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(U//FOUO) NSA and NGA - Collaboration and Expansion
FROM:
NGA Account Manager (S112)
Run Date: 06/24/2004
FROM:
NGA Account Manager (S112)
(C) The successful collaboration of NSA and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA)*
is a story repeated time and again as two organizational cultures and traditions are exposed to
one another and harmonized to produce intelligence products and information that is an
enrichment of the fused disciplines. NGA's presence at NSA has expanded from three to 78
personnel over the last several years. This expansion includes Geospatial Analysts, Imagery
Analysts and support personnel at Headquarters as well as the Extended Enterprise to include
the Regional Security Operation Centers.
(C) Conversely, NSA has expanded its presence within the NGA footprint. Historically, NSA has
had one Representative position at NGA for over 37 years. Now, NSA has increased its footprint
from one to nine. These positions include both liaisons as well as analysts integrated within the
NGA Production Directorate. These integration efforts have contributed to increased awareness,
cooperation and partnering between the two agencies.
(TS//SI//REL) NGA Integrees have served with the Geospatial Exploitation Office (GEO) from its
earliest days. An early example of this ongoing collaboration was the support given to a Combat
Search Air Rescue (CSAR) effort in Afghanistan for a downed US helicopter during Operation
ANACONDA in February 2002. NGA Integrees quickly located imagery of the downed helicopter,
which assisted GEO personnel in plotting SIGINT activity associated with the Taleban forces near
the crash site. This information was fed to forward tactical elements for targeting consideration.
Air strikes were directed against these sites, which cleared the way for the rescue helicopter to
retrieve the survivors.
(C) As the capabilities and awareness matured, we have found new benefits to include:
Greater context for intelligence analysis : use Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) as
context for SIGINT intercept and SIGINT as context for GEOINT
Cross-cueing between INTs : apply each other's INT to enable more precise, dynamic
tasking and analysis
Revealing high value intelligence : use each INT to discover information that might
otherwise not be recognized for its full intelligence value separately
Fused reporting : provide a more coherent representation of disparate components of
SIGINT and GEOINT to intelligence customers
Leveraging expertise : identify and share areas of expertise for mutual benefit
including tools, techniques, and knowledge
Discovery of organizational touch points : quickly identify individuals, organizations,
and mission elements to pass on high priority intelligence finds and collaborate on
customer needs
Synchronization against the national priorities : improve transparency of operations
to ensure an optimal balance of resources is applied by each agency against the nation's
most critical needs
(U) NGA and NSA have created partnerships that bring together the talents and expertise of
both agencies in all contexts and disciplines. These capabilities reflect a progression toward the
shared vision of the Directors of both NSA and NGA.
*(U) Notes:
NGA was formerly known as the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA)
"(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