AUTHORITY FOR THE NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE PROGRAM

DOMESTIC SATELLITE RECONNAISSANCE ACTIVITIES

Background. The National Reconnaissance Program (NRP)

was established as a national effort to satisfy those foreign

intelligence needs of the United States Government which can

best be met by overhead reconnaissance satellites. The NRP

consists of Photo and Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) satellites

that have a unique capability to obtain intelligence from

"denied areas" of the world. Information obtained by NRP

satellites is used in fulfilling national, political, economic,

strategic and tactical military, and scientific and technological intelligence needs. This information directly supports

national objectives and requirements, such as SALT monitoring,

Mutual Balanced Force Reductions, indications and warning,

and operation and command support:. The total NRP--the development, procurement and operation of reconnaissance satellites,

is conducted under extremely sensitive security policies and

procedures.

Organization. The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)

was established as a result of a Presidential decision to

create an intelligence collection program operating on a low

profile basis and using minimum management overhead. The

Secretary of Defense is the Executive Agent for the NRP. The

Under Secretary of the Air Force, in his assigned position

as the Director of the NRO, has been delegated the responsibility and authority for accomplishing the NRP mission.

The Executive Order assigned responsibility for acquisition

of intelligence data to the DCI.

The NRO is a separate agency of the Department of Defense

organized to provide a central, streamlined management agency

for the NRP. In addition to a headquarters staff, the NRO has

three Program Offices: Program A, an Air Force element located

at Los Angeles, California; Program B, a CIA element located in

Washington, D.C.; and Program C, within the Navy, also located

in Washington, D.C. These Program Offices have the responsibility to design, develop, and operate the reconnaissance

satellite systems.

III. Domestic Requirements. The NRP conducts limited domestic

photography collection in response to approved Intelligence

Commqnity and civilian requirements, as directed and approved

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by the DCI. NEP satellites also collect photography and

electronic data in support of satellite research and

development and system engineering tests. In the process

of performing essential research and development and system

engineering tests, NRP satellites inadvertently obtain

incidental electronic and photographic data on other than

test targets from within the United States. However, this

incidental collected domestic data is not exploited or used

in any way other than for development and system engineering

requirements.

Photography within the United States is taken by NRP

satellites for three purposes.

To fulfill tasking by the Committee on Imagery

Requirements and Exploitation, at the direction and approval

of the DCI, in support of the exploitation studies (target

signature comparison, photo interpreter training, and system

comparison tests); and to establish ground truth tests or

ground scene accuracy (by identifying a specific target and

measuring the exact dimensions and reflections of the target.)

In support of engineering tests, directed at

optimizing the information return of satellite systems

on-orbit.

c. In response tp civilian requirements, as established by the "Committee for Civilian Application of Classified

Photography of the United States," and as approved by the DCI,

such as mapping and forest and agricultural, geological surveys,

and special requirements.

IV. Implications of Executive Order 11905. Executive Order

11905 (page 27, para 5(b)(2)) prohibits foreign intelligence

agencies from performing "...electronic surveillance to

intercept a communication which is made from, or is.intended

by the sender to be received in, the United States, or directed

against United States persons abroad, except lawful electronic

surveillance under procedures approved by the Attorney

General...." The Executive Order also prohibits physical

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surveillance which is defined as "...continuing visual observe-

: tion by any means...." (page 25, para 5(a)(8)).

NRP authorized"and initiated domestic activities with

reconnaissance satellites are lidited to research and development, engineering tests and system improvement efforts on

.reconnaissance satellites. The NRO does not direct or task

any satellite to obtain domestic data for any purpose other

than for research and development and system engineering test

requirements. However, as identified, NRP satellites inadvertently obtain, in the course of performing routine research and

development and system engineering tests, intercepts of electronics

signals and communications and photographs of other than selected

test targets from within the United States.

Authority for the NRO to Conduct Essential Domestic Satellite 

Photo and Electronic Data Collection. The NRO is authorized to

perform essential domestic satellite photo and electronic data

collection for research and development and system engineering

test requirements. The Director of the NRO is delegated the

authority to perform these system essential requirements and

is charged with establishing and implementing procedures to

insure that operating elements of the NRP adhere to the spirit

and intent of Executive Order 11905; and that the domestic

data collected by the NRO for research and development and

engineering test requirements.

Implementation. The authority and responsibility contained in Section V will be implemented by the DNRO immediately

and will be set forth in Department of Defense Directive

Number TS 5105.23.