US, Japan Now Exchanging Collection From Reconnaissance Missions

DYNAMIC PAGE -- HIGHEST POSSIBLE CLASSIFICATION IS TOP SECRET // SI / TK // REL TO USA AUS CAN GBR NZL (S//SI//REL) US, Japan Now Exchanging Collection from Reconnaissance Missions FROM: Airborne Collection Management (S33141) Unknown Run Date: 03/14/2007 (S//SI//REL) For over a year, offices throughout NSA* have been working on an effort to allow the U.S. and Japan to exchange SIGINT from their airborne reconnaissance missions in East Asia -- and the effort has now paid off. The U.S. is now releasing its reconnaissance PREMS (Preliminary Mission Summary Reports) to Japan's Directorate for SIGINT (DFS), and the Japanese are reciprocating. (S//SI//REL) This intelligence exchange was based on an action from the 2005 U.S.-Japan Joint Service Bilateral ELINT/PROFORMA Conference, and came to encompass all forms of SIGINT, not solely ELINT. U.S. PREMS approved for release include those from the RC-135 and EP-3 missions' collection that fall within the parameters of the NSA-Japan SIGINT exchange. In return, the U.S. is receiving PREMS from Japan's YS-11 and EP-3 missions. Japanese Japanese (U) Japanese EP-3 (left) and YS-11 aircraft (Jane's). (S//SI//REL) In working to make this exchange a reality, NSA's Country Desk Officer for Japan, SUSLAJ representatives, and NSA's Airborne Collection Management Office reviewed a random sampling of U.S. PREMS to evaluate the target information that could be shared, what would need to be purged, and determine the amount of effort involved in releasing the information. It was determined that target activity (i.e. the collected military communications) and collection totals will be retained in the releasable versions, and the information regarding the actual mission specifics and crew would be deleted. SUSLAJ has committed resources towards the release and sanitization of the U.S. PREMS reports. (S//SI//REL) As a result of the efforts of everyone involved in this process, on 9 February 2007 the first Japanese YS-11 PREMS was received, translated and published via a formal message by SUSLAJ. In turn, the first PREMS from the RC-135 were released to the DFS by SUSLAJ on 15 February 2007 for two missions flown in the East China Sea, both of which solicited reactions by PRC fighters. The PREMS from all four-mission areas -- the East China Sea, the South China Sea, Overland Korea, and the Sea of Japan -- are now shareable between both sides, allowing DFS access to the Chinese, North Korean, and Russian military collection acquired by Japan-based, US Airborne SIGINT collectors. (S//SI//REL) This was a huge effort set forth by all involved, and an even bigger success story. Once a U.S. EP-3 deploys to the area, its PREMS will also be shared with DFS. (U//FOUO) If you have questions on this topic, please contact (U) Notes: *(S//SI//REL) These offices included: Mission Management - Airborne Collection Management (S33141), NSA's Foreign Affairs Directorate (FAD), and the Special US Liaison Advisor - Japan (SUSLAJ).