Common Reference Frame for Multi-platform Operations

This investigation will develop and evaluate concepts for a common reference frame to support theater-wide military operations. This common reference frame will form the basis for effective fusion of reference system information from multiple sources, across a cooperating set of users. This effort will examine existing and projected sources of reference systems data, the reference frame and/or geographic datum employed by each source, and the accuracy and other attributes of the supplied data. It will also examine the corresponding data requirements of the users of the reference systems data, with emphasis on the required reference frame and/or geographic datum, the required data accuracy, and other data attributes needed. It will define a recommended common reference frame for use by all cooperating participants in a theater of operations. It will also recommend methods for applying conversions from other, existing reference frames and geographic datums to the common frame. These methods will address both pre-mission conversions and real-time conversions, as a function of the mission, data sources, and user requirements. Finally, this effort will identify pertinent information management factors related to the optimal use of multi-source data by multiple users.