Electronic chart display overlay development at the Naval Oceanographic Office for use in tactical applications

The Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) has traditionally produced Special Tactical Oceanographic Information Charts (STOICs) that provide the warfighter with information superiority by describing the hydrographic/oceanographic nature of the battlespace in a paper chart or raster chart format. It is a compilation of information from all available sources, including imagery, foreign sources, historical data from databases, oceanographic models, and on-scene data collection. The centerpiece of a STOIC is the hydrographic chart, typically an 8×8 nautical mile area along a coast at 1:25,000 scale. This chart is surrounded by essential elements information, in text and graphic form, which succinctly describe environmental parameters that specifically affect mine warfare, special operations, and amphibious warfare. The present STOIC product cannot be simultaneously viewed with other geospatial data, such as route plans, order of battle, or terrain information, as required for achieving intelligence dominance of battlespace. In addition, the Navy is now transitioning to electronic navigation using Digital Nautical Charts (DNCs) and plans to be fully operational with Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems-Navy (ECDIS-N) on all ships by fiscal year 2004. To support these new geospatial capabilities, future NAVOCEANO tactical products will be based on standards-based geospatial information that allows for feature attribution and compliance with both NATO Digital Geographic Information Exchange Standard and the International Hydrographic Organization S-57 transfer standard. The new product line will be tactical layers that can be overlain on the DNC or Electronic Navigation Chart data and will exhibit the full functionality of ECDIS-N, the NATO Warship ECDIS, and other tactical decision aids. Battlespace visualization is changing, and NAVOCEANO intends to change as well to meet the needs of the 21st century warfighter. This paper outlines how NAVOCEANO will meet the challenge to modernize its tactical support by updating its production line.