A GIS APPLICATION SUPPORTING MINE WARFARE

Abstract
The Comprehensive Environmental Assessment System (CEAS) is a legacy ArcInfo application
that integrates historical and mission-collected environmental, geophysical, and oceanographic
data to support expeditionary operations in the littoral and sublittoral zones. Coupled with the
Unified NAVOCEANO Integrated Sonar Image Processing System (UNISIPS), and the Mine
Warfare Environmental Decision Aid Library, CEAS establishes the core of a system which
provides more accurate and timely descriptions of tactical and strategic operational
environments.
This paper describes the successful mission executed on Mine Warfare Command Ship USS
INCHON during the Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX) 97-3 in August 1997. CEAS was an
integral part of on-scene mission support, which included the ingestion of newly collected data,
analysis of bottom imagery, and generation of timely briefings. Mission-collected data included
georectified acoustic imagery (from the AN/AQS-14 minehunting sonar processed by UNISIPS),
temperature/salinity/sound speed profiles, dive reports, and contact information.

Introduction
A major influence on Mine Countermeasures (MCM) operations is the environment. For the
MCM Commander, a detailed knowledge of the operating environment is essential to predict
Mine Warfare (MIW) sensor performance accurately. The problem is that the littoral battlespace
where these operations take place is dynamic in both time and space. Historical databases don't
always exist in these "hot areas," and where databases do exist, the data may be based on sparse,
interpolated observations, which require interpretation. While these databases are very valuable
for pre-mission planning, it is truly imperative to collect in-situ measurements to validate and
build on these databases.
Developed at the Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO), the Comprehensive
Environmental Assessment System (CEAS) [1] is a legacy ArcInfo application that integrates
historical environmental data for data fusion and analysis. Using CEAS capabilities,
NAVOCEANO provided historical meteorology and oceanography data for Joint Task Force
Exercise (JTFEX) 97-3, which took place off the eastern coast of the United States in Onslow
Bay, North Carolina in August 1997.
During this exercise, mission-collected data were also ingested into CEAS in near real-time and
incorporated into products for daily Command briefs. This paper describes the data flow and the
resultant decision-making process, which was for the first time based on the fusion of historical
environmental data with in-situ environmental measurements.

Background
Under the MIW Campaign Plan, sponsored by Expeditionary Warfare Code N85,
NAVOCEANO is tasked to develop high-resolution digital bottom mapping (acoustic imagery)
databases. These environmental databases include bathymetry, sediments, bottom roughness,
clutter density, sound velocity, currents, visibility, and a master database of minelike contacts.
By using the current infrastructure of NAVOCEANO's Integrated Database Management System
(IDBMS), CEAS, Naval Interactive Display and Analysis System (NIDAS), the Unified
NAVOCEANO Integrated Sonar Image Processing System (UNISIPS) [2], and the scientific
expertise, the spin-up time for this effort was essentially immediate.
NAVOCEANO has historically worked with the Commander, Mine Warfare Command
(COMINEWARCOM) by providing tools that produce and display acoustic imagery within the
organic environment. These products enhance the Navys capability to avoid, neutralize, or
search for sea mines in the littoral environment. NAVOCEANOs support of the Navys MIW
Campaign Plan through on-scene support of JTFEX 97-3 provided the opportunity to
demonstrate capabilities in the operational support mode [3].

JTFEX 97-3 Overview
JTFEX 97-3 was conducted in Onslow Bay, North Carolina, from 22 August through 1
September 1997. Digital historical data were provided by NAVOCEANO, including surface
sediments, sound speed profiles, bathymetry (gridded and soundings), currents, and high-
resolution bottom imagery. These historical data were used for pre-mission planning and used as
input to sonar performance prediction models.
The NAVOCEANO software systems CEAS, UNISIPS, and NIDAS were brought onboard the
MIW Command Ship USS INCHON during JTFEX 97-3 to ingest data from the MIW onboard
systems. CEAS played an integral role in NAVOCEANO's mission support, providing
capabilities to update historical databases, to subset data for ingest into the MIW Environmental
Decision Aid Library (MEDAL), to view bottom imagery, and to generate near real-time
products to the MCM Commander.
Data ingested on-scene included the AN/AQS-14 side-scan sonar; environmental dive reports
from the Explosive Ordinance Dive (EOD) Team; and Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth
(CTD) data from the Battle Space Profiler (BSP). The complete data flow diagram is given in
Figure 1.

Figure 1. Data Flow
During the first three days of JTFEX 97-3, reconnaissance missions were flown with the
AN/AQS-14. The AN/AQS-14 side-scan sonar is towed from the MH-53 helicopters either in
depth mode (constant depth from the surface) or altitude mode (constant height above the
seafloor) using dynamic wings and a constant attitude feedback loop. The missions were flown at
an altitude safe from moored mines, but ensonified the bottom for environmental provincing and
initial minehunting.
During the exercise, environmental data collected in-situ were processed, and products were
generated by the following morning for on-scene analysis. Environmental data were passed
between UNISIPS, CEAS, and MEDAL. Daily products were used by the METOC officer for
Mine Warfare Environmental Summary briefings and were provided to the MIW Fleet
Commander for tactics and mission planning. The capability of having real-time environmental
information available for analysis allowed the Commander to direct Navy assets toward more
favorable areas for minehunting. In addition, the daily graphics were posted on the USS
INCHON's home page and accessed by other fleet assets and shore bases via the SIPRNET.

Bottom Provincing
Eight to ten missions were flown daily, which generated about four gigabytes of raw data per
day. Aboard the aircraft, a "first pass" review of the data was performed by sonar operators to
detect mine-like contacts on the Post Mission Analysis (PMA) system as the data were being
recorded to a high-density analog tape. Onboard the USS INCHON, a more detailed "second
pass" was performed for mine-like contacts on the PMA system. The analog tapes were then
merged with navigation data and converted to digital form and written to an 8 mm Exabyte tape.
The data were then processed in UNISIPS and further reviewed. Once all missions were flown
for the day, a digital mosaic was created at a 2-m resolution. A sample mosaic for a day's
mission is shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Digital Mosaic for Exercise Area
The digital acoustic imagery mosaics were brought into CEAS and merged with other
environmental data. The bottom provinces were digitized interactively in CEAS according to
MIW doctrinal A through D categories. These categories are inclusive of bottom types
(provinced based on acoustic imagery and groundtruthing from the EOD dive reports), mine-
burial potential (estimated), and roughness (sand wave heights).
Ridging can cause bottom mines to be hidden at specific aspect angles. These provinces were
presented to the MCM Commander during morning briefs after the previous day's mission.
Figure 3 shows the full-resolution data and digital mosaic indicating ridging and medium clutter,
as seen in UNISIPS.

Figure 3. Imagery Mosaic
This area was classified as a "C2" bottom that led to a decision by the MCM Commander to
avoid, and a shunt was created in CEAS and passed to MEDAL. Figure 4 shows the bottom
provinces and the Q-Route modified with a shunt to bypass the "C2" area.

Figure 4. Bottom Provinces Shunt

Mine-like Contacts
The mine-like contacts detected during PMA were ingested into MEDAL and also entered into
CEAS, through custom ArcInfo menus designed to emulate existing report formats. As each
contact is entered, it is initially labeled as a mine-like contact (MILCO). Figure 5 shows the
CEAS menu customized to enter the initial contact information.

Figure 5 Contacts - Before
As shown in the display screen, each contact is generically characterized as a Non Mine-like
Bottom Object (NOMBO). Based on the geographic locations of the contacts, EOD divers are
dispatched to investigate each contact. When the divers findings are returned, each contact is
identified as either NOMBO, Non Mine-like Echo (NOME), Bottom Mine, Moored Mine, or
Unknown Object (which can range from a crab trap, to a bathtub, to an automobile). Dive report
information is entered into CEAS, and the contacts database is edited and updated from the
information supplied by the dive reports. Figure 6 shows the CEAS menu customized to enter the
diver's report along with the updated graphic information.

Figure 6. Contacts After

Conclusion
JTFEX 97-3 was the first instance that near real-time digital mosaicing and bottom provincing
were performed in a full production mode. Using the AN/AQS-14 data along with EOD dive
reports and BSP data provided the MCM Commander a detailed picture of the environment. This
allowed the MCM Commander to avoid high-clutter areas, predict sonar coverage accurately,
and operate the MIW sensors at the optimal aspect to avoid shading of objects. This directly
affected the completeness and timeliness of the MCM exercise.
Though the MIW Campaign Plan effort at NAVOCEANO is focused toward post-processing
these data and building large regional environmental databases, the benefits of near real-time
acoustic imagery bottom mapping proved extremely valuable to the MCM mission. To
efficiently provide this support to the fleet, six dedicated personnel, four networked UNIX
workstations, 100 gigabytes of storage, and a color printer for each mission/operation are
required. In addition, software upgrades to streamline the real-time processing are required.

Acknowledgements
Without the coordinated efforts of the following programs, the success of the work presented in
this paper would not be possible: the Office of Naval Research (ONR), MEDAL Program
Manager, Code 322TE; the Director, Expeditionary Warfare, N85, MIW Campaign Plan
Sponsor; the Naval Oceanographic Office, and IDBMS, CEAS, UNISIPS, and NIDAS Systems
Developers; and MCM Commander Squadron Two.
The authors would also like to acknowledge: Mr. Mike Sandler (NAVOCEANO Code N351),
LCDR Jim Berdequez, LCDR Mark Null, and LT Terry Hinkle, along with the entire OA
Division staff onboard the USS INCHON during JTFEX 97-3. Without the hard work and
cooperation from this staff, the work presented would not have been possible.

References
1. Lingsch, S. C., K. Grossman, and S. Mesick. 1996. The Integration of Tools and Data
Bases for Geophysical and Oceanographic Application in a GIS Environment.
Proceedings for 1996 Esri Users Conference, Palm Springs, CA, 20-24 May 1996.
2. Lingsch, S.C., and C.S. Robinson. 1995. Processing, Presentation, and Data Basing of
Acoustic Imagery. Oceans '95 MTS/IEEE Conference Proceedings, pp. 1582 - 1591.
3. Sandler, Mike. 1998. JTFEX 97-3 Mine Warfare Exercise. Naval Oceanographic Office
Bulletin, February 1998. Naval Oceanographic Office of Public Affairs, Stennis Space
Center, MS.

Stephen C. Lingsch
Modeling and Simulation Branch Head, Code N951
Naval Oceanographic Office
1002 Balch Blvd.
Stennis Space Center, Mississippi 39522-5001
Telephone: (228) 688-5313
Email: lingschs@navo.navy.mil
Kenneth W. Grossman
Computer Specialist, Code N951
Naval Oceanographic Office
1002 Balch Blvd.
Stennis Space Center, Mississippi 39522-5001
Telephone: (228) 688-5104
Email: grossman@navo.hpc.mil
Sharon M. Mesick
Computer Scientist
Planning Systems, Incorporated
MSAAP Bldg. 9121
Stennis Space Center, Mississippi 39529
Telephone: (228) 689-8753
Email: smesick@nrlssc.navy.mil
William C.Lingsch
Liason to COMINEWARCOM, Code N81
Naval Oceanographic Office
1002 Balch Blvd
Stennis Space Center, Mississippi 39522-5001
Telephone: (228) 688 5858
Email: lingschw@navo.navy.mil