Open Net-Centric Interfaces
Open Technology
Geographic Information Systems
Falcon View
Google Earth
Google Earth software allows for adding other data for any application desired. Google Earth can show all kinds of images overlaid on the surface of the earth. It also can act as a Web Map Service Client. Data can be fed into Google Earth using the Keyhole Markup Language (KML). KML allows for information sharing through features such as place marks, images, polygons, 3D models, and textual descriptions, all of which are displayed in Google Earth. A location in KML is defined as longitude, latitude, and altitude (in that order). KML information is distributed as KMZ files, which are compressed (zipped) KML files. The KML 2.2 specification has been submitted to the Open Geospatial Consortium to assure its status as an open standard for all geobrowsers. Cursor on Target
Fortress MeshViewer™
Fortress MeshViewer™ provides a graphical representation of the dynamic Fortress mesh network, including link quality, speed, GPS position, and useful status information about each mesh point. MeshViewer™ can readily integrate with Google Earth for real time updates against a satellite image of an area, and with FalconView for real-time CoT display. MeshViewer™ also generates XML output to interface to any third party application that can work with XML. All Fortress Mesh products report position and network status information periodically using the MeshViewer protocol (MVP). This information is available at each node so access to a single node can retrieve the entire topology. Clicking on a particular node provides additional information, such as link speed, RSSI, number of links, IPv4 (or IPv6) addresses, MAC address, absolute location, temperature, software version, and any identity information. |
The Department of Defense (DoD) has an ongoing initiative to leverage the technological agility and competitiveness of commercial solutions through open standards, open interfaces, and open source software. Allowing third-party development of new tools for the government results in a more effective and efficient technology solution. In the past, the DoD relied on government off-the-shelf (
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) capture, store, and reference geographic information in terms of different types of maps, satellite imagery and any associated information. The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a US space-based radionavigation system that provides reliable positioning, navigation, and timing services. GIS systems have evolved significantly over the past decade and it is very common to use GPS units in vehicles, online map tools such as Google Maps or MapQuest, or Google Earth (to get a more complete view of an area). Combining the rich capabilities of a GIS system with an installed communications network provides a useful way to monitor the network’s health. Early GIS systems were built as standalone units designed for specific needs. For a long time, the GIS industry advocated that the focus of a GIS application should be GIS information and technology. The need for GIS information in geographically dispersed applications has become more obvious since those early days. Uses such as monitoring telecommunications networks, tracking transportation assets, or providing location services for courier companies all clearly benefit from applying GIS information. 
The benefit of GIS applications has led to the creation of many GIS frameworks such as ArcGIS and MapInfo. GIS frameworks also include a published interface specification that allows adding custom content to the GIS display. The ArcGIS product suite from ESRI offers a rich set of tools for building geographic information systems and decision making aids and holds the biggest market share for GIS systems. ArcGIS has also developed modules for integration into popular GIS display software such as Google Earth and Falcon View. Falcon View was born out of an initiative taken by the US Air Force, whereas Google Earth was started by a company called Keyhole Inc. The US Air Force also developed the Cursor-on-Target interface XML schema, used for precise tracking and targeting of assets. These are important military applications for GIS data.
Researchers at Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) created Falcon View in 1990, when the US Air National Guard (ANG) signed a contract with GTRI to develop a mapping package which could run on a personal computer. Falcon View was a Windows based software and the initial versions simply displayed scanned images or raster graphics with simple stick routes drawn on top. With time, the application was adapted for Portable Flight Planning Software (PFPS) and moving map functionality was added. FalconView is a non-proprietary GOTS application and is free of any license fees for government use. Recently (late 2008) GTRI was funded to develop an open source version of Falcon View that includes most of the features of the GOTS version except for some overlays that are classified. The GTRI 
Google Earth was created by a company called Keyhole Inc. and was originally called the EarthViewer 3D. Google acquired Keyhole in 2004 and made it available on multiple operating systems, including Windows, MAC OS, Linux, FreeBSD and more recently iPhone OS. It is also available as a browser plug-in. Google Earth software displays satellite images of the earth’s surface. Most of the earth's surface can be viewed at 15 meter resolution, save for a few exceptions that offer a much higher resolution of 15 cm (for example, Melbourne in Australia, Las Vegas in Nevada). For large parts of the earth surface only 2D images are available (vertical photography), so 3D views for those regions are not available. Underwater imagery is also available, making it a viable option for maritime applications.
At the 2002 C2 (Command & Control) summit, Gen. John Jumper of the US Air Force suggested a vision for DoD systems to interoperate with each other much like the onboard systems in an F15. The Cursor on Target (CoT) initiative at MITRE was started in response to this vision. CoT is an XML schema for time-sensitive position information such as spot reporting, blue force tracking, and relocation requests. Time-sensitive information that specifies the “what, when and where” information is considered critical, especially in asymmetric warfare arenas such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Agility and responsiveness are the keys to military superiority. The CoT event data model defines a terse XML schema and sub-schema extensions for exchanging time-sensitive positions of moving objects. The schemas are arranged in an object model with the intention of simplifying application development. Rudimentary entities, such as event, detail, and points with limited attributes, are sufficient for almost 90 percent of all information transfers needed for battle management. These entities can be further extended to provide additional details where necessary. This allows smarter applications to exchange information beyond these rudimentary objects.
Fortress