Visibility analysis in strategic scenario using innovative GIS tools

In the recent strategic scenery and military operations, it is important to have a good comprehension of employed areas in way to work in safe and well-placed environments. The big challenge is to find a safe zone to stay in, well protected by territorial dominance. The safeness of a strategic stakeout depends on the visual of the surrounding environment and the level of self-coverage. The attention must concentrate also on the streets, which are the crucial point of movement. Having a padronance of the surrounding streets means having control of the entire zone. The key point is the continuous usage of traditional methods based on digital and paper geographical maps devoted to finding the best zone to use. Those traditional methods require a lot in terms of resources and time and don't allow for a tridimensional view of the problem. This thesis proposes the development of a dynamic visibility analysis tool for various scenarios in a strategic stakeout, with the aim of improving comprehension of its effectiveness and critical points. The proposed approach involves developing a Desk tool and a Mobile tool based on GIS and Python adopting a DEM model. The tools fulfill the necessity of having a useful instrument able to analyze a considered area from a chosen observation point or an established observation zone. The analysis is both on the surrounding area and streets to allow a well-developed or rapid response to an analysis request in safe or dangerous situations. The input data include a Digital Terrain Model or a Digital Surface Model derived from Open Data or generated through aerial surveys using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a street map of the considered area. This research enables the analysis of the safety of a strategic stakeout in different scenarios, leading to improved decision-making and enhanced safety measures. The usage of analysis tools will open the possibility of a new typology of tests and simulations conducted on the field. Strategically it could be very useful to simulate the effectiveness of different real strategic stakeouts and simulate the response in dangerous conditions.