Intro to GEOINT

Module 1, Lesson 1

Introduction to Geospatial Intelligence

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Course Objectives

By completing this module, you will be able to:

• Define the key terms and concepts used in geospatial intelligence.
• Understand the intelligence cycle.
• Explain uses of basic questions of GEOINT
• Identify the ethical concerns of GEOINT.

Lesson Introduction Video - Overview - Objectives

Key Terms

Geography

Geospatial

Geodesy

Geospatial Technology

Tradecraft

GEOINT

Geographic Information Science

Intelligence

Intelligence

Information that has been processed, collected, and analyzed to provide a decision advantage against an opponent or potential opponent. The term typically refers to the process and product.

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Author Name

Intelligence

• Provides a “decision advantage.”

Information that meets the needsof a decision maker.

• Information that has been

collected, processed, narrowed.

• Involves a tradecraft.

• The process is often illustrated
• as a cycle.

Lesson Introduction Video - Overview - Objectives

The intelligence cycle

• The cycle describes the intelligence processing as a closed path consisting of repeating nodes.
• The stages of the intelligence cycle include the issuance of requirments by decision makers, collection, processing, analysis, and publication of intelligence.

• The cycle is completed when decision makers provide feedback.
• Practice: pick a vignette and use the intelligence cycle to help in decision making.
• The cycle is not linear.

Step-1: Planning and direction

• This initial step requires identifying intelligence requirements and setting objectives.
• Includes determines What information is needed, clarifying priorites, and allocating resources accordingly.
• Planning and direction set the stage for the subsequent steps.

Step-2: Collection

• In this step, intelligence gather raw data and information from various sources such as

• Open sources(OSINT)
• Human intelligence(HUMANT)
• Signal intelligence(SIGINT)
• Imagery Intelligence(IMINT)

• The collection processes aims to acquire relevant and reliable information that addresses the identified intelligence requirements.

Step-3: Processing

• Once collected, the information ungergoes processing to extract meaningful intelligence, which involves:

• Organizing
• Evaluating
• Filtering the data

• It may involve techniques to convert raw information into usable for for analysis, such as:

• Translation
• Decryption
• Data analysis

Step-4: Anlaysis and production

In this step, intelligence analysts examine the processed data to derive:

• Insights
• Assess risks
• Identify patterns
• develop intellgence products

They analyze information in light of the objective and requirements defined in the planning stage, aiming to provide accurate and actionable intelligence.

Step-5: dessemination

The final steps require sharing the intelligence product with the appropriate stakeholders, including;

• Decision making
• Policy planners
• Operational personnel

The intelligence must be effectively communicated in a timely and secure manner, ensuring that it reaches the intended recipient who can act upon it.

GEOINT

Many definitions, some defined in US law In this course we will use :

Involves:

Scientific knowledge that enables geographic technologies which are applied using a tradecraft.

Geospatial intelligence is the special professional practice of intergrating and interpreting all forms of geospatial data to create historical and anticipatory intelligence products used for planning, or that anser questions posed by decision makers.(Murdock and Clark, 2016)

Basic questions of GEOINT

1. Location
2. Region
3. Scale
4. Distance
5. Distribution
6. Spatial Association
7. Movement
8. Spatial change over time
9. Spatial interaction

#1 Location

Where is something found?

#2 Region

What areas have common features?

A foundation of GEOINT is understanding the power struggles over places. This includes the regional aspectss of rivalries.

#3 Scale

What is the small or large scale activity in an area.

#4 Distance

How far is something from something else?

#5 Distribution

What makes something occur in the same areas?

#6 Spatial association

Why are events clustered around a feature?

#7 Movement

What areas were affected by the movement?

#8 Spatial change

How have characteristics of a place changed over a period?

#9 Spatial interaction

What is the relationship between things and the degree they influence eachother?

What makes GEOINT unique?

GEOINT uses interrelated sciences, technologies, and a tradecraft to solve problems related to the 9 questions.

Geographic Information Systems

GIS seeks to understand the funamental issues raised from the use of geospatial technologies. Though influenced by, and influencing many fields of study the cornerstones of GIS are:

• Geography
• Cartography
• Geodesy
• Cognitive neuropsychology

Geography

the study of the Earth and of human activity as it affects and is affected by these.

Cartography

The science and practice of map making

Geodesy

The science of accurately measuring and understanding three fundamental properties of the Earth as well as the changes of these properties with time

• Geometric shape
• Orientation in space
• Gravitational field

Cognitive neuropsychology

The study of the mind, in relation to how people think about spatial relationships, analysis, as well as how these thoughts and understanding influence spatial perception.

Geographic technologies

Modern tools contributing to thegeographic mapping and analysis of the Earth and human societies.

• Global positioning systems
• Remote sensing
• Geographic Information Systems

Tradecraft

A set of methods, techniques and skills that form the science and art of producing intelligence.

Techniques: Evaluating source information and combining sources. Understanding the sources and methods unique to intelligence collection. Dealing with incomplete and misleading information, and for government analysts, dealing with classified material and denial and deception

Skills: Expertise in relevant disciplines(political, economic, military, or technological, among others). In geospatial intelligence, expertise in geography, relevant culture, and remote sensing technologies.

Methods: The steps of problems or issue definition, developing hypotheses and assumptions, applying accepted analytic methodologies, and formulating and presenting ideas.

Some sources for geospatial data

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Geospatial

Pertains to the relative position of things on the Earth's surface.

Geography

The study of the earth and of human activity as it affects and is affected by these.