Fraunhofer Institute of Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation IOSB 
Reconnaissance and surveillance in civil and military environments often involve the use of different systems, which are subordinate to different areas of responsibility. In multinational operations, data exchange must also be possible between different nations with different authorizations. Security and data protection regulations must be observed. The exchange of data between sensor, evaluation and analysis systems of different manufacturers and nations is often not seamless, which makes situation determination more difficult. The assignment of evaluation results to specific questions or the use of all relevant data and the information derived from them for evaluation and analysis purposes is often only insufficiently possible due to interoperability problems. To solve this problem, a concept for the demand-oriented distribution of data was developed and implemented. A Coalition Shared Data (CSD) server is used for the storage and distribution of evaluation results.
Task
- To store and distribute military intelligence data as required in accordance with the Intel Cycle (AJP 2.1) and Joint Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (JISR) process (AJP 2.7)
- Ensure interoperability of heterogeneous systems through use of accepted military standards
- Interfacing with command, sensor, evaluation, and analysis systems
- Providing data according to user and security requirements
Solution
Sensor and evaluation systems store relevant files and associated metadata in standardized formats (STANAGs) on a shared CSD server. The data is automatically distributed to other CSD servers in the network in a bandwidth-saving and demand-oriented manner. Evaluation, analysis and commissioning systems retrieve data, enabling improved situational awareness. The CSD server's access mechanisms, data model, and interfaces are based on STANAG 4559, AEDP-17, which also enables optimal interfacing with commissioning (AEDP-19) and streaming (AEDP-18) services that implement other aspects of STANAG 4559. The interoperable architecture thus enables information analysis by the most appropriate system.
Fraunhofer IOSB's CSD PLUS Server software is suitable for integration into an operationally used overall system according to specific IT security and performance requirements.
Optionally, data exchange can also be realized between differently classified security domains by connecting the system to a certified security gateway.
In addition to the connection of own user interfaces to the CSD server, the web-based CSD client ISAAC.web PLUS of Fraunhofer IOSB can be used for geo-referenced display, query and storage of CSD data. Furthermore, additional write and read clients of Fraunhofer IOSB are available for system integration.