Pentagon, FAA Website Overlays Military Bases On Google Maps

May 20, 2008 10:07 p.m. EST

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - In an era of increasingly accessible information about America's defenses, the Federal Aircraft Administration (FAA) has launched a website overlaying every U.S. military base on top of the popular Internet application Google Maps.

According to the U.S. Defense Department, SeeAndAvoid.org "offers a centralized, credible website for civilian pilots and military safety officers. The site offers reciprocal information and education on airspace, visual identification, aircraft performance and mutual hazards to safe flight, with the ultimate goal of eliminating midair collisions and reducing close calls."

The site also pinpoints the location of Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine military installations across the country. Zooming in on a map marker gives the user a detailed satellite image of the base, and clicking on a location brings up information on the types of planes and squadrons based there.

"Open communication is paramount in aviation safety," Lt. Col. Ed Vaughan, a combat fighter pilot and the creator and program manager of the SeeAndAvoid portal, told the American Forces Press Service. "We built this portal to communicate vital information that saves lives."

The site can let users easily take an up-close look at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, as one example. The base serves as a launching point for B-52 bombers enroute to missions over Afghanistan and Iraq. Barksdale was also a secure location to which President George Bush was evacuated during the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

While the detail is both remarkable and otherwise accessible, this is the first time the Pentagon has made locating the bulk of America's military installations so effortless.