Geospacial intel

NGA commercial strategy moves ahead

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s strategy to tap the imaging and analytics capabilities of private industry is making steady progress, according to agency officials.

The plan, launched in October, calls for NGA to broaden its intelligence arsenal, speed the delivery of product and streamline acquisitions through closer cooperation with the commercial sector.

One of the strategy’s first goals is the exploration and evaluation of commercial geoint data and products, a process that planners say is solidly under way.

“We have been doing a number of assessments among the satellite builders, asking how accurate the satellites are, and how these providers and capabilities can satisfy our mission sets,” said John Goolgasian, NGA’s Director, Source/Content Portfolio Manager.

In addition to these evaluations, NGA has stepped up its efforts to leverage its buying power. At the instigation of Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, NGA started working more closely with the National Reconnaissance Office on strategic purchasing, a key goal within the new strategy.