Military Times reports that “U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is building an open-source data-mining program that will run automatic keyword searches across a variety of websites and databases, allowing its operators to build a better picture of their operating environment in as close to real time as possible.”  

“The command held a series of meetings with a group of defense industry representatives in late June to discover what commercial tech might be available in the near future, according to a SOCOM official.  

“Dubbed AVATAR — ‘Automated Visualization for Tailored Analytical Reporting’ — the program would be run by existing SOCOM staffers at the ‘tactical, strategic and operational levels’ of action, according to command spokesman Navy Capt. Kevin Aandahl.