The Large Format Camera's Potential Application to Military Terrain Analysis and Mapping.

This study demonstrates the feasibility of using Large Format Camera LFC imagery to analyze tacticaql terrain for the U.S. Army either as a supplement to existing maps or when maps are not available. A manual analysis was conducted to show that these images can be used by commanders to help plan and conduct combat operations. The recent experimental application of the LFC aboard the space shuttle in Mission 41-G, October 1984, provided the United States with the first high resolution LFC photographs of earth at a nominal scale of 1800,000. The negatives and prints are so clear that images may be enlarged to 150,000 or larger scale without significant loss of detail. At these larger scales, terrain interpretation can be conducted manually, thus saving time and the need for costly preprocessing transformations. Four categories of terrain from the Defense Mapping Agencys Tactical Terrain Analysis Data Base TTADB were studied at the 150,000 scale. These categories are vegetation includes built-up areas, surface materials, surface drainage, and transportation facilities. A detailed analysis was conducted equivalent to the USGS Land Cover and Land Use Classification System Levels I,II, and III. The resulting factor overlays constructed for each category show that enlarged LFC products do have the resolution to provide valuable terrain data for military terrain analysis and mapping. Author