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Why does the military use MGRS?

Why does the military use MGRS?

The Military Grid Reference System (MGRS) is the geocoordinate standard used by NATO militaries for locating points on Earth. The MGRS is used as geocode for the entire Earth. An example of an MGRS coordinate, or grid reference, would be 4QFJ12345678, which consists of three parts: 4Q (grid zone designator, GZD)

How does military grid reference system work?

The Military Grid Reference System (MGRS) uses the UTM grid, assigning two letters instead of numbers to the 100,000-meter squares. There’s a pattern for assigning the letters, but the nature of the pattern is not important as long as you know the military designation for the 100,000-meter square you’re in.

How do you use the military grid?

Look at the top of your map at the easting numbers, and move right until you find the 30 grid line. Look at the side of your map at the northing number and move up until you find the 95 grid line. Follow the lines to where they intersect. That is the bottom left corner of the grid square that we’ll be working with.

What is a full MGRS grid?

Military Grid Reference System (MGRS) grids are a type of measured grid. An MGRS grid is displayed in the universal transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinate system and can include information specific to that coordinate system, such as 100,000 meter grid zone labels.

What is the precision of a 8 digit grid?

10m precision
A 1:50,000 scale map is only accurate to 50m 90% of the time so a 6 digit (100m precision) or an 8 digit (10m precision) are more appropriate.

Is MGRS and UTM the same?

The Military Grid Reference System (MGRS) is an extension of the UTM system. UTM zone number and zone character are used to identify an area 6 degrees in east-west extent and 8 degrees in north-south extent. UTM zone number and designator are followed by 100 km square easting and northing identifiers.

What is the precision of a 4 digit grid?

4 digits – 2306 – locates a point with a precision of 1,000-meters (a neighborhood size area).

How precise is a 10 digit MGRS grid?

The confusion comes in when soldiers try to use a map to get a 10-digit grid coordinate, which equates to a 1 meter precision. A 1:50,000 scale map is only accurate to 50m 90% of the time so a 6 digit (100m precision) or an 8 digit (10m precision) are more appropriate.

How close is a 10 digit grid?

Where does the military grid reference system come from?

Military Grid Reference System. The MGRS is derived from the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) grid system and the universal polar stereographic (UPS) grid system, but uses a different labeling convention. The MGRS is used for the entire earth.

Is the UTM grid the same as the military grid?

Two systems are marked on National Topographic System (NTS) maps for identifying points with reference to the rectangular grid: Civilian UTM Grid Reference System and Military Grid Reference System described below. Please read this note regarding an error in Military Grid references on NTS maps.

Is there a centralized database for the MGRS?

Currently, there is no centralized database to provide MGRS grids worldwide, therefore, the GeoPlan Center’s MGRS site serves as a Library for MGRS Data and Information – which is referenced in the U.S. National Grid Information Center. The Geoplan proudly operates this open data source for researchers, professionals, and all other users.

What is the third part of the MGRS coordinate?

The MGRS grid around Hawaii. Honolulu is in the 10 km square that is called 4QFJ15. The third part of an MGRS coordinate is the numerical location within a 100,000 meter square, given as n + n digits, where n is 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5.