ITT Corp. aids U.S. Air Force in delivering high-resolution imagery for ISR applications

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., 4 Jan. 2007. ITT Corporation, as part of an Air Force-sponsored program, has developed and delivered an imagery management and dissemination solution for the Air Force that provides high-resolution, large-file imagery at high speed over low bandwidth to combat forces.

The new system incorporates advanced geospatial imagery library enterprise (AGILE) technology developed by ITT.

Adhering to National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) NITF/JPEG2000 imagery standards, the system receives processed and unexploited imagery from various intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) sources, while providing the framework for managing images collected daily. This allows combat forces to locate and access current imagery.

A key feature of the system is its ability to disseminate imagery in near real time to users in the field at low bandwidths -- even below 10Kbps -- through dynamic access of the full frame image. This dynamic access makes the imagery readily available to tactical users where limited communications inhibits access to imagery and reduces the time for tactical decision making from days/hours to minutes/seconds.

The core component of the system is the Image Access Solutions (IAS) commercial software product from ITT. It is the engine that provides data conversion, compression, and dynamic image access. IAS software allows users to deliver, visualize, and integrate imagery with geospatial data for time-sensitive surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

Follow-on efforts with the Air Force will integrate ITT technology into the Distributed Common Ground Station Integrated Backbone (DIB) and Global Command and Control System architectures.