Place and role of the 29th Research Institute in the RF Armed Forces scientific-military system.

The experience of wars and military conflicts, including the present-day events, shows that the comprehensive topogeodetic (mapping) support provision of the troops (forces) is the critical element of military (combat) operations. Historically, this important all-round support component first formed itself at the strategic level, followed by the operational and tactical echelon levels of troop (forces) command.

The methods and forms of securing and bringing to the troops (forces) and the staffs of the survey data (topographic and special maps, terrain photo documents, geodetic coordinate catalogues, etc.) underwent lengthy evolution, which was brought about both by the constantly increasing exigencies of troops for terrestrial information; and by the capabilities of the military topographical service (MTS) for meeting these needs. In particular, the provision of the troops with maps has a long history--from the production of the pace-and-compass traverse maps and the general development maps of the Middle Ages to the highly-detailed topographic urban maps and contemporary city plans. In its turn, modern support provision for the Strategic Rocket Forces, Missilery and Artillery of the Ground Forces with initial astronomic, geodetic and gravimetrical data evolved on the basis of linear data compilation for barreled gunnery purposes. The forces and means used in topogeodetic support provision also underwent lengthy evolution bringing about organizational-and-staff changes and techno-logical developments: from the 18th century Peter the Great Imperial mapping workshop facility and the 19th century topographic measurements to the powerful production means and mapping teams of today.

The solution of the geodetic support tasks, associated, first of all, with the composition of terrestrial maps and the compilation of geodetic data, required serious scientific efforts. Even 200 years ago, these tasks could not be solved without expert application of geometry, algebra, flat and spherical trigonometry, geodetic and physical astronomy, or mathematical cartography. Precisely for this reason, these anything but simple, non-prestigious research venues with the smart society people were explored by the professional domestic military topographers and surveyors, trained in the Moscow School of Mathematics and Navigation in the reign of Peter I, in the 19th century Military Surveying School and in the Academy of the General Staff. In the same military education establishments, scientific research was also organized for the topogeodetic support (or topographical support--in contemporary jargon) of combat actions, for designing new facilities and methods for topographical surveys and geodetic measurements, for elaboration of devices and equipment.

Weighty contribution to scientific research, including the military geodesy and military surveying domains, was made at that time by the scientific educators and scientific supervisors: L.F. Magnitski (Faculty Head, Moscow Mathematical and Navigation School); I.I. Kalmykov (master hand for mathematical measuring devices and instruments in the time of Peter I); A.P. Bolotov (Major-General, first instructor in geodesy, the Academy of the General Staff); G.F. Stefan (Lt. Gen., Head, General Staff Academy, inventor of the surveyor's table, and Geodetic Faculty initiator in the Academy); N.Ya. Zinger (Lt. Gen., Prof., Pulkovo Observatory); O.E. Stubendorf (Inf Gen., Prof., General Staff Academy, later Chief, Military Surveyors Corps); V.V. Vitkovski (Lt. Gen., Instructor, Military Topography School and General Staff Academy); D.D. Gedeonov (Maj. Gen., Head, Turkestan Military Topography Subdivision); I.I. Pomerantsev (Inf Gen., Head, Military Topography School, later Chief, Military Surveyors Corps); N.D. Artamonov (Inf Gen., Chief, Field Staff, Danube Army, Russian-Turkish war (1877-1878), later Head, Military Topography School, Chief, Military Surveyors Corps) and by others. Research was conducted by the Chair Instructors, and in the Observatories, practical application of the results being undertaken during field surveys and ground work.

The apprehension of 1904-1905 Russian Japanese war and WWI experience revealed accelerated urgency for topographical information to be submitted to the troops and field staffs in conformity with up-to-date flexibility criteria. Terrain aerial surveying materials have become dramatically important for the stepping up of efficient topogeodetic support. The exigencies of expert processing those camera records in terms of photoplotting and for its transformation and development into photogrammetric networks to obtain, in the final analysis, maximum precision advantages for target indication, camera topography and the composition of topographical maps, called for the institution of the fundamentals of photogrammetry as isolated scientific and technological branch. In the 20s-30s of the 20th century, the methods of photogrammetric plotting were perfected by the outstanding military scientists: V.A. Barinov, A.V. Petrov, N.F. Kornilov, N.P. Makarov, N.M. Aleksapolski, P.P. Sokolov, G.F. Klimov, F.Ya. Gerasimov, G.F. Gapochko and others.

These years also witnessed a steep rise in demands for astrogeodetic support of gunnery, requiring the improvement of facilities and methods for preparation of initial geodetic measurements. To improve the precision and demonstrativeness of topographical maps, research was conducted in the sphere of mathematical cartography for designing new transferred projections and map montage. More substantiated solutions were necessary for organization of the storage and distribution of topogeodetic data in the field conditions.

At the same time, the People's Red Army Topographical Service lacked the unified scientific research center. Studies and experiments continued in the Chairs of military educational establishments, being conducted by the Moscow Geodetic Computations Department and by V. Dunaev Military Mapping Factory. The Instrumental Laboratory of the People's Red Army Military Topographers Supply Branch engaged in devising new equipment and facilities. The Standards Bureau also under Military Topographers Department performed work to standardize topogeodetic instruments and other items in the military surveying inventory. The organization of topogeodetic support provision was entrusted to the experimental surveying team. But, by the mid-30s of the 20th century, the complexity and research intensity of the tasks precluded their working out in passing, or by breaking away from the production or principal activities. In this connection, the People's Red Army Mapping Service was in dire need of effective scientific solutions of the problems associated with the production and distribution in the troops and the field staffs of the topographical maps, city plans, astrogeodetic measurements, terrain photo documents. Such tasks could be addressed only by the special research institute. By July 1, 1936 such Research Institute was formed. It was staffed with the best experts in the military geodetic domain. Quartermaster 1st Rank David Mironovich Izmailov-Turok was appointed Head of People's Red Army Topographic Service Research Institute, who previously served as Photogrammetric Unit Head, 7th Topogeodetic (Topographical) Department, People's Red Army General Staff.

The major goals of the Institute included the performance of scientific, R & D and trial work in the field of astronomy and geodesy, photographic aerial survey and mapping for the improvement of the existing methods and for the elaboration of new techniques both for production needs, and for the deployment of Mapping Service Units. Scientific research in aerial photographs processing was the priority during the Institute's starting years. Before the Great Patriotic War, the Institute was renamed several times: "Photogrammetric Center of Military Topographical Service" and "Research and Trial Facility of Military Mapping Service." At that time, the Institute researched the effective solution of the following tasks: amendments and additions in topographical maps and city plans; support provision of the Artillery Topographical Service with initial geodetic measurements, aerial photos interpretation; troops provision with maps and catalogues of survey control points; enemy territory maps composition; production and copying of terrestrial photo documents; reprinting of captured enemy maps, etc.

Concurrently with their development, new devices and technologies were worked out; adequate manuals were prepared and sent to the troops. In the prewar years and during WWII, the Institute's activity focused on military topographical service guideline documents: Manual for Working Rationale for 1:25 000 Scale Survey (1940); Leveling Survey Manual (1941); Topographical and Tactical Objects Interpretation Album (1941); Gauss-Kruger Orthogonal Coordinates (1942); Plain-Table Measurement Manual (1943); Guidelines for Storage, Operation and Retention of Topogeodetic Instruments (1944); Aerial Photography Manual (1945); Poligonometric Traverse Manual (1945) and many others. At that period, the following scientists worked in the Institute: N.K. Melnikov, P.S. Pasha, B.S. Kuzmin, V.M. Pogorelov, I.M. Gerasimov, P.A. Zevakin, S.Ye. Aleksandrov, L.A. Bogomolov, V.M. Perikov, N.I. Siniakov, F.I. Brodski, G.V. Romanovski and others. The activity of the MTS Research Institute largely contributed to the improvement of topogeodetic support provision for the Armed Forces and for the Victory in the Great Patriotic War on the whole.

After the war, the Research Institute work scope expanded, with the additional venues being incorporated: first: the scientific experience of topographical support for the troops tactical (combat) operations; second: the composition of military-geographic descriptions and reference sources.

In the 50s-70s of the previous century, when Strategic Missile Forces were formed and the Missile Troops and Artillery technical support of the Ground Forces underwent drastic improvement, the initial astrogeodetic and gravimetrical measurements acquired critical importance and were forwarded to the bodies of troops, military formations and combat units: the catalogues of geodetic and gravimetrical points; Earth's gravitational field characteristics; Krasovski's ellipsoid orientation elements relative to general terrestrial ellipsoid, etc. The Institute's research scope in these domains has grown significantly, with space geodesy forming itself as the new scientific and technological branch. Research was conducted in the design of a number of guidelines for astrogeodetic support provision of certain types of missiles, in the development of special purpose geodetic networks, in the introduction of radio-geodetic, optical distance and gyroscopic measurement methods. This research was largely designed for the potent new Military Topographical Service Branch--the Optical Alignment Control and Astrogeodetic Support Provision of the Strategic Missile Forces.

With the emergence of space-based photography, the corresponding photography methods and techniques for processing photo documents began to evolve. The Military Topographical Service was entrusted with the task of map composition for vast foreign territories, which required drastic rise in work output. Under the leading function of the Research Institute, large-scale R & D work was conducted for the design of effective surveying equipment, followed by the manufacture of production batches for retrofitting the MTS units. The Special Section of Space-Based Photography and Reference Maps was set up in the Research Institute.

The studies of the improved methods and means for the MTS support provision of military operations continued at the new level. On the basis of the experience of the Great Patriotic War, the conflicts and local wars of the 50s of the 20th century, and also the practice of the large-scale war games, the MTS support status of the services and arms of the Armed Forces and its further development were studied, the components of the MTS automated control system were worked out, and the deployment of MTS mobile complexes was researched. In this period, the following renowned scientists were working in the Institute: N.P. Mi-khailov, I.A. Kutuzov, M.R Fomin, S.A. Saliaev, Ya.G. Voronov, B.D. Yarovoi, M.A. Veksler, A.A. Kuznetsov, G.Ye. Lazarev, S.N. Veresov and many others. Scientific work organization attained the new level--in 1976, the learned dissertation council was set up in the Institute.

Since the 80s of the previous century, the new scientific and technological line has been forming itself in cartography and geodesy, associated with the design of digitalized and electronic maps. The urgent use of new scientific and technical breakthroughs for defense purposes led to the assignment of the Institute with the development and improvement of digital cartography products design and production. In this connection, the scientific intensity of the Institute's research work has drastically increased. Therefore, high priority was given to the study of the following questions: the working out of specialized software application for the editing of digital terrestrial simulated models; determination of the work sequence for figuring the cartographic materials; rationale for the make-up of information-and-cartographic support provision for the composition of digital maps; the construction of algorithms for technological processes facilitating the figuring of cartographic materials; displaying of electronic maps in the public domain format and in the PC format; the creation of electronic maps systems and of their metadata system; the organization of manufactured products quality control; the use of digital terrestrial information in the troop automatic control systems; updating of electronic maps in the mobile MTS complexes, etc. Noticeable contribution in addressing the digital cartography issues was made by the following scientists of the Institute: A.A. Kuznetsov, Ye.I. Khalugin, A.I. Martynenko, S.A. Zharkov, A.S. Vasmut, M.Ye. Beletski, Ye.A. Zhalkovski, V.G. Yeliu-shkin, V.A. Leontiev, Sh.A. Diveev and others.

Research output in the above domain interests all the military, technical and scientific departments of the MOD and of other power ministries, as well as the specific consumers of MTS products--the fields staffs, troops (forces), educational establishments and enterprises. In particular, the digital terrestrial model simulations and electronic MTS maps were introduced by the team of the 29th Research Institute of the RF MOD for the combat operations of the Combined Body of Troops (Forces) during the anti-terrorist campaign in the Northern Caucasus (1999).

The Institute research work in Higher Geodesy and Gravimetry has leveled up thanks to the deployment of the space-based MTS systems. By 1989, accumulated was the measuring information, which was sufficient for the launching of the 1990 New Earth's MTS Parameters System. The results obtained were highly competitive with the world's best achievements in the domain of space-based geodesy. The PZ-90 systems and the upgraded "PZ-2000" System designed for the MTS support provision of the space-based, navigational, geodetic and mapping complexes (among them, GLONASS or Global Navigation Satellite System, "Parus," "Kometa," "Tsikada") were used by the Air Force, the Navy, the Strategic Missile Forces. Significant contribution to their design was made by the 29th Research Institute of the RF MOD: by V.V. Boikov, N.N. Voronkov, V.F. Galazin and others. The new tasks are on the threshold--among them, the creation of the ground-based navigation and geodetic systems for the coordinate-temporal support provision of the RF Armed Forces.

Modern technical means and methods for the preparation of geodetic and cartographic products reflected on the contents and the organization of topogeodetic support provision as the important type of the operational (combat) facility. At the same time, research continued for the all-round retrofitting of the MTS units of the RF Armed Forces, the repertoire of the tasks was specified for the topogeodetic support provision of the arms and of the services of the Armed Forces in the principal operational and strategic warfare formats in the theatre of military operations, the most important trends were identified for the development of MTS means, the most advanced models and complexes were prioritized for the use of concerted efforts. Recently, fundamental research into the MTS support organization has been conducted for the development of:

The theoretical basis of MTS support provision for strategic offensive operations in the Western theater of operations in the initial war period (the military theoretical treatise was prepared on this topic);

Proposals for the contents and organization of topogeodetic support for the operational deployment of the Front Troops and for the warding off of the enemy incursion, and also for the organization-and-establishment structure of the front, army (corps) and divisional topographical map depots;

Methods for evaluation of the scheduled efficient operation of the automated facilities in solving the management tasks concerning map supplies;

Proposals for the information and linguistic support structure of the automated management system in the operational and tactical echelons concerning automated topogeodetic control;

Theoretical proposals for the topogeodetic support of the bodies of troops (forces) in local wars, armed conflicts and for the provision of the regional body of troops (forces) of an allied state.

Research was conducted in the above domains by the following employees of the Institute: V.I. Kazakov, V.I. Kashaev, I.D. Yefremenko, S.I. Slipchenko, V.T. Trofimenko, V.A. Machulenko, Yu.G. Bugaev, B.Ye. Byzov, N.A. Koshniakov, V.N. Silvestrov, A.I. Vakula, B.N. Moskvin and others.

The 29th Research Institute of the RF MOD, which implements the tasks of military-scientific support for the design of the means and methods of topogeodetic supply, is a unique scientific and research institution, which works out the problems for all the arms and the services of the RF Armed Force. The Institute marks its 70th anniversary in the traditional vein--by addressing the new and interesting tasks and by resolving to solve them on time and qualitatively. The Institute continues to function as part of the Military Topographical Service (MTS) of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and is making a weighty contribution to the strengthening of our country's defenses.

Lt. Gen. V.N. FILATOV

Head, Military Topography Department, General Staff, RF Armed Forces, Doctor of Military Sciences

Valeri Nikolaevich FILATOV was born 20 October 1950. He graduated from Leningrad Higher Military-Topographic Command School (1972), Military Engineering Academy (1979), Higher Academic Courses of Military Academy General Staff (1994). He served in the positions of Cartographer, Central Scientific Cartographic Unit, Senior Research Assistant, 29th Research Institute of the RF MOD, Group Head and Deputy Section Head, RF AF General Staff Military Survey Dept, Geodetic Faculty Head, Military Engineering Academy, Deputy Head, Military Survey Dept of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. From 2002, Chief, RF AF General Staff Military Survey Dept--Chief, Topographical Service, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. He is Doctor of Military Sciences, Professor. Full-fledged member: A.M. Prokhorov Military Engineering Academy; Academy of Military Sciences; Military Academy of Security, Defense and Law Order.