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 For hundreds of years, maps and cartography provided
critical means for command and decision support. Their value was
derived from the accuracy, timeliness and relevance of their data
sets. Maps are still valuable command tools, but today their
production is faster, the data is much more accurate and most
important – when embedded into digital processing and presentation
environment, they provide a common denominator for command and
control. With new technology geographical information systems (GIS)
are used to process sensor information; generate spatial presentation
of intelligence products.
 Geospatial products are also used for presentation of
terrain measurement data, as input from SAR, LIDAR and LADAR sensors
is processed and represented as realistic 3D models, used for
operational planning. Rectified over a common grid, ISR data can
automatically update a situational picture, or further process it with
satellite or aerial imagery presenting realistic 3D models of an area,
including updated man-made features. Such models are used for mission
planning and rehearsal, briefing on a synthetic "sand-box", spatial
orientation and training.
 Geo-registration is an essential capability for
advanced image processing. Images are referenced to a common
geographical grid enabling detailed comparison between different views
of the same area. In the past, such referencing was done in a manual,
a time consuming process prone to human errors. Today,
geo-registration automation is done in a real-time process, performed
on still images, including SAR and GMTI, and most recently on live
video. This capability enables endless ways to manipulate the images,
by merging them into wide-area mosaics, morphing them to suite the
proportions of 3D models, correcting optical and perspective
distortions etc. Accurately registered into a common grid, images are
fused into common views, providing stereoscopic views (depicting
height and depth of objects) and true, dynamic 3D computer generated
models and "fly through", which can be generated in few hours, rather
than weeks, offering realistic views of an object from different
angles.
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