Bolstering National Security with GEOINT

16 EXPERT OPINION

Bolstering National Security with GEOINT

Lt. Gen. VG Khandare, PVSM, AVSM, SM (Retd.)

Senior Advisor, Ministry of Defence, provided strategic insights into how geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) is providing comprehensive solutions towards optimization of the armed forces and empowerment of the general public. He also highlighted the significance of GEOINT data in defense and security operations.

Our government has laid down a clear intent towards the country's security. It promotes different segments of practitioners, research and development. The Defence Space Agency (DSA) completed three years of existence in June 2022. Now, it is for the practitioners to get into the act and deliver results at a fast pace.

What is GEOINT?

There is always a struggle between resources and priorities, but to my mind, resources will come at a particular pace as per the country's strength. The priorities cannot wait because adversaries don't wait for challenges to be resolved. GEOINT can overcome challenges if the knowledge is correctly applied. [GEOINT, or Geospatial Intelligence, is any knowledge gained from analysis of geographic imagery and geospatial data]. GEOINT specifically empowers people like us. We have been consistently looking towards optimization of our forces, and that can be done by adopting deep technology and smart solutions — GEOINT is one of those.

GEOINT for national security

GEOINT is among several types of intelligence produced in support of national security. It is one particular segment of the comprehensive intelligence that a nation needs. It gives us a broad spectrum of the events that happen for the tri-services – air, land and sea. Each one of these requires GEOINT. A nation needs comprehensive intelligence, which is an essential part of the national security planning process. It gives us the capability to detect and identify objects and changes temporally or spatially.

Along with this, our nation needs a synergy of all forms of intelligence to get a comprehensive picture of what is going wrong or right in aerospace, outer Space, along land borders, in the hinterland, along maritime states (for detecting unauthorized fishing) — anything that degrades our territorial and economic security. Comprehensive national security needs synergy.

When we look at our defense and security strategy, which goes

GEOINT promotes defense diplomacy. There are many countries in our neighborhood —immediate neighborhood and extended neighborhood — that look to countries like India.

beyond the military domain, our people from the military and non-military sectors are deeply involved in the security sector. GEOINT is for all and has to be synergized with all kinds of inputs and combined with all kinds of strategies to ensure that we achieve our national goals.

Military-civil fusion

The time has come where being informed is not enough. Now is the time to embrace technology and good practices — the sooner the better. There are many initiatives that have been taken to ‘fuse’ the military and civilian sectors. The need of the hour is a team to steer and monitor the collaborative efforts of the private and public sectors, military and non-military domains and inter-ministerial work — to synergize the efforts and optimize resources so the military-civil fusion can happen at a fast pace. During open events and seminars, only limited information can be shared. But there will be confidential and closed-door roundtable discussions where the nitty-gritty can be worked out.

Efforts are on to incorporate niche and emerging technologies and this generate a lot of positive pressure to change. This positive pressure is healthy for any organization or any nation. If it’s not there, the technology divide between adversaries and us will widen. We have no option but to bridge this gap. An incremental approach is not helpful when the gap is already substantial. We need to with Indian partners. There are many visible and invisible advantages in India. GEOINT is one asset that gets richer by crowdsourcing. India is a populous country that has a large number of people who use smartphones and internet-based solutions. With so many people using these solutions, GEOINT becomes richer. I think this is the time for experts from abroad to start heading towards India, setting up shop here and working with Indian experts. We have a huge talent pool and I'm sure it will be affordable to them.

Investments in India can contribute towards making our life comfortable and secure and the nation will progress faster with the incorporation of GEOINT into our ecosystem. Concurrently, the armed forces can become much more efficient and effective, and ensure that this GEOINT segment of security contributes to the development of the country. Development and security are closely interrelated. The more we develop, the richer we get, and the more secure we are, the more we grow. So, let us all put our shoulder to the wheel and work towards getting GEOINT into as many fields as we can, and that too at a fast rate.

This article has been excerpted from a speech delivered by Lt. Gen VG Khandare, PVSM, AVSM, SM (Retd.) Senior Advisor, Ministry of Defence, India, at the GeoIntellignce-2022 conference, held in New Delhi in June 2022.

modernize by leapfrogging or by pole vaulting.

Self-reliance

A lot is being said about the development of indigenous capabilities. Knowing the historical connect and futuristic requirements is important for us to have faith in our capabilities and for a visionary focus. I think more and more practitioners should begin to understand what technologies exist, which are available abroad, and which can be incorporated in the country by indigenization as a part of Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India).

Boosting ties with neighboring countries

Going beyond the military domain, let us also remember that GEOINT offers the capability to promote defense diplomacy. There are many countries in our neighborhood — immediate neighborhood and extended neighborhood — that look to countries like India. In a complex geopolitical global environment, smaller and weaker nations look to nations considered as role models to help them grow. They do not want to be a part of any camp but want to keep their own stance. They would like to collaborate and seek help from India. GEOINT collaboration with India for these countries is a good opportunity, especially due to India’s unbiased policies and due to Indian expertise in technology.

Development and security are interrelated

Experts overseas must come to India and start joint ventures