National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
Seal of the NGA
Flag of the NGA

NGA Campus East, headquarters of the agency
Agency overview
FormedOctober 1, 1996 (1996-10-01) (as the National Imagery and Mapping Agency)
Preceding agency
  • Defense Mapping Agency, Central Imagery Office, and Defense Dissemination Program Office
HeadquartersFort Belvoir, Virginia, U.S.[1]
38°45′12″N 77°11′49″W / 38.7532°N 77.1969°W / 38.7532; -77.1969
Motto"Know the Earth, Show the Way... from Seabed to Space"
EmployeesAbout 14,500[2]
Annual budgetClassified (at least $4.9 billion, as of 2013)[3]
Agency executives
Parent departmentDepartment of Defense
Websitenga.mil
Footnotes
[4]
United States
Armed Forces
Executive departments
Staff
Military departments
Military services
Command structure
Unified combatant commands
Combat support agencies
Combat Response Agencies

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is a combat support agency within the United States Department of Defense whose primary mission is collecting, analyzing, and distributing geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) in support of national security. Initially known as the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) from 1996 to 2003, it is a member of the United States Intelligence Community.[7]

NGA headquarters, also known as NGA Campus East or NCE, is located at Fort Belvoir North Area in Springfield, Virginia. The agency also operates major facilities in the St. Louis, Missouri area (referred to as NGA Campus West or NCW), as well as support and liaison offices worldwide. The NGA headquarters, at 2,300,000 square feet (210,000 m2), is the third-largest government building in the Washington metropolitan area after The Pentagon and the Ronald Reagan Building.[8]

In addition to using GEOINT for U.S. military and intelligence efforts, NGA provides assistance during natural and artificial disasters, aids in security planning for major events such as the Olympic Games,[9] disseminates maritime safety information,[10] and gathers data on climate change.[11]

The eighth and current director of the agency is Vice Admiral Frank D. Whitworth III.[5]

  1. ^ "NGA Campus East Fact Sheet" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 21, 2014.
  2. ^ "About NGA". National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  3. ^ Gellman, Barton; Greg Miller (August 29, 2013). "U.S. spy network's successes, failures and objectives detailed in 'black budget' summary". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 29, 2013.
  4. ^ "GSP - GSP". www.esa.int.
  5. ^ a b "United States Navy Flag Officers (Public), June 2022" (PDF). MyNavyHR. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 1, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  6. ^ "About NGA". National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. August 5, 2021. Archived from the original on August 5, 2021.
  7. ^ "10 U.S. Code § 441 - Establishment". LII / Legal Information Institute.
  8. ^ Serbu, Jared (September 27, 2011). "Geospatial intelligence HQ is now DC's 3rd largest federal office building". Federal News Radio. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  9. ^ "About NGA". Archived from the original on October 6, 2014.
  10. ^ "Maritime Safety Information". msi.nga.mil. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  11. ^ Perez, Lisbeth (June 3, 2021). "NGA Crunching Climate Change Data for National Security Decision-Making". MeriTalk. Retrieved June 30, 2021.