AUTOMATION OF DMA NAUTICAL INFORMATION PRODUCTS (THE DEFENSE MAPPING AGENCY AND THE NAVIGATOR)

O. L. Martin

Peer Reviewed

Abstract:	In order to more effectively manage the increasing quantities of source data becoming available through new technology, the Defense Mapping Agency, wherever possible, replaced manual methods with automated systems. Automation, however, tended to create requirements for redundant hardware, software, and data bases regardless of whether the output was applied to a hydrographic, aeronautical, or topographic product. In order to better support both hydrographic and topographic customers the two DMA production centers in the Washington area were combined into a single center. The mission of the new Defense Mapping Agency Hydrographic/Topographic Center (DMAHTC) is to provide topographic, hydrographic, navigational and geodetic data, maps, charts, and related products for the Armed Forces of the United States, other federal agencies, the merchant marine, and mariners in general. In this organization a conscious effort has been made to ensure that the hydrographic programs which support the marine navigator wiIl continue to maintain their high visibility. For purposes of this paper, the basic automation efforts of the new center that support the marine navigator and the ships at sea can be divided into two efforts: nautical chart production and navigation publication generation. The automated systems which support chart production are similar to those being developed or used by other map and chart publishing activities. Therefore, systems which directly support chart production will only be mentioned briefly as the emphasis in this paper will be placed on the automation of nautical publications, and the method for sea-going navigators to use this automation.
Published in:	NAVIGATION: Journal of the Institute of Navigation, Volume 26, Number 4
Pages:	281 - 288
Cite this article:	Martin, O. L., "AUTOMATION OF DMA NAUTICAL INFORMATION PRODUCTS (THE DEFENSE MAPPING AGENCY AND THE NAVIGATOR)", NAVIGATION: Journal of The Institute of Navigation, Vol. 26, No. 4, Winter 1979-1980, pp. 281-288.
Full Paper:	ION Members/Non-Members: 1 Download Credit Sign In