Enabling real-time decision-making through asset tracking

Tactical awareness for defense missions

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Asset tracking and management in the military is like playing a game of chess — you need to know where all your pieces are to make the right moves. Assets can be anything from troops, vehicles, IT equipment, or supplies, and having a way to visualize and track assets can improve the decisions made in tactical scenarios. 

Real-time situational awareness (RTSA) and asset tracking go hand in hand. Fast, accurate asset tracking can be enabled by RTSA capabilities such as monitoring, managing, and responding to dynamic situations (including real-time monitoring of data points), aggregating and analyzing large volumes of data, and integrating multiple streams into a common location for visualization and decision-making.

What is real-time situational awareness?

With greater awareness comes greater effectiveness, powering more accurate decision-making and faster reactions while also giving commanders and frontline personnel the ability to identify and mitigate possible threats. By drawing data from across multiple data sets, in lockstep with military data strategies, real-time situational awareness directly supports multi-INT and all-domain/cross-domain operations and can elevate the capabilities of autonomous operations.

A typical RTSA flow might look something like this:

1 - flowchart

To carry out these functions, military leaders need comprehensive access to all their data, no matter what type of data it is, where it’s stored, or what type of environment it’s in. Data silos and gaps can lead to an inaccurate or incomplete representation of reality.

How can Elastic enable real-time situational awareness for defense leaders?

Elastic®’s advanced data analytics and search capabilities play a critical role in increasing RTSA for military tactical leaders. In an environment where faster decision-making can save lives and assets, timely access to critical information is paramount. Elastic’s real-time indexing and search functionalities allow military personnel to swiftly retrieve and analyze vast volumes of data from sources that include sensors, satellites, GPS, aircraft and tactical vehicles, and intelligence reports. This rapid retrieval empowers commanders and decision-makers to make informed choices promptly, improving their ability to respond to evolving threats and changing conditions on the battlefield. 

2 - Sample of a military asset tracking dashboard in the Elasticsearch platform
Sample of a military asset tracking dashboard in the Elasticsearch platform

The inherent scalability and flexibility built into the Elasticsearch® platform are paramount for RTSA, as they allow for the integration of various data feeds and the creation of customized dashboards and alerts, as well as outputs for decision-makers to review. Military units can monitor troop movements, weather patterns, enemy activities, and other relevant data in real time, facilitating proactive decision-making and mission planning. Elastic’s ability to handle structured and unstructured data, coupled with its support for geospatial and temporal queries, enables military personnel to gain a comprehensive battlefield view, enhancing situational awareness and increasing mission success rates and readiness. 

Furthermore, Elastic’s security features ensure that sensitive military data remains protected from unauthorized access. This is essential in the modern era of cyber threats, where safeguarding classified information is critical. Elastic’s RTSA capabilities can not only enhance operational effectiveness for the military but can also contribute to the safety and security of personnel and assets.

Learn more about how Elastic can help with real-time situational awareness and asset management:

The release and timing of any features or functionality described in this post remain at Elastic's sole discretion. Any features or functionality not currently available may not be delivered on time or at all.