| | Secondary Imagery Dissemination System (SIDS) |
| | Primary Purpose | To collect, transmit, receive, and exploit |
| | current and achieved imagery products |
| | electronically throughout the MAGTF using |
| | available communications paths. Support |
| | intelligence, weaponeering, and targeting for air |
| | and ground forces. SIDS provides means to |
| | transmit and receive exploited secondary imagery. |
| | Sub-Functions | The Man-pack Secondary Imagery Dissemination |
| | System (Man-pack SIDS) consists of one (1) |
| | base-station and three (3) Marine portable |
| | outstations. The system is designed to collect, |
| | process, manipulate and transmit digital imagery |
| | derived from reconnaissance missions. The |
| | outstation's primary components are a digital |
| | camera with three lenses and a hand held |
| | computer. In addition, there is one night vision |
| | device per system, to be used with the camera in |
| | low light situations. The outstation also comes |
| | with cables that attach the camera to the hand |
| | held computer, and the hand held computer to the |
| | encryption device and radio. These cables are |
| | required to transmit and receive the imagery |
| | through the system. The base-station consist of a |
| | lap top computer, removable PCMCIA hard drive |
| | and a thermal printer. It also comes with the |
| | cables required to connect with the encryption |
| | device and radio. |
| | Equipment Requirements | SIDS consists of three separate but interoperable |
| | systems: SIDS-E (External Connectivity), SIDS-I |
| | (Internal Connectivity), and SIDS MANPACK. SIDS-E |
| | will provide connectivity between the MAGTF |
| | Command Element (CE) and external imagery |
| | sources. This element will receive images from |
| | external sources, annotate them as appropriate, |
| | and input digitized images into the MAGTF's |
| | internal dissemination system (SIDS-I) for |
| | further use by MAGTF personnel. SIDS-I provides |
| | the principal means by which the MAGTF commander |
| | disseminates both time-sensitive, routine imagery |
| | to subordinate commanders and their staffs. It |
| | will allow G/S-2 personnel to receive, annotate, |
| | store, print, and retransmit imagery to tactical |
| | users. SIDS MANPACK provides small elements |
| | performing intelligence collection missions with |
| | the capability to transmit and receive imagery. |
| | |
| | There are two versions of SIDS: Intelligence |
| | Analysis System (IAS) and a man-pack variant. |
| | IAS variant consists of the input/output |
| | peripherals and software to process imagery from |
| | various sources and disseminate imagery to MAGTF |
| | elements or national assets. IAS hosts the |
| | system and will interface with other C4I systems |
| | through resident IAS communication links. |
| | Man-pack SIDS variant is self-contained, |
| | comprised of a base station and three out |
| | stations. |
| | Connectivity Requirements | High-speed Ethernet connections, SIPRNET, JWICS, |
| | single channel radio and STU-III. |
| | Crypto Requirements | Security required in conjunction with the transmission medium used and classification desired. |
| Normal Locations | SIDS systems can be found at regimental/group |
| intelligence activities and above. |
| Information Managed | SIDS facilitates digitized graphical information, |
| pictures and scanned/archived images. |
| Products Created | Manipulated (black to white polarization, |
| zoom-in/zoom-out, rotation) and analyzed |
| secondary imagery and appended analyst comments. |
| Graphic reporting applications. |
| A change to the NITF standard is the JPEG2000 |
| compression algorithm for use in downsizing an |
| image within the NITF file. JPEG2000 is wavelet |
| based and greatly enhances compression of images. |
| Lead Service/Contractor | MARCORSYSCOM is the program manager. The Marine |
| Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity (MCTSSA) |
| is responsible for software management. Versions |
| of SIDS exist as all service components. |
| Current Fielding Status | IAS suites reside at or above the regiment and |
| wing level. SIDS is post milestone III and has |
| been fielded to AAO units. |
| Known Problems | Interoperability between various SIDS terminals |
| is problematic. SIDS is constrained to NITF 2.0 |
| or compatible software, by bandwidth and data |
| compression. |
| DIICOE Compliance Rating | Not yet rated. |
| Point of Contact | MGySgt Joseph Mobilia, MARCORSYSCOM, Requirements |
| Division, Commercial: (703) 784-6194, DSN: |
| 278-6194. |
| E-Mail address: mobiliaja@mccdc.usmc.mil |
| Capt Thomas Gainor, MARCORSYSCOM, Requirements |
| Division, MAGTF SIGINT Requirements Officer, |
| Commercial: (703) 784-6196, DSN: 278-6196. |
| E-mail address: gainortm@mccdc.usmc.mil |
| Updated by | Captain M. S. Grosz, USMC, CCSC-01 |
|
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