The UK’s Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, has described geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) as the “new normal” in the contemporary and future operational environments, the DGI conference heard today.
Addressing delegates in London on 21 January, Air Chief Marshal Sir Peach, enthused about the success of GEOINT information on operations in Afghanistan over the past decade and described how that experience had been captured and transferred into subsequent operational environments.
“We have to adapt to the way the world is rather than have a plan for the way we want the world to be,” he explained. “Demand [for GEOINT] is endless and this won’t change. The new normal is adaptable GEOINT as the world continues to surprise us.”
Specifically, Peach referred to ongoing operations against Islamic State in northern Iraq and Syria, where GEOINT is “doing its thing 24 hours a day.”
“Foundation data and added value layers are all there, fused together with precision [munitions] and avoidance of collateral damage. This [GEOINT] is all assumed, non-controversial and expected of us,” he urged.
Regarding operations to combat the Ebola virus in Sierra Leone, Peach described how this effort had also required a great deal of GEOINT data in order to understand medical intelligence and how best to utilise it to combat the disease in a hostile environment.
“GEOINT adapted lessons learned from Afghanistan and moved the process to West Africa and got on with it,” Peach said.
Additionally, he described GEOINT and social media challenges associated with the downed MH17 flight last year.
“We can work in partnership with the most unusual of knowledge-based actors including NGOs in West Africa who will have savvy knowledge of the disease or geography of where we find ourselves. We have got a way to go on partnerships,” he continued.
Reflecting on the growth of GEOINT over the past 12 years, Peach described how the capability was now embraced across a much broader community, saying: “Let’s get the same idea, move beyond cooperation, get through collaboration and integrate our effort between the people who know stuff and people who want to help, whether it be for local intelligence for humanitarian aid/disaster relief (HADR), support to sovereign governments or interstate governments.”
Addressing delegates in London on 21 January, Air Chief Marshal Sir Peach, enthused about the success of GEOINT information on operations in Afghanistan over the past decade and described how that experience had been captured and transferred into subsequent operational environments.
“We have to adapt to the way the world is rather than have a plan for the way we want the world to be,” he explained. “Demand [for GEOINT] is endless and this won’t change. The new normal is adaptable GEOINT as the world continues to surprise us.”
Specifically, Peach referred to ongoing operations against Islamic State in northern Iraq and Syria, where GEOINT is “doing its thing 24 hours a day.”
“Foundation data and added value layers are all there, fused together with precision [munitions] and avoidance of collateral damage. This [GEOINT] is all assumed, non-controversial and expected of us,” he urged.
Regarding operations to combat the Ebola virus in Sierra Leone, Peach described how this effort had also required a great deal of GEOINT data in order to understand medical intelligence and how best to utilise it to combat the disease in a hostile environment.
“GEOINT adapted lessons learned from Afghanistan and moved the process to West Africa and got on with it,” Peach said.
Additionally, he described GEOINT and social media challenges associated with the downed MH17 flight last year.
“We can work in partnership with the most unusual of knowledge-based actors including NGOs in West Africa who will have savvy knowledge of the disease or geography of where we find ourselves. We have got a way to go on partnerships,” he continued.
Reflecting on the growth of GEOINT over the past 12 years, Peach described how the capability was now embraced across a much broader community, saying: “Let’s get the same idea, move beyond cooperation, get through collaboration and integrate our effort between the people who know stuff and people who want to help, whether it be for local intelligence for humanitarian aid/disaster relief (HADR), support to sovereign governments or interstate governments.”
Andrew White
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