least some experience of the
One of the areas on which consid- operational environment in which that
erable hope is being placed for the intelligence will be applied. Which is an
future success of GEOINT training re- underlying challenge for trainers.
lies on the natural propensity of enthu- Analysing still and video images discerns actionable intelligence In the so-called Good Old, Bad Old
siastic professionals to network and for commanders and troops on the ground. (Image via author) Days, commercial apprenticeships
share their knowledge, expertise and tackled this conundrum by passing fu-
perspective – even their uncertainties. Conferences focused on aspects of ture leaders through a variety of disciplines: time on the shop floor, in the
GEOINT training and education (and do not make the mistake of ignoring sales office, in customer service, shipping, etc. By so doing, organisations
the last of those two words) are growing in number and complexity. inculcated a broad base of knowledge in the individual – knowledge which
Education also features high on the agenda of another branch of training would be of great assistance in maximising their contribution and making
GEOINT operatives, especially in the US, where a variety of courses are it more applicable to the output goal.
being offered – and heavily promoted – including certification programmes There is an argument, therefore, that effective training of geospatial in-
from the US GEOINT Foundation, a Master of Professional Studies in telligence professionals will be infinitely more effective if they spend time
Homeland Security and a Master of GIS programme, all available from in other disciplines to gain similar levels of experience. Collective training
Pennsylvania State University with GEOINT major options. in other military activities – tactical engagement, equipment maintenance,
Admittedly these latter programmes are aimed at individuals rather than expeditionary warfare, joint operations – could have a dramatic effect on
teams, but this highlights the challenge of integrating skilled individuals the eventual contribution these professionals could make.
into effective teams. As an operational issue this must be key – and there- The fact that GEOINT depends on the synthesis and fusion of data from
fore it is even more important from the perspective of those who plan, de- multiple sources makes training solutions potentially difficult and expen-
sign and implement the required training. ImStrat, specialising in GEOINT sive. The use of virtual reality in these solutions is one answer that is being
training, emphasises the necessity for individuals to develop unique skills pursued with great enthusiasm, as is the use of immersive training solu-
and have the opportunity to practice the development of actionable intelli- tions derived from serious games and ‘best of breed’ practices from other,
gence product from analysis of multiple sources but then, under the rubric civil, domains.
“Exercise, Exercise, Exercise,” highlights the essential nature of team de- Which is an important point to consider when one recognises the fact
velopment to harness and leverage specific skillsets. Which raises another that GEOINT is no longer purely a military preserve. Agencies such as
question. homeland security, law enforcement, civil emergency planning and disas-
Are GEOINT professionals born, or are they made? The answer, unsur- ter relief are all climbing on the GEOINT bandwagon as demand increases
prisingly, is both – or neither, exclusively. Certainly, they are made, other- for accurate, timely and actionable intelligence product in all aspects of
wise all the training planners might as well go home. Making a professional organised activity.
is what the training programmes are all about. But, in the same way a pot- Making better use of GEOINT will revolve around training. And better
ter will make a far better pot using high quality clay, so a nascent profes- training will require planners and implementers to make increased use of
sional meeting a certain threshold of intellectual and instinctive capability collective, virtual and immersive training solutions. A start has been made
will turn out to be a more competent and effective intelligence operative. – but the story continues to develop at a pace that threatens to increase
Here one of the societal developments of the last three decades or so is exponentially.
paralleling (indeed, is partially created by) the burgeoning technology that
‘enables’ modern GEOINT. The training world abounds with discussions of Tim Mahon is a London-based regular correspondent of MT.