NRO spy satellites help CIA conduct secret missions
The NRO is the most super-secret intelligence agency; it maintains America’s spy satellite fleet- its very existence was classified and hid from the public until 1992, when the DCI recommended its presence be declassified.
The NRO stands for the “National Reconnaissance Office”, a U.S. Government intelligence agency in charge of designing, building, launching, and maintaining America’s spy satellites. It is not part of the CIA and is integrated into the Department of Defense (DOD) agency- but it is staffed by both DOD and CIA personnel. It is funded through the National Reconnaissance Program, part of the National Foreign Intelligence Program.
The NRO work for the Secretary of Defense and the Director of the NRO reports to both the Director of National Intelligence and the Secretary of Defense. You probably guessed by now that it is a hybrid organization consisting of some 3,000 personnel including NRO cadre, Air Force, Army, CIA, NGA, NSA, Navy and US Space Force personnel! No surprise that it is funded out of both the U.S. intelligence budget and the military budget to the tune of roughly $ 6.7 billion annually.
Its amalgam nature symbolizes its importance to America’s national security; it is committed to protecting the security of the U.S., its citizens, and its allies through unparalleled capabilities in space-based intelligence gathering, surveillance and reconnaissance. NRO spy satellites capture signals and images that are critical to keeping us out of harm’s way. Not only do they reveal threats to the homeland, but they also provide battlefield awareness, support counternarcotics, survey the damage from natural disasters, and much more.
The reason the NRO was created further shows its importance. It was formed during the height of the Cold War when the Soviet Union launched the Sputnik satellite. The POTUS immediately created a super-secret, classified organization on September 6, 1961that would oversee “all satellite and overflight reconnaissance projects whether overt or covert”. The NRO remained a secret until 1992.
In the MISSION OF VENGEANCE spy thriller, the CIA relies heavily on NRO spy satellites to help it execute its missions. Here’s a short Snippet:
“We’re operating at Obscure Transgression. The OT team is officially activated although I already called in team eleven and they’re here now. The Dirty Tricks Division is sailing from Abaco, Bahamas as we speak, and Morrison is repositioning the stealth satellites to fly over Bocharov’s estate. In fact, the IMINT satellite is snapping pictures right now.”
End of Snippet
Lastly, enjoy this video- WE ARE THE NRO.
Robert Morton is a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) and enjoys writing about the U.S. Intelligence Community. He authors the Corey Pearson- CIA Spymaster series. Check out his latest spy thriller: MISSION OF VENGEANCE.