ABSTRACT
There are a large number of military and commercial GIS applications that rely entirely on the ready availability of digital terrain databases. Their success or failure is dependent on the timely production and ultimate accuracy of the terrain models that are fed into them. The military applications range from simulation, mission planning and mission rehearsal to terrain referenced navigation and weapons guidance systems. Commercial applications include land use monitoring and assessment, such as the EC MARS program and base mapping for oil and gas exploration activities. At a time when budgets are under scrutiny, there is now a greater need for digital terrain data to be generated more cost effectively, whilst still being made available in a timely manner but also without sacrificing or compromising the accuracy of the data.
