DIA

EXPLAINING THE DIA’S CRITICAL ROLE IN NATIONAL SECURITY

First, the DIA conducts all-source analysis that spans a number of important regional and functional areas, taking the form of current intelligence and longer-term research projects. Foundational military intelligence does not just encompass order of battle analysis (assessments of a military’s organization, command structure, equipment, etc.), but also includes areas like emerging strategic technologies, infrastructure and logistics, arms sales, defense acquisition, and many others. Perhaps most importantly, the DIA contextualizes its analysis by considering the socio-economic and political circumstances driving nations to develop particular weapon systems. Interestingly, one of the many significant analytic contributions of the DIA is in the realm of unclassified analysis. The agency has released an unclassified assessment of Russian military capabilities, and is expected to do the same for Chinese, North Korean, and Iranian capabilities in support of the National Defense Strategy.

Also within the analytic sphere, DIA serves as the official coordinator for the broader Defense Intelligence Enterprise — a sprawling group of defense intelligence-related organizations — as well as an alternative voice of all-source analysis. On the latter point, the DIA maintains a regular seat at the table along with the CIA and the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research (the two other main all-source analytic organizations within the intelligence community) to constructively affirm and challenge the analytical assessments of one another. The development of independent institutional perspectives is critical to fostering an environment of competitive analysis.

On the collection side of the house, the DIA is responsible for collecting and processing defense human intelligence and measurements and signature intelligence. Of the two, the DIA’s defense human intelligence mission has been the subject of greater public scrutiny because of its apparent similarity to the CIA’s own human intelligence mission and the question of whether it can “provide unique capabilities to the intelligence community,” according to the House Arms Services Committee’s FY2014 National Defense Authorization report.