Why SRTM?
In 1995, DoD Joint Staff recognized “… the value … of a common understanding of the battlefield … the major inhibitor … is availability of digital terrain ...”
Worldwide elevation data is vital to successful mission planning, operations and readiness
Traditional methods to produce elevation data are very expensive and time consuming
- Major cloud belts would never be completed with existing methods
- DTED 2 coverage is extremely limited (< 5%)
- DTED 1 coverage is extensive (~ 70%); but ...
- Has taken 30 years
- Quality is source dependent
SRTM selected as the best method to supply near-global, timely and accurate elevation data
- Approx 14X data per $ as conventional production