U.S. Plans New Satellite Program
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Defense Department want to modernize the nation's aging satellite-imagery architecture by evolving government-owned satellite designs and enhancing use of U.S. commercial providers, officials said Tuesday. Multiple government studies and an independent panel of former defense and intelligence experts demonstrated the need for a new path forward after examining current imagery, alternative architectures, cost and affordability, technological risk and industry readiness. A new plan by ODNI requires congressional approval but officials hope once that happens, implementation can begin in the coming months. Commercial imagery elements of the initiative would likely be operational in several years and the overall system would be fully deployed before the end of the next decade.
Under the proposal, government satellites would be developed, built and operated by the National Reconnaissance Office and the defense and intelligence communities would increase the use of imagery available through U.S. commercial providers. The additional capability would provide the government with more flexibility to respond to unforeseen challenges, officials said. The less complex satellites based on technologies already in production by U.S. vendors would be available sooner than the much more capable NRO-developed systems. The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency would continue to integrate capabilities as well as imagery products.
"Imagery is a core component of our national security that supports our troops, foreign policy, homeland security and the needs of our intelligence community," Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair said in a press release. "Our proposal is an integrated, sustainable approach based on cost, feasibility and timeliness that meets the needs of our country now and puts in place a system to ensure that we will not have imagery gaps in the future." He added that under the existing system, "we are living with the consequences of past mistakes in acquisition strategy, and we cannot afford to do so." Read more on this in CongressDaily's PM Edition.
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