Pentagon now moving to ban its aeronautical charts (Score 1)

This post is interesting, because NIMA/NGA (the mapping arm of the Department of Defense) has just announced plans to remove a huge number of its aeronautical charts from public access, as announced in a Federal Register (PDF) message November 18. The restrictions would take effect October 1, 2005. This has been heavily announced on the FAA's mapping website.

To quote: NGA aims to protect the sources and integrity of its data, honor its bilateral agreements restricting nongovernmental use, avoid competition with commercial interests, and allow NGA to focus on its primary customers and mission, supporting the Department of Defense.

This is bad! Those great TPC charts (sample from U. Tex. Perry-Castaneda Library) that make excellent roadmaps and topographic charts are specifically marked for restriction. These charts are also seen in a lot of military-styled movies and films as backdrops on walls.

We aren't talking about weapons targeting charts, which are already classified. We're talking about basic topographic maps with foreign detail. Based on my minor involvement in GIS it looks like the Pentagon may be jockeying to eventually outsource its map production to commercial firms. But regardless, this will be a loss.