TRUE DEMOCRACY SUMMER 2001 TABLE OF CONTENTS
National Reconnaissance Office
Overview
The NRO designs, builds and operates the nation's
reconnaissance satellites. NRO products, provided to an expanding
list of customers like the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Department
of Defense (DoD), can warn of potential trouble spots around the world, help
plan military operations, and monitor the environment.
As part of the 13-member Intelligence Community
, the NRO plays a primary role in achieving information superiority for the
U. S. Government and Armed Forces.
A DoD agency, the NRO is staffed by DoD and CIA personnel. It is funded
through the National Reconnaissance Program, part of the National Foreign
Intelligence Program.
In recent years, the NRO has implemented a series of actions declassifying
some of its operations. The organization was declassified in September 1992
followed by the location of its headquarters in Chantilly, VA, in 1994. In
February 1995, CORONA, a photoreconnaissance
program in operation from 1960 to 1972, was declassified and 800,000 CORONA
images were transferred to the National Archives
and Records Administration. In December 1996, the NRO announced
for the first time, in advance, the launch of a
reconnaissance satellite.
Vision and Mission
As the 21st century approaches, the NRO is guided by its vision of being
Freedom's Sentinel in Space: One Team, Revolutionizing Global Reconnaissance.
The mission of the National Reconnaissance Office is to enable U.S. global
information superiority, during peace through war. The NRO is responsible
for the unique and innovative technology, large-scale systems engineering,
development and acquisition, and operation of space reconnaissance systems
and related intelligence activities needed to support global information
superiority.
Director, NRO
The Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space also serves as the Director
of the NRO. The Director of the NRO is appointed by the Director of Central
Intelligence (DCI) and the Secretary of Defense after being confirmed by
the Senate as the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space. The Director
reports to the Secretary of Defense who, in concert with the DCI, has ultimate
management and operational responsibility for the NRO. The DCI establishes
collection requirements and priorities for satellite-gathered intelligence.
Organization
Ed's Note: Does anything more need to be stated about this agency? Any agency
which would help the Central Intelligence Agency should not exist.
Information on the NRO was obtained by doing a search on my default search
engine on the internet, Apple-Excite.com.
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