DYNAMIC PAGE -- HIGHEST POSSIBLE CLASSIFICATION IS
TOP SECRET // SI / TK // REL TO USA AUS CAN GBR NZL
(U//FOUO) New GLAIVE (HF Collection System) Course Is Accredited
FROM:
Radio Exploitation Project Management (S33112)
Run Date: 06/22/2006
(S) Have you ever heard the phrase, "HF is dead?" This could not be further from the truth!
Since 9/11, world events required intelligence agencies to reassess the importance of terrestrial
RF and its significant contribution to the SIGINT world. NSA and the UK's Government
Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) recognized the need to continue collection against
current and developing HF signals.
(S) In December 2002, GCHQ and NSA signed a Principles of Agreement establishing the Joint
Strategic Off-Air Programme (JSOAP). Within this program a joint philosophy of "Develop-toRelease" was fashioned giving Five-Eyes Partners full access to the next generation technology
for terrestrial RF collection. This technology is represented by the GLAIVE collection system: a
government-owned and -developed system based on Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS)
hardware.
(U//FOUO) With GLAIVE selected as the future architecture for NSA and its Extended
Enterprises, to include certain Service Cryptologic Elements (SCEs), the need for standardized
training was critical. In December 2004, the JSOAP placed a requirement with the Associate
Directorate of Training & Education (ADET) to assist in formalizing GLAIVE Operator Training.
(U//FOUO) GLAIVE was initially a GCHQ-only collection system and their Scarborough Training
Facility (STF) had already developed a GLAIVE Operator Training course. However, their
associated training documentation was not in a format that would support NSA enterprise-wide
training and needed to be converted to National Cryptologic School (NCS) Standards.
(U//FOUO) The training team, led by me, was contacted by the ADET to perform the conversion
of this documentation. The formal package was presented to the ADET in April 2006 and was
officially accredited within the TOOL's curriculum in May 2006. Mr.
JSOAP Executive
Manager, was quoted as saying: "This is the culmination of a great effort by you and your
trainers that further enshrines GLAIVE as a corporate resource that is here to stay."
(C//SI) World conditions require a flexible, robust collection capability. The partnership of GCHQ
and NSA creates a sound technical expertise baseline for future success. The first joint effort of
this scope will yield increased capabilities to exploit advanced telecommunications systems. So,
to those with doubt regarding the future of HF, it might be worth considering that the reports of
its demise are greatly exaggerated.
(S//SI) The course has been given the designator TOOL 2014. Watch for future schedulings of
this class. Also see a recent story involving GLAIVE: (S//SI) This Fish Didn't Get Away: SIGINT
Aids Capture of Drug-Smuggling Vessel."
"(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet
without the consent of S0121 (DL sid_comms)."
DYNAMIC PAGE -- HIGHEST POSSIBLE CLASSIFICATION IS
TOP SECRET // SI / TK // REL TO USA AUS CAN GBR NZL
DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108