June 21, 2009: Earlier this year, Canada assigned a team of 60 troops and civilian technicians, and two camera equipped C-140 (P-3) maritime reconnaissance aircraft, to make high resolution digital maps of southern Afghanistan. These maps are higher resolution than the ones provide by the American military mapping agency (NGA) which uses satellites and higher flying aircraft. For several years now, troops have also been using Google Earth for military purposes, but these are lower resolution than the new Canadian digital maps, and often years old. The Canadian maps will be available in printed and digital format. Troops, and humanitarian organizations, will find the maps more useful than what's available now. Canadian, British, Australian, Danish and U.S. troops are active in southern Afghanistan, where the Taliban is most numerous. The new maps will make a big difference, as most of the fighting down south is very tactical, and detailed maps are a big plus.