Definition of the IC
Leadership of the IC
Management of the IC
Members of the IC
Relationships with Other Government Organizations |
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The National
Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is a major intelligence
and combat support agency of the Department of Defense. It
supports U.S. national policy makers and military forces by
providing timely, relevant, and accurate geospatial intelligence
derived by the exploitation and analysis of imagery and geospatial
information to describe, assess, and visually depict physical
features and geographically referenced activities on the Earth.
As the Intelligence Community's functional manager for baseline
geospatial intelligence, NGA provides critical support to
the national decision-making process and the operational readiness
of America's military forces.
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The exclusive
business of NGA is intelligence, and therefore the entire Agency
is considered to be a member of the Intelligence Community.
NGA’s Contribution
to Intelligence
The mission supports national security objectives by providing geospatial intelligence in all its forms, and from whatever
source—imagery, imagery intelligence, and cartographic data and information—to ensure the knowledge foundation for planning, decision, and action.
NGA was established October 1, 1996, as the National
Imagery and Mapping Agency, by the National Imagery and Mapping
Agency Act of 1996. Its name was changed in 2003 by the 2004 Defense
Appropriation Bill.
The agency centralizes responsibility for imagery and mapping, representing a fundamental step toward achieving the Department of Defense vision of "dominant battle space awareness." It exploits the tremendous potential of enhanced collection systems, digital processing technology and the prospective expansion in commercial imagery.
NGA makes its contribution to intelligence through the National System for Geospatial Intelligence (NSGI), the integration
of technology, policies, capabilities, and doctrine necessary to conduct Geospatial Intelligence in a multi-intelligence environment.
With Headquarters
in Bethesda, Md., NGA operates major facilities in the northern
Virginia, Washington, D.C., and St. Louis, Mo., areas as well as
support and liaison offices worldwide.
NGA Vision:
Know the Earth … Show the Way
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Supplies
geospatial intelligence in all its forms, and from whatever
source-imagery, imagery intelligence, and geospatial data and
information-to ensure the knowledge foundation for planning,
decision, and action.
- Provides
easy access to geospatial intelligence databases for all stakeholders.
- Creates
tailored, customer-specific geospatial intelligence, analytic
services, and solutions.
From its beginning, the agency has focused on its customers by providing uninterrupted
support for current requirements while transitioning from an analog
environment to the digital domain.
NGA’s Strategic
Goals:
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First and foremost, to respond to analysis and production demands in what is considered a perpetual state of crisis.
- To champion and complete a complex set of major investments, to move to the NEXT level of the National System for Geospatial Intelligence (NSGI).
- To forge the AFTER-NEXT environment by constantly driving future technical trends and applying them to operational needs, inserting technology rapidly, and providing relevant Geospatial Intelligence, services, and
solutions.
- To align human resource plans, policies, and services with the agency's Strategic Intent and Core Values, in recognition that all that is done is completely dependent on NGA's most important resource, the agency's people—government
and contractor.
- To continue
the transformation of the NGA business model by using best
practices to enhance the agency's position as the premier Geospatial
Intelligence provider.
- To lead the
NSGI as Functional Manager.
- To capitalize
on all forms of traditional or non-traditional data including
National Technical Means, airborne, civil, and commercial sources.
- To champion
multi-intelligence collaboration.
- To rely on
partners-both domestic and foreign-to help conduct the mission.
- To transform
the agency's infrastructure.
NGA serves
as the programmatic and functional manager for the end-to-end geospatial
intelligence process, which includes the cycle of activities for
tasking imagery collection, processing raw intelligence data, exploiting
imagery intelligence, and disseminating information and knowledge
to consumers.
NGA
supports national policy objectives by committing substantial geospatial
analysis resources to the priorities identified in Presidential
Decision Directive 35, especially as it relates to diplomatic and
regional security policy, arms control and treaty monitoring activities,
counterterrorism, nonproliferation, chemical and biological warfare,
and information operations activities.
Underscoring the vision of Know the Earth...Show the Way is the understanding that integration of imagery intelligence and geospatial information is crucial to every national security activity the US Government undertakes. To be successful in peace, crisis, and war, national security officials and military decisionmakers require:
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A controlled
imagery base for a diverse range of imagery information (including satellite
photo-reconnaissance data). Included with these data are imagery
analyses.
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Elevation
data—when combined with imagery these data allow three dimensional scene
visualization. In addition to enabling a more realistic and intuitive visualization
capability, elevation data are essential to precision strike capabilities.
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Data on
natural and manmade features. Such "feature" data
enhance the understanding of objects on, above, and below the
Earth surface and are crucial for aeronautical and nautical
safety of navigation.
Personnel:
The NGA work force is in fields such as cartography, imagery analysis, the physical
sciences, geodesy, computer and telecommunication engineering, and photogrammetry.
The Future:
NGA greatly enhanced its information holdings with the Shuttle Radar Topography
Mission (SRTM). The SRTM collected near-global elevation data with a specially
modified radar system. The raw data collected is being converted into digital
terrain elevation data, which will provide an evenly spaced grid of elevation
measurements of the Earth’s surface. SRTM proved to be one of the best geospatial
collection tools in the history of mapping.
NGA’s Corporate Messages:
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NGA provides the
Intelligence Community the Center of Excellence for Geospatial Intelligence
and serves as functional manager for the National System for
Geospatial Intelligence (NSGI).
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NGA integrates geospatial
analysis and imagery intelligence to provide the baseline geospatial
intelligence framework employed by the US Intelligence Community to support
US National Security.
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The agency synchronizes its
vision, message, organization, and actions to provide timely, relevant, and
accurate geospatial intelligence to ensure that national and military customers
achieve success.
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NGA plays a leading role in
the Intelligence Community and the Department of Defense in strengthening and
transforming our national intelligence system.
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The Agency's organizing principle in its support to customers is NGA Now,
NGA Next, and NGA After Next.
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NGA plays a critical role in the war on terrorism and in homeland
security.
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NGA's business practices, system development and acquisition, and incorporation of
advanced technology all serve to accelerate its transformation and
modernization effort.
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NGA's partnerships and outsourcing initiatives with government, industry,
and academia are critical components of the agency's transformation efforts.
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Commercial
imagery and derived information remains vital to NGA's
geospatial intelligence mission.
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NGA maintains
a dedicated, diverse high quality workforce through innovative
human development practices and by providing the training
and education necessary to remain at the cutting edge of tradecraft.
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Related
Links
NGA’s Web Site
NGA Statement of Strategic Intent
NGA
Organization
NGA
Products
What's New at NGA
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