Author Description

Part of our comprehensive series on the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and its "spy satellite" network, this volume covers additional aspects of the history of the NRO as an organization, with a special focus on leaders, pioneers, and founders. It also includes the "lost" Volume IV history written by Robert Perry. Contents include: Section 1: Pioneers of National Reconnaissance Section 2: Program Directors of The NRO - ABC & D Section 3: Founders of National Reconnaissance Section 4: Leaders of The National Reconnaissance Office 1961-2001 Section 5: Directors of The National Reconnaissance Office at 50 Years Section 6: NRO History - Robert Perry -Identified by the NRO History Staff on 10 June 1999 as Being Robert Perry's Volume IV NRO designs, builds and operates the nation's reconnaissance satellites. NRO products, provided to an expanding list of customers like the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Department of Defense (DoD), can warn of potential trouble spots around the world, help plan military operations, and monitor the environment. As part of the 16-member Intelligence Community, the NRO plays a primary role in achieving information superiority for the U. S. Government and Armed Forces. A DoD agency, the NRO is staffed by DoD and CIA personnel. It is funded through the National Reconnaissance Program, part of the National Foreign Intelligence Program. The NRO Vision: Vigilance From Above. NRO Mission: Innovative Overhead Intelligence Systems for National Security. In recent years, the NRO has implemented a series of actions declassifying some of its operations. The organization was declassified in September 1992 followed by the location of its headquarters in Chantilly, VA, in 1994.