Data Integration

Perhaps the battlefield of the future will benefit from plug and play satellites that are launched within days and capable of autonomous and deconflicted cross-cueing with each other and sensors on the ground, in the air, and sea. Whether or not we reach the elusive goal of autonomous, real-time interrogation and surveillance, we are assured of being in a data-rich environment. The challenge is how to make diverse data useable by many not just locked in valuable but separate stockpiles available to a few. While there are very real institutional, structural, process, and security challenges inhibiting data integration, these challenges are not insurmountable. The ultimate goal is to convert the data challenge into an incredible intelligence, decision-making, and action-optimizing resource. This paper charts a path forward for data integration and calls for a unified data space test bed in the near term to further joint and coalition efforts.