MPAS is a DOD migration system. The DoD is in the process of establishing a simplified baseline of the best, common information systems across the business functions of the Department. These migration systems represent a stage of process improvement designed at achieving a common set of automated processes and practices in DoD.
Traditional MASINT systems have been unique, stand alone systems that required extensive post processing and analysis to supply information of intelligence value. Now that MASINT technologies are rapidly maturing, much of this processing has become real-time and is often incorporated within the sensor sub-processing system for immediate use. In addition, MASINT has developed multiple sensor correlation systems to provide real-time target identification (automatic target recognition). These systems are quickly evolving to highly capable multiple-sensor "smart systems" that can provide identification and location coordinates to sensor-to-shooter systems. The Central MASINT Office (CMO) will be developing a flexible architecture over the next couple of years that will maximize interoperability through standard hardware and software interfaces that will streamline the integration of new MASINT systems as they come on line. It is also CMO's intent to create standards for MASINT systems that allow for growth and technical innovation to reduce acquisition and training times, increase capability, and lower long-term costs. The key is to identify areas between systems that serve common functions and therefore, lend themselves to degrees of commonality and interoperability.