The use of space information in the system of geographic information provision of managerial decision-making on Ukraine’s national security and defense issues

Abstract

The article defines the place and role of geographic information systems in geographic information provision of decision-making on national security and defense issues. The author highlights the international practice of developing and using hundreds of various systems. It is shown that geographic information systems are considered specific in geographic information provision of decision-making on national security and defense issues and feature function-oriented content to enable efficient accomplishment of military and security missions. The author notes that the updated Military Security Strategy of Ukraine emphasizes implementation of advanced information and space-based processing technologies in practice of Ukraine’s armed forces. Using examples of present-day armed conflicts, the author illustrates the ever-growing significance of the space-based segment of the Earth remote sensing for geographic information provision of military operations. With no satellites owned by Ukraine, the author stresses the need for development of the national geospatial data infrastructure and gives two methods for meeting this challenge: using the data received from international satellites and launching a national remote sensing satellite. With the first method, the author identifies global trends in the Earth remote sensing systems development as a space-based component of geographic information provision of decision-making on national security and defense issues. Its implementation by the National Space Facilities Control and Test Center is also detailed. Further, the author outlines the potential landscape of Ukraine’s space industry development and the prospects of launching the national satellite Sich-2-30 in the context of the historical space background of the independent state of Ukraine. Finally, the author stresses a global drive to increasing the ratio of space-based information processing, in the first place space-based Earth remote sensing satellites for geographic information provision of managerial decision-making on national security and defense issues. The author concludes that at the current stage, our country is aware of this trend and is taking steps to fully revive national space efforts, including those on the international stage.