Intelligence community seeks input on geospatial model change

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) wants to transform the way it handles geospatial information, and the agency is asking industry for feedback on how it might proceed.

The NGA, charged with providing time-sensitive navigational and aeronautical data to support the Defense Department, wants to render its existing geospatial holdings textually and in Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) formats within 28-day production cycles, according to a June 12 request for comment.

The NGA produces data that is used for mission planning, aircraft navigation and flight management systems, in paper and digital formats. These resources, which include Terminal Instrument Approach Procedures (IAPs), Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIDs) and Standard Terminal Arrival Charts (STARs) , are currently updated by manually revising autoCAD drawings, creating PDF files and then sending those files out for printing. The agency is seeking a new solution that will allow it to automatically render these charts and drawings directly from NGA's geospatial source holdings, as well as provide for upgraded retrieval and storage of the data.

The transformation is necessary, according to an existing statement of work, because the demand for data within DOD has increased significantly.

"This effort will develop and integrate the DOD Geospatial Terminals Operations so that NGA can provide worldwide aeronautical safety of flight information and data to support operational needs of DOD flight crews," the request for comment states.

The NGA is considering issuing a firm-fixed price contract to "provide, install and enhance software" capable of meetings its requirements, but opted to seek industry comment prior to releasing a request for proposal, likely because of the importance of the project.

Industry responses to the announcement must be submitted by 9 a.m. on June 21.