Coordinate formats in MilMap
MilMap supports three coordinate formats: MGRS (Military Grid Reference System), decimal lat/lon, and UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator). Each format has its application area. MGRS is standard for military operations, lat/lon for coordination with civilian services and GPS apps, UTM for surveying work.
Entering MGRS
An MGRS coordinate looks like this: 31UCS8743 (100 m precision) or 31UCS874321 (10 m precision). The first two characters (31) are the UTM zone, the letter (U) the latitude band, the two letters (CS) the 100 km grid square, and the digits the Easting (east) and Northing (north). In MilMap you type the MGRS code in the search bar or waypoint dialog and MilMap navigates directly to that location.
Entering lat/lon
Decimal lat/lon: 52.3702° N, 4.8952° E (Amsterdam). Degrees-minutes-seconds: 52°22'13"N 4°53'43"E. MilMap's entry field accepts both formats. Tip: make sure you do not mix up N/S (north/south) and E/W (east/west). In Europe, all latitudes are northern (+) and longitudes are eastern (+) of Greenwich.
Converting coordinates
Sometimes you receive a coordinate in a different format than you need. MilMap has a built-in converter: paste the coordinate into the entry field and MilMap shows the converted format in all three styles. Useful when collaborating with teams using different devices.
Common mistakes
The most common errors in manual entry are: Easting and Northing swapped (the east coordinate before the north coordinate), an extra or missing digit in the MGRS code, and commas instead of decimal points. Always verify that the entered location makes sense — a location in the sea for a land operation is a red flag.
Radio communication and coordinates
When passing MGRS coordinates over radio, use the NATO phonetic alphabet: "Mike Golf Romeo Sierra: Three-One-Uniform-Charlie-Sierra-Eight-Seven-Four-Three". Train this with your team so errors are minimised. After receiving, always repeat back and confirm before entering a waypoint in MilMap.