72The Military Engineer L January-February L 2010 expertise to provide everything from foundation-based products that supply baseline information, such as mapping support for targeting missions and geo- spatial intelligence support for imagery collections, to special operations mis- sions that require intelligence analy- sis that coincides with the operations tempo. The NSTs, which were created in 2001, have a history of support to the COCOMs, providing critical skills in im- agery and mapping, as well as helping military personnel and leadership un- derstand the purpose of NGAs digital products. With the focus on geospatial intelligence and the creation of NSG, the NSTs began to re?ect their larger ef- fort of analysis and expand the reach of their support. The NST concept has matured; now we need to pull together to focus and unify support to the COCOMs to be suc- cessful in meeting the mission needs that arise under the demanding, intel- ligence operations tempo, Maloney said. We are acting to minimize delays and undertake more responsibility. MOG has been deliberative in its ap- proach, seeking to improve upon best processes and provide only the most innovative technologies and products while reducing duplication and bu- reaucratic processes that would other- wise complicate its ability to provide timely, relevant analysis. The current level of system and architecture sup- port enables both NGA and NSG to push relevant information forward to NSTs while also allowing them to reach back to NGA and other agencies for in- formation and products rapidly and on a global scale. The U.S. Southern Command One example of this integrated ap- proach is demonstrated by the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) NST. At the commands request, NGA personnel are working proactively to support Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations and exercises for U.S. embassies. Over the past nine months, NST has supported seven short-notice ISR operations to countries throughout the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility. In one recent mission, NST analysts examined thousands of still images and hours of video after two days of ?ight operations over multiple areas in the SOUTHCOM region. Using soft-copy data and performing analysis on lap- top computers, the analysts produced ?rst-phase images and geospatial prod- ucts quickly. The products were dis- seminated to analysts at SOUTHCOM headquarters as well as U.S. embassy personnel for eventual release to the host nation. The team also provides technical sup- port to the command. One such effort addressed the challenges associated with ISR deployments and involved NST team members including the Tech- nical Executive, the NGA InnoVision Directorate, the SOUTHCOM Deputy Director for Collections and the U.S. Army Communications Electronics Re- search Development and Engineering Center. The integrated team developed a plan that enabled ?eld deployment of the WATCH-IT system, which enables imaging analysis to occur in remote locations to exploit foliage-penetrating data. The NST team is leading the effort for permanent integration of the de- ployable WATCH-IT for use by the com- mand when necessary. A Global Operation Overall, NSTs support to the warf- ighter comprise more than 500 per- sonnel spread globally among COCOM bases and facilities. In addition, NGA has deployed hundreds of analysts and staff to both Iraq and Afghanistan, most of whom are embedded with U.S. forces in theatre. To help manage the overall NST scope and mission, MOG works closely with the NGA Analysis and Production Direc- torates regional and functional of?ces as well as with other of?ces within the agency, such as the Of?ce of Geospa- tial Intelligence Management, Source Operations and Management, Enter- prise Operations and InnoVision—the research and development arm of the agency—in an effort to provide the best products and services as well as exam- ine future needs and capabilities. Maintaining and operating a global operation, with teams who are not in the NGA footprint, is challenging, so we must prioritize, said Maloney. The Under Secretary of Defense for Intelli- gence and the Joint Chiefs are also en- gaged in the review process and give us added insight into mission needs. The Director of National Intelligence and Congress help to inform and shape our future allocations. The process of standardization has proved challenging. Because each em- bedded NST brings a unique business process as well as various intellectual and philosophical underpinnings, changing some of the standards and practices may be more arduous than others. There is always a trust issue, and a certain amount of a culture shift will need to take place, Maloney stated. The future will be challenging, so we need to rebalance our commitments; for mission success, the NSTs will not be static but ?uid and work in full trans- parency as operational needs change. Being a nation at war on multiple fronts, the sense of urgency facing the geospatial intelligence community is evident. As Vice Adm. Robert B. Murrett, USN, Director of NGA, emphasized, Geospatial intelligence plays a critical role in virtually every intelligence com- munity and Department of Defense mission; we will not fail to partner as closely as possible with our counterpart agencies and ensure that geospatial in- telligence is effectively utilized when- ever and wherever it is needed. Laura L. Lundin is Public Affairs Of?cer, Of?ce of Corporate Communications, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency; 301-227-7772, or laura.l.lundin@nga.mil. Being a nation at war on multiple fronts, the sense of urgency facing the geospatial intelligence community is evident.
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