Geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) is the geospatial data used to describe, assess and visually depict physical features and geographically-referenced activities in the air, land, maritime and space domains. It enables safety of navigation, planning and conduct of Defence operations, situational awareness, policy advice, and intelligence insights.
Defence GEOINT is collected, processed and disseminated via geographic information systems, the outputs of which are available to the Australian Government, Commonwealth and State authorities and bodies approved by the Minister of Defence, including:
- Intelligence about the capabilities, intentions or activities of people or organisations outside Australia.
- Intelligence for the purposes of meeting the operational, targeting, training and exercise requirements of the Australian Defence Force.
- Intelligence for the purposes of supporting Commonwealth and State authorities in carrying out national security functions.
- Imagery and other geospatial products that are not intelligence.
- Technical assistance and support for carrying out emergency response functions.
- Assistance to the Defence Force in support of military operations.
- Cooperation with the Defence Force on intelligence matters.
GEOINT covers a spectrum of data, including but not limited to:
- activities and events
- aeronautical
- bathymetric
- elevation and depth
- geodesy
- human geography
- hydrographic
- imagery
- intelligence mission data
- maritime
- meteorological
- names and boundaries
- oceanographic
- targeting
- topographic.
Geospatial intelligence communities
An integrated geospatial intelligence community is critical to the success of the GEOINT. Defence collaborated internally, nationally and internationally to this end.
- The Defence GEOINT community is led by the Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation and the Australian Hydrographic Office. The Defence Geospatial Enterprise Board provides oversight and advice.
- The national GEOINT community in Australia is growing and Defence has strong relationships with Geoscience Australia, the Bureau of Meteorology, the Australian Space Agency, as well as other trusted organisations.
- Defence engages with the international GEOINT community through bilateral and multilateral partnerships, in order to meet the increasing demand for GEOINT with standardised and interoperable datasets. Defence is a contributor to the international Defence Geospatial Information Working Group and the International Hydrographic Organization.