U.S. Navy issues in electronic navigation: transitioning from "traditional" to "digital navigation"

The Navigator of the Navy´s vision (10+ years from now) is for a virtual, digital 4-dimensional cube of the environment. The four dimensions being three-dimensional space (x,y,z) plus the fourth dimension, time. Layers of additional valuable, information are imbedded within the cube; digital information such as timely and accurate positions of friendly and enemy forces, threat envelopes of enemy radars and missile batteries, meteorology and oceanography data, etc. This 4-D cube will extend from the bottom of the ocean to the top of the atmosphere and will be available to all services (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines). Accurate positional GI&S information will be the foundation on which this 4-Cube is based and will be absolutely critical to focused integration of forces for synergistic effects essential to the success of any Service, Joint, or Coalition exercise, mission or operation