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User:Raichael303/Central Intelligence Agency Directorate of Science & Technology

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CIA

The Directorate of Science and Technology is the branch of the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) tasked with collecting and analyzing information through technological means and develop technical systems in order to advance the CIA’s intelligence gathering.[1]

History

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DS&T is organized to accommodate to classified personnel based on their technical strengths. Depending on their background and area of expertise, DS&T have:

  • Operations Tradecraft: Create solutions to current technical problems using existing tools and designs
  • Technical Research: Researching to find solutions to existing problems by means of theoretical analysis
  • Technical Development: Ensuring current projects and intelligence officers are correctly managed through analysis
  • Technical Analysis: Conducting "all-source analysis"[2] to reduce the possibility of security faults, especially for the on-ground intelligence officers

While the organizational structure of DS&T is structured around an expertise agenda, meaning employees are placed into one of the four departments based on their previous knowledge and future aspirations, this directorate can be more easily understood by dividing it into two functionalities. The first is the processing and analysis of collected information, and second is the future advances and innovations in technology.


Projects

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The DS&T is one of five directorates within the CIA, with the other four being: administration, analysis, operations, and digital innovation. DS&T plays a special role in the CIA since it provides a wide-range of data and intelligence to all other directorates. From here, the various other directorates are able to take this information, analyze it, and effectively procure it to their needs.

DS&T has morphed into a vastly elaborate directorate since its original inception in 1948. This can be primarily due to the increasing data dependency many countries and societies are beginning to turn towards. The volume of intelligence that is sifted through in order to find what is needed, can be quite cumbersome. To help with this data-overload, DS&T has grown into a major player within the CIA. Many DS&T employees have done an excellent job in providing reliable and accurate information, which has helped to squander negative outcomes within traumatic worldwide events.[3]


Spy Satellite Development

CORONA film recovery process

Also in 1958 was the start of development of the CORONA Program, which was a spy satellite crafted through a joint effort of CIA and Air Force. CORONA was used to gain intelligence of the USSR’s nuclear development. This incredibly advanced program had a variety of daunting tasks. Because of this, it took 13 unsuccessful attempts to get the satellite in orbit with the camera fully functioning. August 18, 1960, on the 14th launch attempt, CORONA’s systems were a success. With the formation of the Deputy Directorate of Research in 1962, the CORONA and ARGON satellite programs were taken under its wing.[4]

Lithium-Iodine Battery

Lithium Ion Battery used by CIA

While this is not commonly known, the CIA developed and created the concept of long-term, reliable batter life with the lithium-ion battery.[5] The reasoning for the interest in technical development for this was to prolong the batter lifetime of many surveillance equipment used in the field. Once developers within the DS&T perfected the chemical composition in the mid 1960’s, it was then declassified to allow for use in the private sector.[6]

EarthViewer

Surveillance systems are at the core of the CIA’s Directorate of Science and Technology. Without the many advances done through EarthViewer, that was brought forward by the CIA’s own venture capitalist firm In-Q-Tel, Google Earth would be a shell of what it was when it first came out.[5] EarthViewer’s imaging possibilities provided the US Government with intelligent information about Iraqi troops and their overall movements. This 3D imaging system enabled CIA operatives to gain intelligent data on these visuals before going into a new region. The detail provided by these images allowed those in the field to gain incredibly valuable and accurate coordinate information.

EarthViwer’s primary use in the Middle East for reconnaissance was quickly sought after in many news outlets attempting to gain intel into the region. With all this newfound attention, Google sparked an interest and bought the software in 2004 which later became what’s now popularly used in everyday life: Google Earth.[7]  

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  1. ^ "Science & Technology — Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
  2. ^ "CIA Directorate of Science and Technology | What is the CIA Directorate of Science and Technology". Retrieved 2019-10-24.
  3. ^ "Directorate of Science and Technology" (PDF). CIA. 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ "Experience the Collection — Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
  5. ^ a b "Experience the Collection — Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
  6. ^ "Directorate of Science and Technology Innovations: Lithium-Ion Battery — Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
  7. ^ Garfield, Leanna. "The CIA's EarthViewer was basically the original Google Earth". Business Insider. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
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