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Asymmetric Warfare - Geospatial Requirements to

Counter Threats to Internal Security

Introduction

Asymmetric warfare terminology dates back to 1975 article of Andrew

J R Mack titled “WHY BIG NATIONS LOSE SMALL WARS”. This is

basically a terminology used in military warfare and has gained

prominence with 9/11 and other major acts of terror taking center

stage in our thought process. Capability of the enemy with hardly any

resources to upstage a prominent military power need not be

debated. The manifestations of these are guerilla warfare, insurgency,

terrorism, counter insurgency and counter terrorism.

With terrorism completely changing the rules of human existence, the

dynamics of internal and external wars have become completely

intertwined. Terrorism has become a perfect example of asymmetric

warfare. Asymmetric warfare thus becomes a reality in the internal

security scenario of this country which has to face naxalism in at least

200 of its districts, primarily emanating from disparity in social

order/failed equal opportunities policy of successive governments,

large insurgency groups in far flung areas and imminent danger of

terror attacks primarily in cities and urban areas are challenging the

very existence of economic growth centers of a booming economy.

With conventional inputs not able to provide actionable data to a level

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where results can be predicted or dictated, the requirements of

geospatial inputs is of critical importance. This input can make the

difference between success or failure and also the precision with

which the operations is conducted, the concomitant causalities,

injuries and damages. Undoubtedly a clarity of requirements, the

efforts made for the preparation of such data as it is usually

technology based, its analysis and usage for the same requirements

would provide law enforcement agencies an edge over the enemies.

Complex high quality and precise geospatial data is generally not

available to such enemies.

Need

Who needs Maps? I think everybody does. The Map of today is the

Geospatial information as the requirements are much more complex

yet precise, the demand for which is dictated by ground realities.

Cartography, bathometry, terrain mapping are different tools to meet

the objectives. Herein lies the need for Geospatial Information. As per

DHS Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) Geospatial information includes

surveys, maps, charts, remote sensing data and images and aerial

photographic services; and technology including global surveillance,

GPS, GIS, mapping, geo-coding and remote sensing and time scale

analysis of structural aspects viewed for specialist operations.

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The Crux of Asymmetric Warfare

The crux of asymmetric warfare is that mobility is more important

than mass, light weight larger brigades with infantry brigade at 40 km

distances, AEW and AEROSTAT balloons at artificial horizons, zone

mapping, zone helix structure for techint and elint are critical factors

to be considered. Technology is worth little without timely and

insightful intelligence & and geospatial data on a useful level of

resolution. Weapons must fit targets; we cannot afford to take out

hundreds of small targets with extensively expensive high precision

munitions. Training of the foot soldiers on digital camouflage is the

essence of high tech warfare of today. Geospatial special forces have

to be engaged to break the psyche of the opponents by geospatial

broadcasts. Broadcast spatial data, such as surface data and terrain

roughness is of great help for planning operational plans and

operationalising the plan. Time and space are far more available to

an enemy than to law enforcement agencies and can be traded for

bodies and bullets. We need to manage our time and space on a real

time mode by giving functional support, operational equipment and

less body bags. An enemy objective is to make us spread ourselves

too thin - yet we persist in starting every confrontation that way.

Geospatial Information- the need?

The urgent needs emanates from the fact that internal and external

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wars are getting intertwined. Insurgency groups have been

operational for decades in far flung areas. There is marked increase in

the prevalence of Naxalites it large number of states. Terror strikes

primarily in urban centers in open areas with large human

concentration like markets, critical and important infrastructures and

mass transit systems. The law enforcement agencies should possess

demonstrate capability of precision destructive strikes to take on high

value targets, sever lines of communication, pollute and degrade the

environment, turn large swathes of land as deserts, make land

infertile and make the communication of the opponents subservient.

These are certainly not normal law and order issues or situations and

has to be tackled differently in strategy and inputs. The geospatial

assets are a tactical force and are not an impediment to strategy,

they are a complementary infrastructure.

Conventional inputs are not able to give actionable data to a level

where the results can either be predicted or dictated, the

requirements of geospatial inputs is of critical importance. The

statistical quality control analysis would render large unpredictable

situations as a thing of the past. Methods of analysis shall render

geospatial input as an actionable intelligence.

Geospatial Assets

We are in an age where the lone superpower wields immense

influence at the global level. What finally decides the quality of output

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it the nature of assets owned by the country. Today we are

dependent for most of imagery on other nations. Ground

Infrastructure such as Networked Command Centers are to fall in

place for operational requirements. Strategic planning on a real time

dynamic mode for asset procurement needs vision on the part of the

law enforcement agencies. Wrong procurement of assets and

services leads to technological disadvantages. GPS data is critical for

all operations on the Indian subcontinent and thus the efforts of the

policy makers should mark a quantum shift in this direction to acquire

data on a real time mode.

Clarity on requirements is the beginning of the creation of the true

blueprint of geospatial response to those needs making unimaginable

difference in the prevention and results of asymmetric wars.

US Experience

USA has shown the way and without getting into the mode of

reinventing the wheel, the ideal approach it to replicate is successfully

with least amount of customization. Tweaking high technology issues

more often than not leads to non implementation of high end

technological solutions and mix of hardware, software, licensing,

human resources and loads of other complex issues.

Department of Homeland Security Mission Statement

According to the National Strategy for Homeland Security and DHS’s

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mission statement, homeland security covers prevention, protection,

response, and recovery. Homeland security with geospatial assets

provides larger policing infrastructure, special resolution of conflict

zones, strategic and tactical view of troublesome and hotspots.

Geospatial products provide specific geometrical intelligence where

command posts can be erected at short notice, disasters well

managed, indicate predictability of response time and provide secured

support infrastructure.

Geospatial products and intelligence play a key role in departments’

preparation for disasters and its response and supports incident

management

Images

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Imagery

The functional cargo bus of the geospatial asset is the image

deliverance equipment on the asset. The lone superpower has ultra

modern optical sensors and image processing softwares which are

four dimensional and provide accurate real time .25 to .35 field of

merit quality images. NRSA’s vision to obtain real time imagery

should compensate for the shortfall in the image processing

capabilities.

Geospatial Information Stages

Geospatial Information Stages

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Some applications in Homeland Security

Terrain plays a key role in large number of the Geospatial operations

and activities and the true mapping of the nature and profile of the

terrain is thus the most critical input in both operational and strategic

planning.

This technology can play a stellar role in security of Critical

Infrastructure and Mass Transportation Systems and can literally

change the way we manage those. The vast gamut of real information

available will play a transformational role in the management of the

systems. Geospatial Technology provides enhanced geospatial

understanding of a facilities vulnerabilities and speed up detection

and response time in the event of a security breach. Rapid access to

extensive data, displayed in a geospatial medium helps protect critical

assets and infrastructure and ensures public safety.

The information about the floor plan and the structure of the building

can help in designing the security plan for the same. Our recent past

provides for large number of such examples. This itself can transform

our confidence level in our day to law enforcement

DHS Spatial Data Infrastructure

DHS Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI),a subset of Enterprise

Architecture, consists of geographic system software and hardware,

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geospatial applications, data, standards, policies, programs, and the

human resources necessary to acquire, process, analyze, store,

maintain, distribute, and otherwise use geospatial data as a strategic

asset for the DHS and the nation. The basis for an SDI is to identify

and organize core capabilities that have common applications and to

ensure the transport of data, via compatible formatting, across DHS.

What will it deliver?

Completing and maintaining an SDI with integrated applications and

systems would provide the level of geospatial preparedness required

to protect the nation’s critical infrastructure, strategic assets,

economic base and America’s citizens. It is bound to deliver the same

objectives in India as well.

Geospatial Preparedness

The Final Destination

Means the level of overall capability and capacity necessary to enable

all levels of the Dept to use geospatial data, geographic information

systems, software and hardware, and geospatial applications to

perform essential functions such as prevention, detection, planning,

mitigation, response, and recovery in order to minimize loss of life

and property from weapons of mass destruction, terrorist threats,

major threats, major man made accidents, and natural disasters.

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The power of Processing

Geospatial data cannot be used as on off the shelf product and needs

layers of processing before it is comprehensible to the end user.

There is need to emphasize that the end user also needs a level of

competence to make appropriate use of technology. The power of the

processing is explained with clarity in the diagrams that follow:

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Inter-Agency Geospatial Concept of Operations

GeoCONOPS

Inter-agency geospatial concept of operation would help in uniformity

and standardization of geospatial inputs required for different

operations under a prescribed governing structure which would

supervise and also ensure the delivery of such inputs to internal

security agencies. Undeniably put to professional usage, geospatial

support would help counter major threats to internal security. The

exact requirement would be a matter of detail depending on large

number of operations related inputs. Broad parameters can be a

starting point for such an exercise which would be delivered in a

phased manner.

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Background

In recent years, federal mission partners have been operating with

minimal formal guidance and little direction on how to conduct

geospatial support to the emergency response and homeland security

operation regimes, relying instead on ad hoc coordination and best

efforts. As a result, previous geospatial effort in support of incident

management has frequently been slow to start or have been

completely unavailable immediately following a disaster, leaving the

“full power” and benefits of geospatial technology unrealized.

GeoCONOPS ensures that timely and accurate geospatial data is

shared. By defining the mechanisms and authorities, the GeoCONOPS

aims to reduce redundancy and confusion and ensure efficient access

to geospatial information for incident management.

Geospatial technology provides a significant role in incident

management. Its uses today include disaster early warning and

mitigation, border monitoring, criminal investigations, public health

protection and critical infrastructure oversight.

Remote Sensing Data Policy

Department of Space (DOS) of the Government of India is the nodal

agency for all actions under this policy, unless otherwise stated. For

operating a remote sensing satellite from India, license and/or

permission of the Government, through the nodal agency is

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mandatory.

As a national commitment and as a “public good”, Government

assures a continuous/improving observing/imaging capability from

its own Indian Remote Sensing Satellites (IRS) program

Government guidelines for dissemination of satellite remote

sensing data in India

All data of resolutions up to 5.8 m shall be distributed on a

nondiscriminatory basis and on “as requested basis.” With a view to

protect national security interests, all data of 5.8 m and better than

5.8 m resolution images will be screened by the appropriate agency

before distribution, so that images of sensitive areas are excluded.

NRSA will be competent to enter into agreements with foreign

satellite operators for acquisition/distribution of foreign satellite data

in India. However, so far the acquisition/distribution of IKONOS data

in India is concerned, Antrix Corporation Limited (of DoS) will

conclude agreements with Space Imaging Coporation on such terms

and conditions as may considered appropriate by it and NRSA will

distribute as per the terms agreed with Antrix.

Conclusion

A paradigm shift in the thought process of the Internal Security

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apparatus, to treat geospatial inputs at par with intelligence, easy

availability of imagery of the right level of resolution, direct

communication between the user and the provider, prescribed

standards and uniformity, right governance structures and a software

to boast of, run by enviable human resources, is the panacea.