Elodie Collins 
- NRO and NSA are modernizing their SIGINT infrastructures to meet evolving demands
- The reorganizations at both agencies are creating new opportunities for industry
- Join NRO and NSA leaders at the 2026 Intel Summit on Sept. 24
The intelligence community is facing increasingly sophisticated threats as adversaries such as China and Russia expand their capabilities to disrupt U.S. operations. The National Reconnaissance Office and the National Security Agency are evolving and modernizing their architectures and processes to keep pace with these threats and secure a decision advantage.
NSA Deputy Director Tim Kosiba and NRO SIGINT Directorate Chief Architect Ryan Lewis will keynote the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Intel Summit on Sept. 24. Kosiba and Lewis join a lineup of keynote speakers that also includes leaders from the FBI, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Space Force and Drug Enforcement Administration. Sign up today to hear exclusive insights from the figures leading the IC!
How Are NRO and NSA Working Together?
A joint interagency analysis published by the Simons Center describes common multi-intelligence fusion information capabilities, or MFI, that NRO and NSA have developed over the years.
The paper characterized the partnership between the two agencies as a “whole-of-government teaming,” in which NRO capabilities advance NSA’s national security and defense missions. MFI, according to the paper, improves NRO’s overhead data utility and increases NSA’s situational awareness.
The Department of War’s Directive 5100.20 also officially assigns NSA as the cryptology lead for the U.S. government. NSA Central Security Service, or NSA/CSS, is responsible for signals intelligence production, collection, processing, analysis and dissemination.
How Is NRO Structuring Its Satellite Layer?
NRO is fielding two collection layers simultaneously: a proliferated architecture of hundreds of small satellites and a legacy system critical to maritime security.
Starshield
The proliferated architecture, described as the largest government satellite constellation in the nation’s history, represents a significant transformation for the agency’s approach to space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
At the core of the constellation is Starshield, a spacecraft built specifically for government use. In 2021, SpaceX secured a $1.8 billion contract from NRO to build a space-based spy network with hundreds of satellites that provide Earth-imaging capabilities and can operate in swarms in low orbits.
As of May, NRO has launched 13 batches of satellites, believed to be Starshield platforms, into low Earth orbit, MSN reported.
Whereas Starlink is designed to deliver broadband satellites, Starshield is meant to carry mission-specific payloads. Previous reports have indicated that Northrop Grumman is working with SpaceX on some satellite buses and sensors.
Naval Signals Intelligence
The July 30 NROL-95 launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 stood out from previous launches. According to reports, the flight carried a Naval Ocean Surveillance System, or NOSS, satellite.
NOSS has been delivering electronic signals intelligence for the U.S. Navy since the 1970s. Its satellites do not emit any signal; instead, the system monitors radar and communications signals emitted by ships. The decades-old constellation utilizes radio frequency geolocation to pinpoint the position and track naval vessels.
SatNews noted that the launch represented a critical milestone for the NRO as it divides its 2026 operational fleet between its proliferated architecture and signals intelligence platforms. Data from the NROL-95 mission will be transmitted to the Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Collaboration, a multinational initiative that monitors vessels operating in critical shipping lanes.
NROL-95 is the third NRO mission launched as part of the National Security Space Launch
Phase 2 contract managed by the Space Force’s Space Systems Command.
Expanding Capability
While the NRO keeps its satellite capabilities and orbits strictly classified, the agency confirmed following its NROL-172 launch that its constellation now supports ground moving target indicator, or GMTI, as part of the Department of War’s space-based sensing and targeting architecture.
The intelligence agency is working with the Space Force to field space-based GMTI. Lt. Gen. DeAnna Burt, deputy chief of space operations for operations, cyber and nuclear at the Space Force, shared that satellites capable of supporting the GMTI missions will launch in 2026, and satellites specifically designed for the GMTI mission will go into orbit in 2028.
The Space Force is also developing a constellation for air-moving target indication.
Maj. Gen. Brian Sidari, deputy chief of space operations for intelligence at the Space Force, will keynote the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Intel Summit on Sept. 24. Get your tickets today!
How Is NRO Modernizing Its Ground Systems?
NRO’s ground systems are undergoing a similar transformation to meet the renewed demands of the agency’s expanding satellite constellation. Speaking at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Air and Space Summit, NRO Deputy Director Maj. Gen. Christopher Povak shared that the agency is in the midst of its Future Ground Architectures 3.0 program to support increasing numbers of space systems and volumes of data.
Povak said that, under FGA 3.0, NRO is adopting artificial intelligence and machine learning, object curation, and data fusion tools to merge the data the agency collects with commercial and tactical detections. By driving automation, the agency aims to enable a closed-loop tasking, collection, processing, exploitation and dissemination, and enhance indication, warning and tracking capabilities.
FGA 3.0 is the newest iteration of an effort that the NRO has been pursuing for years. Former NRO Director Betty J. Sapp introduced the concept in 2015, saying that the architecture will enable the agency to adapt to evolving threats, expand space-based capabilities and improve service delivery.
NRO’s 2020 Year in Review reported the completion of nine out of 27 planned capabilities under FGA 2.0, extending the agency’s ground capabilities portfolio to support new sensors and spacecraft.
How Is NSA Fusing SIGINT & Cyber Operations?
NSA’s mandate extends to cyber operations. The agency’s Cybersecurity Collaboration Center, under NSA/CSS, identifies non-public indicators of known bad actor activity by collecting and processing foreign SIGINT and cyber activities.
The CCC provides industry partners with cybersecurity intelligence derived from foreign SIGINT data. In a 2021 report, NSA said the center made thousands of analytical exchanges with industry partners to help identify threats. As of 2025, CCC has about 1,500 partners that work together to monitor foreign adversary threats, GovCIO Media & Research reported.
How Multi-INT Fusion Is Moving to the Tactical Edge
Beyond NRO and NSA, the need for multi-domain fusion extends to the tactical edge, where the Army is fielding its own AI-enabled system.
The Army’s Tactical Intelligence Targeting Access Node, or TITAN, is designed to process data from space, high-altitude, aerial and terrestrial layer sensors to improve target recognition and geolocation. The system leverages automation to reduce sensor-to-shooter timelines.
What This Means for GovCons
The rearchitecture and modernization of the IC’s SIGINT infrastructure have opened acquisition pathways for companies that deliver data and advanced tools needed to support intelligence missions.
NRO already maintains active commercial contracts under its Strategic Commercial Enhancement vehicle with radio frequency, electro-optical, hyperspectral imaging and synthetic aperture radar capability providers, including EarthDaily, ICEYE and Pixxel.
Povak also said in his 2025 Air and Space Summit keynote that the agency is utilizing new acquisition processes and contract models and partnering with non-traditional suppliers to obtain capability requirements fast.
NSA’s transformation is also creating similar demands for capabilities. In 2025, Leidos secured a $390 million contract with the NSA for SIGINT analysis, engineering and reporting tools. BigBear.ai subsidiary PCI also received a five-year NSA contract to support the development and implementation of strategy, plans and guidance related to achieving a decision advantage.
Discover more opportunities to support the IC at the 2026 Intel Summit! Intelligence leaders from various agencies will be present at the event to explore operational challenges and identify mission-critical capability requirements. Register today to secure your spot!
