Better battlefield vision

The US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency has selected BAE Systems to implement its Mensuration Services Program, which will allow soldiers to see the battlefield better by providing precise imagery.

The

US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

has selected

BAE Systems

to implement its Mensuration Services Program (MSP). The program is an enterprise system that supports NGA’s role to provide precision geospatial imagery and products to America’s armed forces.

Ted Spilman, vice president of Defense Systems for BAE Systems in San Diego, said the $17 million program is a key component of the agency’s Geospatial Center of Excellence concept, “which will allow soldiers to see the battlefield better by providing precise imagery for intelligence assessments.”

MSP reportedly provides a better way to accurately measure and geolocate objects. It will replace four existing systems: Ruler, Math Model Library, Joint Targeting Workstation, and GEOTRANS.

BAE Systems is developing the single, integrated package. MSP will be based on the Community Sensor Model (CSM), a precision imagery standard adopted by NGA and the US Defense Department. The system will conform to the CSM’s plug-in architecture standard, which allows intelligence and defence sensors to work together and reduces the costs of adding new sensor types.

BAE Systems leads an MSP implementation team that includes Everest Technology Solutions and Northrop Grumman. Work on the program will be conducted at BAE Systems’ facilities in San Diego and Reston, Virginia. The contract, including options, runs through 2011.