Intelligence

NGA to gather more unclassified economic, military intel from commercial sats

NGA to gather more unclassified economic, military intel from commercial sats
NGA to gather more unclassified economic, military intel from commercial sats

“Commercial analytics-as-a-service, or the purchase of analysis vice pixels, means that we can integrate commercial capabilities faster into our existing products and services (e.g., object detection),” an NGA spokesperson told Breaking Defense.

No service can fight on its own: JADC2 demands move from self-sufficiency to interdependency

No service can fight on its own: JADC2 demands move from self-sufficiency to interdependency
No service can fight on its own: JADC2 demands move from self-sufficiency to interdependency

Making all-domain operations a warfighting capability means integrating, fusing, and disseminating a sensor picture appropriate for a particular theater segment, not all of them, says the Mitchell Institute’s David Deptula.

Lawmakers push IC for more commercial imagery acquisition, transparency

Lawmakers push IC for more commercial imagery acquisition, transparency
Lawmakers push IC for more commercial imagery acquisition, transparency

While Capitol Hill has been pushing the IC to buy more commercial imagery and geospatial analysis, “we still see some level of underinvestment,” said Frank Garcia, professional staffer at the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

HASC intel subcommittee pushes Pentagon, IC on ISR gaps, overlaps

HASC intel subcommittee pushes Pentagon, IC on ISR gaps, overlaps
HASC intel subcommittee pushes Pentagon, IC on ISR gaps, overlaps

The subcommittee is “encouraging the use of commercially available data” to help fill ISR gaps identified by military commanders, but there’s also has concerns about overlap in acquisition of commercial ISR.

NRO contracts 5 commercial SAR firms for study, considers official acquisition

NRO contracts 5 commercial SAR firms for study, considers official acquisition
NRO contracts 5 commercial SAR firms for study, considers official acquisition

Later in the contracting process, NRO potentially will “have the wherewithal to purchase ad hoc imagery, data products and the like,” said Pete Muend, director of the spy agency’s Commercial Systems Program Office.

NGA working with NRO to target satellite imagery ‘deep fakes’

NGA working with NRO to target satellite imagery ‘deep fakes’
NGA working with NRO to target satellite imagery ‘deep fakes’

NGA’s Chief Information Office Mark Andress said he has an entire engineering team dedicated to certifying the accuracy and validity of imagery products and the metadata around them.

Commercial GEOINT Raises Questions About NGA, IC Roles, Says Gordon

Commercial GEOINT Raises Questions About NGA, IC Roles, Says Gordon
Commercial GEOINT Raises Questions About NGA, IC Roles, Says Gordon

“Is the coin of the realm the 70 years of craft that they have, or is it about what they uniquely hold?” asked former ODNI deputy Sue Gordon.

As BlackSky Tees Up Hourly Imagery, NRO Extends Contract

As BlackSky Tees Up Hourly Imagery, NRO Extends Contract
As BlackSky Tees Up Hourly Imagery, NRO Extends Contract

“We really view ourselves, not as a space company, not as a satellite company, but as a geospatial intelligence company,” says BlackSky’s Chief Technical Officer Peter Wegner.

Exclusive: NRO Erects Buy American Barriers Against Allied Satellite Data

Exclusive: NRO Erects Buy American Barriers Against Allied Satellite Data
Exclusive: NRO Erects Buy American Barriers Against Allied Satellite Data

The new policy is inconsistent with efforts by DoD and NGA to expand the trusted supplier base by better integrating allied firms into their acquisition chains, critics say.

ICEYE Eyes DoD, IC With New Daily SAR-Sat Capability

ICEYE Eyes DoD, IC With New Daily SAR-Sat Capability
ICEYE Eyes DoD, IC With New Daily SAR-Sat Capability

ICEYE’s synthetic aperture radar system can now track changes at bases or at sea on a daily basis, which the company is touting as game-changing.

SAR-Sat Startup Umbra Emerges From Stealth Mode

SAR-Sat Startup Umbra Emerges From Stealth Mode
SAR-Sat Startup Umbra Emerges From Stealth Mode

The company plans at least 24 satellites, each with a patented SAR antenna that folds up “like origami” for launch and unfurls on orbit, says Umbra COO Todd Master.

Key Lawmaker Warns Off Space Force On Tactical ISR

Key Lawmaker Warns Off Space Force On Tactical ISR
Key Lawmaker Warns Off Space Force On Tactical ISR

“I think before you hand off the ball, let’s make sure there won’t be a fumble — and the Space Force has a lot on it’s plate right now,” Rep. Jim Cooper says.

NGA Seeks Upgraded Software To Speed Analysis

NGA Seeks Upgraded Software To Speed Analysis
NGA Seeks Upgraded Software To Speed Analysis

The goal is to have an improved version of the Data Transformation Services (DTS) system up and running on classified NGA networks by next February, the agency’s request for information (RFI) says.

Exclusive: Army Plan May Loosen IC Grip On Sat-Based ISR

Exclusive: Army Plan May Loosen IC Grip On Sat-Based ISR
Exclusive: Army Plan May Loosen IC Grip On Sat-Based ISR

“The Army needs information when and where they want it,” said Rob Zitz, a former Army intel official. “The IC should not get a vote on what Army needs or how Army executes combat missions.”