Situation assessment and prediction in intelligence domains

We discuss a user-friendly system containing an operational suite of tools that support intelligence data processing, data visualization, historical analysis, situation assessment and predictive analysis. The tools facilitate the study of events as a function of time to determine situational patterns. To support this analysis, the system has various data displays (e.g., timelines, maps charts, and tables) a historical event database, query capabilities, and expert system tools. The expert system tools analyze temporal information, predict future events, and explain decisions visually and textually. The tools are currently installed in several military commands and intelligence agencies supporting analysis ranging from strategic C-3 to counter drug. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.