GPS World, March 2011
Application Challenge ON THE EDGE Iraq on the Map Installing Reference Stations for Accurate Engineering Anas Malkawi A s a geodetic surveyor I served in the U S Army for 10 years During that time my team and I developed a nationwide GPS infrastructure system called the Iraqi Geospatial Reference System IGRS We installed Continuously Operating Reference Stations CORS and High Accuracy Reference Network Stations HARNS the first Iraqi owned and maintained system of its type As a native Arabic speaker my role was to train the Iraqi engineers to install additional CORS as well as update and maintain the IGRS as a part of the International GNSS Service IGS network to sustain the accuracy of engineering and mapping projects The IGRS was critical to other major infrastructure projects in the effort of rebuilding the battered nation such GPS EQUIPMENT collecting data on a reference benchmark used to monitor the deformation of the Haditha Dam as telecommunications public works and natural resource management to name a few Some of the CORS we installed have Virtual Reference System VRS capability a technology newly developed to establish real time corrections in the field by using CORS as a base station for real time kinematic RTK data collection Key coordinators for the installation included Wisam Al Hassani of the Iraq Ministry of Water Resources Paul McKenzie of the Canadian Army Linda Allen of the U S State Department and myself representing the U S Army in addition to representatives from National Geodetic Survey NGS National Geospatial Intelligence Agency NGA and Trimble Navigation In addition to developing the IGRS we performed several critical projects to assist in the rebuilding efforts as well as providing force protection navigation and mapping My MALKAWI DISCUSSES installation of Iraqi operated and maintained CORS with Al Hassani SOLDIERS SURVEY airport navigational aids that require high geodetic accuracy SOLDIERS ESTABLISH geodetic control for an airport aeronautical survey THE RESULT of traveling in military vehicles over roads infested with IED www gpsworld com March 2011 GPS World 49
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