Imagery and Measurement and Signatures Intelligence Support to Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain

摘要

The central question of this monograph is a simple one: does the Army's current imagery (IMINT), and measurements and signatures intelligence (MASINT) surveillance architecture, at echelons division and below, meet the requirements for supporting military operations in urban terrain. A review of the research leads one to believe that the answer to that question is 'no'. The monograph considers this question by examining three of the world's larger population agglomerations: Bogota, Colombia; Lagos, Nigeria; and Seoul, Korea. These urban areas are examined in order to develop three archetype cities: one essentially horizontal (Lagos), one essentially vertical (Seoul) and one that contains many of the elements of the other two (Bogota). This examination allows the identification of unique requirements, opportunities, and limitations that affect the Army's ability to conduct imagery and measurement and signatures intelligence operations at echelons division and below. The importance in identifying these items is found in an increasingly unpleasant reality of the modem age--the desire to avoid combat urban operations will not be sufficient in itself to avoid such combat. Increasing urbanization on every continent makes it clear that future operations--either combat, humanitarian assistance or any combination of the two--will have some elements of the deployed force operating in complex urban areas that present characteristics markedly different from those present in more traditional military venues.