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(TS//SI//REL) A Success Story, In Which the MSOC Takes On a
Pakistani GSM Network
FROM:
NMDC Tech Lead, Misawa Security Operations Center (F79)
Run Date: 12/11/2006
SERIES:
(S//SI//REL) The New Mission Development Center (NMDC) within
the Misawa Security Operations Center (MSOC) created a brand
(U) SIGDEV Collaboration
new mission for the site, resulting in improved coverage of
international terrorist and trans-Asia targets.
1. F6, NSA Texas, and
Yakima Research
(S//REL) This is a story about Misawa's New Mission Development
Station Collaborate
Center (NMDC), which is one of several that extend the mission of
on Venezuela Survey
the SIGDEV Strategy and Governance (SSG) organization around
2. New Iranian NERA
the world.
Satlink Identified
3. Giving Answers,
(S//REL) Misawa's NMDC has four branches: a Signals
Keeping Secrets
Development Center (SDC); a Network Analysis Center (NAC); a
4. A Success Story, In
Target Analysis Center (TAC) and a System Development Branch.
Which the MSOC
Takes On a Pakistani
GSM Network
(U//FOUO) Misawa Security Operations Center
(TS//SI//REL) In March 2006, SDC analysts identified two GSM 1
infrastructure links carried over the Chinastar-1 satellite.
Processing these signals briefly through a recently acquired
developmental JUGGERNAUT system revealed the links were in use
by a Pakistani operator. A longer look produced Priority 2 and 3
telephone calls, which prompted the NMDC to keep the links on
developmental collection and perform more analytical work to
determine the relative value.
(TS//SI//REL) The NMDC System Development Branch continued
surveying Chinastar-1, identified ten additional signals carrying
Pakistani GSM links and placed six of these on developmental
collection.
(S//SI//REL) The TAC further analyzed the links and engaged S2I
(Counterterrorism) to assess their value. S2I determined the links
served the Karachi area.
(TS//SI//REL) Because the NMDC identified the signals of interest
and informed the appropriate target offices, the MSOC received
sustained tasking for these signals in April from S2I11 (al-Qa'ida
Senior Leadership Branch). FORNSAT Planning (S33121) had
proactively installed two JUGGERNAUT systems in LADYLOVE,
Misawa's sustained mission area, but they lacked the modems
necessary to take over collection from the NMDC. Both the NMDC
and LADYLOVE engaged FORNSAT Planning and Collection
Management (S33123) branches to rectify the capability gap. In
June, FORNSAT Planning provided additional modems to enable the
collection of the GSM carriers. After the installation of the new
equipment in July, the collection of the Pakistani links moved from
the NMDC to LADYLOVE.
(TS//SI//REL) Since then, the NMDC has identified and added to
sustained collection six more Pakistani GSM infrastructure links--a
total of fourteen. These provide sole-source collection of the
infrastructure links for various GSM providers and enable
development and reporting on al-Qaeda senior leadership, which
primarily uses GSM and C2C 2 modes of communication.
(U//FOUO) So it was that Misawa's NMDC discovered an important
new target and drove the creation of a new mission capability.
(U) Notes:
1 (U) Global System for Mobile Communications--the most widely
used mobile phone system in the world.
2 (U) Computer-to-computer--includes email, chat and other
applications.
"(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