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(U) Cryptologic Support Plans: Advance Planning to Support Military
Operations
FROM: LTC Jeff Cunningham, USA and
Military Integration Office, Plans Division (S131)
Run Date: 01/07/2004
FROM: LTC Jeff Cunningham, USA and
Military Integration Office, Plans Division (S131)
(S) In recent years, NSA has been working hard to plan, in advance, how we will provide SIGINT
support to U.S. military actions around the world. One of the ways we do this is by drawing up
Cryptologic Support Plans (CSPs), each tailored for a potential military operation. For example, a
series of CSPs has been developed for the Iraq conflict and is being maintained as operations
there continue; CSPs are also underway for Korea, the Horn of Africa, and the Global War on
Terrorism.
(U//FOUO) The intended audience of the CSP is twofold: cryptologic representatives at the
various Combatant Commands, who explain to military commanders how NSA will provide
SIGINT and information assurance support to their particular operations; and, secondly, the NSA
leadership, who are informed about how relevant players within the Extended Enterprise are
committing their resources to the problem at hand. A critical purpose of these CSPs is not only
to provide a detailed description of what NSA can and will do in support of military operations,
but also - and often as important - to clarify what NSA cannot do. This helps to manage the
command's expectations and has been quite influential in military planning for recent
operations.
(U//FOUO) CSPs describe the NSA/CSS concept of cryptologic support to a specific military
Operations Plan (OPLAN) or Concept Plan (CONPLAN) developed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff or
by one of the military Combatant Commands. Plans officers in the Customer Relationships
Directorate's Military Integration Office maintain continuous contact with NSA representatives in
the Combatant Command Cryptologic Service Groups (CSGs), J2 (Intelligence Directorate) staff
members, collection managers and others involved in the planning process. Once they are
notified that a planning process is underway, the plans officers begin to build a comprehensive
description of that OPLAN or CONPLAN for the NSA audience. Simultaneously, they gather
information that is immediately available from the target offices of primary interest, collection
management offices, Service Cryptologic Elements (SCE) and a host of other sources in the form
of posture papers or strategies for collection and reporting in the geographic area of interest. All
of this information is factored into the resulting CSP.
(U//FOUO) The process leading to a completed CSP is further enhanced by synchronization
sessions known as Operational Planning Team (OPT) meetings, with participation by
representatives from all relevant offices in SID and IAD. The OPT provides for two-way
communication through the office representatives between military planners and technical
experts, collectors, analysts, managers, and others. The CSP may be continuously maintained
for ongoing campaigns, or developed as a reference for OPLANS and CONPLANS as they are
revised on a biennial cycle.
(U//FOUO) Visit our webpage or contact our office on
and support to military operations.
for more information on CSPs
"(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet
without the consent of S0121 (DL sid_comms)."
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DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108