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US To Boost Satellite Reconnaissance Research
Washington - Feb 15, 2002 The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) will spearhead research and development activities to identify new intelligence collection technologies including new longer dwelling satellites, Peter Teets, under secretary of the Air Force and director of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), told reporters at the Pentagon last week. "NRO has a history of breakthrough technology, we want NRO to have research and development activity to come up with new technologies, Teets said. Specifically, the space and intelligence communities are interested in finding better ways to get "persistent" coverage and collection over targets and areas, Teets explained. The war in Afghanistan has shown, while the U.S. collection capabilities are good, "we need to add persistence," Teets added. For example, there is a need for more satellites in stationary orbit and to develop new technologies that can collect capabilities at high altitudes, he said. "You'd like to have more long dwell and have focused view on hot spots," Teets said. The NRO will continue its research and development activities to focus on these sorts of areas, according to Teets and other Pentagon officials involved with the space transformation efforts. The goal is to "find ways to gather intelligence information--find out the enemy's secrets," he added. Teets also reported that changes could be upcoming in some of the Pentagon's major new satellite programs. For example, he said DoD is mulling restructuring and possibly terminating altogether the Air Force's Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) High program being developed by a Lockheed Martin [LMT]- Northrop Grumman [NOC] team. On another high-profile satellite effort, the Future Imagery Architecture (FIA) program, Teets was reluctant to make any long-term predictions. While "in today's assessment Boeing is on schedule and on cost," Teets said the program will require "a lot of focus" and he plans to address concerns in a forward- looking plan to avoid problems in the program down the road. "FIA is currently on course and we're going to be attending to it with a great deal of focus," he said. The NRO two years ago selected Boeing [BA] over Lockheed Martin for the $4.5 billion FIA contract to develop a series of spy satellites over the coming decade (Defense Daily, Sept. 27, 1999). Since that time, government and industry officials have reported some stumbling blocks in the effort (Defense Daily, Sept. 7, 2000). Teets also announced the creation of two new offices in accordance with recommendations from the Space Commission report and various other organizational shifts. The Space Commission, which was headed by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld before his appointment to the top DoD post, assessed the state of U.S. space capabilities and national security space management. A new deputy for military space position has not been filled yet, but that person will oversee the military side of space activities, Teets said. That position will complement NRO Deputy Director Dennis Fitzgerald, who manages the day-to-day operations at the NRO, he noted. In addition, Air Force Maj. Gen. Michael Hamel has been tapped to head the directorate of national security space integration and will be responsible for implementing the best practices of military and national space programs. In Teets' role as government lead for national security space, he also has incorporated other elements of the space community under his purview to include the director of Air Force space acquisition, Air Force Maj. Gen. Joseph Sovey. Air Force Lt. Gen. Brian Arnold, the commander of Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles AFB, also will be the program executive officer for Air Force Space, Teets noted. Army Brig. Gen. Steve Ferrell is the new national security space architect. And, Army Lt. Gen. Joseph Cosumano, commander of Army Space and Missile Defense Command, oversees Army space activities. "Together these space professionals make a tremendous team to leverage our unparalleled talent from the military, intelligence community and industry to provide the nation with the best space capabilities to meet the challenges of the 21st century," Teets said. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express Military Space News at SpaceWar.com
Space Group To Activate New Unit
Colorado Springs CO (SPX) Jan 6, 2006Air Force Reserve Command's 310th Space Group will travel deeper into the space program when it activates a new unit Jan. 7. Headquarters Reserve National Security Space Institute will be a Reserve associate unit to the National Security Space Institute in Colorado Springs, Colo. The institute is the Department of Defense's focal point for providing education about space power in joint warfighting. |
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