Creating military features from standard messages
Military features can be created from a standard message. Standard messages include a 15-character Symbol identification code (SIDC), which contains the information necessary to create features in accordance with common warfighting symbology.
Identifying which layer to use for a feature
Each position of the SIDC contains information about the feature, though not every position will always have a value. When looking at a SIDC there are two characters used to fill empty spots. An asterisk (*) is used for filling spaces in a base SIDC that are user-defined, based on specific symbols circumstances. Dashes (-) are used to fill in unused positions in a SIDC. The most-used positions are those for determining the layer in which the feature belongs. These are: the coding scheme, in the first position; the standard identity, in the second position; and the battle dimension, in the third position.
This graphic shows how different positions of the SIDC specify information about the feature.
The layer to use for a particular feature is determined by the first three positions of the SIDC. It is important to note that there is some slight variation in the positions of the SIDC depending on the value of the coding scheme. For example, in coding scheme W (meteorological and oceanographic), the standard identity position is used to convey category information about the feature, identifying whether it is atmospheric, oceanic, or a feature in space.
The first position to examine when creating a feature from a standard message is the coding scheme. It indicates the overall set of symbology for the feature. For every symbol that is placed on the map, you will use the coding scheme to help determine which layer it belongs to.
Coding Scheme (SIDC Position 1) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
S | Warfighting | Units, Equipment, and Installations (UEI) | C2 UEI Air Track.style C2 UEI Ground Track Equipment.style C2 UEI Ground Track Installations.style C2 UEI Ground Track Units.style C2 UEI Sea Surface Track.style C2 UEI Space Track.style C2 UEI Special Operations Track.style C2 UEI Subsurface Track.style |
G | Tactical Graphics | Military Operations | Military Operations.style |
W | METOC/Weather | Meteorological and Oceanographic Symbology (METOC) | Military METOC.style |
I | Intelligence | Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) | Signals Intelligence.style |
O | Stability Operations (SO) | Stability Operations Symbology (SO) | Stability Operations.style |
E | Emergency Management Symbols | Emergency Management Symbols (EMS) | Military Emergency Management.style |
The second position maps to the standard identity/exercise amplifying descriptor of a symbol. The standard identity of a symbol conveys information about the threat posed by the object being represented. Standard identity is based on four basic categories, unknown, friend, neutral, and hostile. Standard identity can have an "assumed" tag attached to it, or be marked with an X amplifier to show that it is an exercise symbol. Exercise symbols and regular symbols are treated the same way when deciding on a layer.
Warfighting features, as well as features for tactical graphics and and graphics for signals intelligence, are placed into layers by a user using standard identity. Signals intelligence symbols can actually be placed knowing just the standard identity. There are four layers for signals intelligence that are related to standard identity, unknown, friend, hostile, and neutral.
Standard Identity/Exercise Amplifying Descriptor for UEI, Military Operations, SIGINT, SO, and EMS (SIDC Position 2) | |
|---|---|
U | Unknown |
F | Friend |
H | Hostile |
N | Neutral |
P | Pending |
A | Assumed Friend |
S | Suspect |
G | Exercise Pending |
W | Exercise Unknown |
M | Exercise Assumed Friend |
L | Exercise Neutral |
J * | Joker * |
K * | Faker * |
*not currently supported | |
The third position in the SIDC is used as an indicator for battle dimension. Users utilize the battle dimension value to put warfighting symbols into the correct layers. Symbols that represent SOF (see table below) can be paired with their standard identity to be placed into the corresponding units layer. Warfighting symbols that are not battle dimension SOF or ground can paired with their standard identity to be placed into the corresponding equipment layer. For features that are ground battle dimension a user can use position five of the SIDC to place the feature into the appropriate layer.
Battle Dimension (SIDC Position 3) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
P | Space | ||||||
A | Air | ||||||
G | Ground | ||||||
S | Sea Surface | ||||||
U | Sea Subsurface | ||||||
F | SOF | ||||||
X | Other | ||||||
Z | Unknown | ||||||
As mentioned previously, warfighting features that have a ground battle dimension rely on the fifth position of the SIDC, to be placed into the correct layer. Warfighting features that are of the ground battle dimension use three different values to determine which layer they belong to. Given the standard identity, the battle dimension, and position 5 of the SIDC a user can correctly place all warfighting symbols in the appropriate layer.
Values for Ground Based Warfighting Symbols (SIDC Position 5) | |
|---|---|
U | Units |
E | Equipment |
I | Installations |
A user bases placement of meteorological and oceanographic features on positions 11 through 13 of the SIDC.
METOC Graphic Type (SIDC Position 11-13) | |
|---|---|
P - - | Point |
- L - | Line |
- - A | Area |
For stability operations a user should look at position 3 of the SIDC to place the feature into the appropriate layer. Stability operations categories V and R belong to the stability incidents layer. Categories P and G belong to stability organizations layer. Category O belongs to the stability operations layer. Categories I and L belong to the stability locations layer.
Stability Operations Category (SIDC Position 3) | |
|---|---|
V | Violent Activities |
L | Locations |
O | Operations |
I | Items |
P | Individual |
G | Non-Military Group or Organization |
R | Rape |
The portion of the SIDC that the user examines to decide which layer an emergency management feature belongs can vary depending on what specific type of feature it is. Incidents and natural events can be placed directly into their respective layers. Infrastructure features can be placed into the EMS installations layer. Features that fall into the emergency management operations category need to be examined even further to be placed into the appropriate EMS layer. Emergency management operations features that have an H in the 11th position of the SIDC belong to the EMS installations layers. Emergency management operations features that have a B as the last used position of the function ID section belong to the EMS equipment layer, all other emergency management operations features belong to the EMS units layer.
Emergency Management Category (SIDC Position 3) | |
|---|---|
I | Incident |
N | Natural Events |
O | Operations |
F | Infrastructure |