Author Description

Part of our comprehensive series on the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and its "spy satellite" network, this volume covers the history of the NRO as an organization, along with documents outlining its strategic vision and plans. Contents include: Section 1: NRO At 50 Years - A Brief History Section 2: National Reconnaissance Office - The Nation's Eyes And Ears In Space Section 3: A National Reconnaissance Pocket History: Foundation For The Future Section 4: Innovative Overhead Intelligence Systems For National Security Section 5: The NRO At Forty: Ensuring Global Information Supremacy Section 6: National Reconnaissance Almanac Section 7: National Reconnaissance Office 2009 Strategic Plan 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 16-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. The NRO Vision: Vigilance From Above. NRO Mission: Innovative Overhead Intelligence Systems for National Security. 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.