- TOP SECRET 

~ ,-..IATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE OFFICE 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 

BYEMAN 

OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR October 18, 1971 

Dear l-loel: 

I would like you to join me in sponsoring a plan that 

c..:>uld be of high interest to the NRO and the NBA. It concerns the routing of ELINT data from low altitude satellites 

to tactical users. The idea is this: I feel that the direct 

distribution concept now in use for POppy ought to be applied 

to STRAWMAN and the P-lls. I believe that an arrangement 

like this would lead to faster reporting and would go a long 

way toward demonstrating the responsiveness of the NRO/MSA 

team ·to the' needs of tactical users. 

Let me be a little more explicit: As I understand it, 

POppy data now goes directly from the field intercept sites 

to Navy units (6th Fleet: FOSIF, Rota; and NOSIC) and simultaneously to NSA, Fort Meade, for further processing; in the 

case of STRAWMAN and the P-l1s~ all intercept data goes from 

the field site at I I to NSA, Fort Meade, 

for subsequent distr10ut10n to users. I would like to see 

STRAWMAN and P-ll data routed Simultaneously to NSA, Fort 

Meade, and to Navy units in the same way that POppy data is 

EARPOP 

now distributed. In the configuration I am describing, we 

wou:d be employing the NRO and the NSA structure to a greater 

extent than is the case in the Navy-to ... Navy reporting in the 

POppy system, because the NSA Support Detachment (NSD) is 

located at the field site,1 I th.at is, NSA would be 

doing the reQorting fot STRAWMAN and the P-l1s, making initial 

reports from a field site instead of from Fort Meade. Followup reports, correlated with oth.er data at Fort Meade, would 

also be furnished, of course. 

Considering that the cOl'l'mJunications and personnel re'" 

sources involved in a direct reporting system are relatively 

inexpensive, and that the interest in tactical ELINT, espec:tally 

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BYEMAN 

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TOP SECRET BYEMAN 

for ocean surveillance, is very high, I feel that we should 

get on with this dir'ect reporting system, as a joint NRO/NSA 

project. While some changes in NSA operating procedures would 

be required, I am sure you are aware that there are equally 

unusual operational concepts being tried out by the Navy--

including eV3n the stationing of the officer in tactical command at the shore-based FOSIF facility, one of which we would 

1e serving by these means. To reiterate: I would like to see 

the NRO and the NSA jointly displaying a very great willingness 

to adapt and improvise; I think we need to give solid evidence 

along those lines and "'nis simple reporting system would be a 

most ~ffective first step. 

'As a pilot run, therefore, I suggest we link ~I __ ~ __ ~~ __ ~ to the FOSIF at Rota, Spain, and to the WiSle in Maryland, in 

addition to the normal reporting link from! I to 

Fort Meade. Existing communications facilities will probably 

,be adequate. In my view, the arrangement should be maintained 

ind(:!finitely as a working example of national ELINT satetlites 

in ·3 tactical role. In the meantime, our periodic exercises, 

such as TANGIBLE and ROPEVAL, should continue to give sharper 

quantitative insights into specific problems. 

I would appreciate you~ thoughts on the subject. 

Sincerely, 

Vice Admiral Noel Gayler 

Director, National Secur.ity Agency 

Fort -Meade, Maryland 

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