The agency has a unique history. They are a workforce that has proven its ability to adapt and work together to provide timely, accurate and relevant geospatial intelligence to our nation’s decision makers. Below is just a glimpse of what has happened in the last 10 years…

1996

National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) established

Created under the Department of Defense (DoD) to provide mapping and charting products and services to a wide variety of customers, including the armed forces and the government. NIMA integrated a long list of predecessor agencies and departments to form one agency with the goal to provide imagery and geospatial information in a timely fashion. NIMA’s creation brought together the Defense Mapping Agency (DMA), the Central Imagery Office (CIO), the Defense Dissemination Program Office (DDPO), and CIA's National Photographic Interpretation Center (NPIC), as well as elements of the Defense Intelligence Agency, National Reconnaissance Office and the Defense Airborne Reconnaissance Office.

NIMA helped create Earth Gravity Model 96 (EGM96)

EGM96 was part of the enhancement done to the World Geodetic System (WGS84). It was an international endeavor that included a joint effort between NIMA, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Ohio State University and scientists around the world. The new model improved accuracy in GPS readings, satellite orbit determination and measurements collected by geodetic satellites. This meant more accurate navigation and targeting.

1997

Wildfires in Indonesia

NIMA produced 78 imagery-derived maps covering a total of 13 million acres. These maps not only helped the Indonesian authorities, but also the U.S. military reserve units deployed to the area to assist in fire suppression efforts.

NIMA led the Image Collateralization Initiative within the Department of Defense

NIMA became the leader of the Image Collateralization Initiative by providing operational sites to electronically distribute secret collateral satellite imagery within the DoD. By eliminating higher security restrictions, NIMA was able to develop the system needed for this kind of imagery to be delivered to its customers in a more timely fashion.

1998

NIMA supported competitors in Around Alone Race

Through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between NIMA and COMSAT Mobile Communications, 16 sailors benefited from the use of NIMA products to navigate alone for 27,000 miles around the globe in nine months. Their use of chart portfolios, pilot chart atlases and the Worldwide Navigational Warning System (WWNWS) enabled them to finish the race.

NIMA's Arnold Facility in Arnold, Mo., opened

The opening of NIMA’s Arnold facility in Jefferson County, Mo., was another step in ensuring the information edge. The new building housed a computer-to-plate printing plant, remote and CD-ROM replication activities, a digital scanning and conversion facility, and the Customer Help Desk.

NIMA led Arctic Gravity Project (ArcGP)

ArcGP was born at the International Conference of Arctic Margins in Celle, Germany, where the NIMA representative led this multinational project. The goal of the project was to standardize all the gravity data available for the Arctic region and create a uniform gravity grid for the area. The applications for this were numerous, from more accurate satellite orbiting, to more insight into the tectonics dynamics of the region, to enhancement in weapons accuracy requirements and targeting.

Peace Accord between Ecuador and Peru signed

NIMA supported the Peace Agreement by creating maps and image products used in the negotiations on the border dispute between Ecuador and Peru. During the decades-long border dispute, diplomatic negotiation proved fruitless. The signing of the Peace Agreement was hailed as a positive step. NIMA’s products facilitated the process of demarcating the new frontier for both countries.

Operation Desert Fox in Iraq

American and British forces bombed Baghdad for violating a U.N. order for inspection of weapons. NIMA created products, including digital terrain elevation data (DTED) over Iraq, used for mission planning. The intelligence community partnered to support the operation, and NIMA played an essential role in getting the weapons on target.

IDEX Machines Replaced

Integrated Exploitation Capability (IEC) softcopy exploitation workstations began replacing Imagery Data Exploitation System (IDEX) machines. IDEX machines are now on display at the Smithsonian.

1999

NIMA supported Secret Service during papal visit to St. Louis

The Secret Service provided protection to Pope John Paul II during his visit to St. Louis, Mo. The Secret Service, as well as other local and federal agencies, relied on NIMA products to carry out its mission. The ability to share the same products and information enabled them to work closely together.

NIMA supported Operation Allied Force over Kosovo

NIMA personnel supported the NATO-led Operation Allied Force over Kosovo with maps, navigational support, imagery-derived products and intelligence briefings. U.S. military personnel involved in the operation, as well as military personnel from the other 19 countries comprising NATO, used these products.

NIMA received Joint Meritorious Unit Award

The award, given by the Department of Defense, recognized NIMA for its outstanding service from Oct. 1, 1996 to July 25, 1999. During this period NIMA supported operations in Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, Kosovo and Serbia. NIMA provided imagery and geospatial intelligence to its military customers abroad, as well as to federal authorities working towards national security objectives.

NIMA-in-a-Box developed to support the armed forces

The product was a combination of hardware (a Pentium II notebook computer) and software containing NIMA’s imagery and geospatial information and providing on the spot information to deployed units. Two configurations of NIMA-in-a-Box were developed for Operation Allied Force in Kosovo.

2000

Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) launched aboard the Shuttle Endeavour

This 11-day joint mission between NIMA and NASA aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour acquired elevation data over about 80 percent of the Earth’s surface using the technique known as interferometric synthetic aperture radar. This topographical data has been used by NIMA for multiple applications, from targeting and navigation to geological and environmental purposes.

National Information Library (NIL) operational

NIMA’s National Information Library functions as an archive for digital imagery. It developed in phases which demonstrated increased archival storage and capabilities as each phase advanced. NIL provides services to NIMA and DoD employees, allowing for imagery to be exported directly to the customer’s workstation.

National Imagery Exploitation System (NIES) operational

NIES replaced the Imagery Data Exploitation (IDEX II) system as part of NIMA’s modernization effort to enhance system capabilities and geospatial production tools. NIES, as part of the U.S. Imagery and Geospatial Information Service (USIGS), now National System for Geospatial Intelligence (NSG), provides more accurate imagery and geospatial intelligence to the warfighter in less time.

2001

Maritime Safety Information Center established

NIMA established the new center with the responsibility to overlook the agency’s maritime safety and hydrographic activities. In support of the agency’s customers and its mission to guarantee navigation safety, the center’s goal is to collect, evaluate and store worldwide navigation products and maintain the respective databases.

Fuel spill accident over Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands

NIMA assisted U.S. agencies in charge of aiding the Ecuadorian government with the cleanup, by providing a map of the concentration of the spill. The map was important in conducting the cleanup to prevent additional damage to the unique ecosystem of these islands.

NIMA supported Presidential Inauguration

For the first time the agency provided near real-time “situational awareness” by combining commercial maps, aerial photography and imagery in support of the military, Secret Service and the FBI. NIMA provided hardcopy maps and interactive maps to local and federal law enforcement professionals.

Mir crash monitored

NIMA monitored the crash of the Russian space station, Mir, into the space junk graveyard in the South Pacific Ocean and transmitted nautical and aeronautical warnings to its customers. NIMA’s HYDROPACs (hydrographic warnings for the Pacific and Indian Oceans) and NOTAMs (Notices to Airmen) were distributed through the respective online databases and network broadcasts. They prevented any collision between ships or aircraft with Mir’s falling debris.

Geographic Synthetic Aperture Radar (GeoSAR) unveiled

NIMA, in conjunction with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and Earth Data International, unveiled a new radar system called Geographic Synthetic Aperture Radar (GeoSAR), a project that began in 1995. This dual-frequency radar is housed in a Gulfstream-II aircraft and it is capable of mapping the earth underneath foliage and other vegetation. The resulting three-dimensional terrain models can be used for mission planning, environmental protection and other geographic applications.

Attack on World Trade Center and Pentagon

After the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, NIMA reorganized under its new director and created NIMA Support Teams (NSTs) to respond timely and efficiently to the new demands. Through these NSTs, NIMA also supported Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, which began on Oct. 7, 2001, by providing on-site geospatial data and products to the warfighter.

Aviation Week and Space Technology Award

NIMA was selected for the Aviation Week and Space Technology Award in recognition, along with its partners, for its work on the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) completed in February 2000.

2002

Salt Lake City Winter Olympics

NIMA designed event-specific products for the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Olympic NIMA Support Team (NST) deployed to Utah in late January and provided counterterrorism support to the Olympic Intelligence Center through the end of the competitions.

National Center for Geospatial Intelligence Standards (NCGIS) established

NIMA established the new center to address standards issues relevant to technologies, data architecture and software tools to achieve interoperability.

Historical Imagery Declassification Conference co-sponsored with the University of Maryland University College (UMUC)

NIMA led the U.S. government effort to declassify and release to the public the imagery from the satellite systems KH-7 and KH-9. The conference, held at UMUC, was part of the effort to assess the importance of the declassification of the imagery, providing new sources of information for researchers.

Presidential Award for Management Excellence

NIMA was one of three organizations to win the award for the quality of its management practices. The White House recognized NIMA’s effectiveness in connecting its workforce to the mission of the agency and in its efficiency in evolving to meet strategic requirements.

2003

Space Shuttle Columbia explodes at re-entry

After the Columbia disaster, NIMA provided imagery assessment for locating the debris along an area of more than 10,000 miles. NIMA analysts produced custom products for NASA, FEMA and other local, state and national agencies working in recovery operations. Recovering debris was essential in NASA’s investigation into the causes of the disaster and in preventing a future tragedy.

Operation Iraqi Freedom

NIMA Support Teams (NST) deployed to Iraq to support the war effort. Equipped with customized systems like the Mobile Integrated Geospatial Intelligence System (MIGS) and the NIMA Deployable Communication System (NDCS), NIMA analysts on site worked directly with customers to produce products tailored to their needs.

President George W. Bush signs 2004 Defense Authorization Bill

The 2004 Defense Authorization Bill officially changed the name of NIMA to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). The new name reflected the changing role of technology and its uses. The acceleration in converging to the new discipline of GEOINT (geospatial intelligence) was a new way to provide for national security as NGA continued to support the nation’s policy makers and warfighters.

2004

Mobile Integrated Geospatial-Intelligence System (MIGS II) introduced

The MIGS first appeared after Operation Allied Force in Kosovo, when NGA recognized the need for a deployable system able to move with the troops. The MIGS was equipped with the essentials to maintain life support and easy transportation and was able to withstand harsh conditions. MIGS II was a leaner version deployed to support Operation Iraqi Freedom. It resided on a HMMWV (High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle) and could be unpacked within two hours. Personnel inside the MIGS had the necessary capabilities to produce NGA-tailored products to support the warfighter in theater.

Hurricane Season Support

NGA responded to four hurricanes that hit Florida during the 2004 hurricane season: Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne. NGA collaborated with FEMA before the storms, providing vulnerability analysis, and after the storms, with products to provide assessment on damages.

SRTM data retrieval completed

NGA contractors in the final step of the SRTM project delivered finished products, including Digital Terrain Elevation Data (DTED). The mission increased the availability of elevation data at that resolution from 5 percent to 80 percent of the Earth’s surface.

Digital Navigational Chart (DNC) certified

The DNC is a database of electronic charts created by NGA and its predecessors over the last 15 years. DNC was a consolidation of 5,000 paper charts into 29 CD-ROMs that can be updated quickly, providing real-time navigation. The goal was to achieve a paperless bridge in each Navy ship, to guarantee efficiency and reduce manpower and human error.

NGA received Joint Meritorious Unit Award (JMUA)

The agency received the JMUA for the second time. On this occasion it was recognized for its achievements from Sept. 11, 2001 to Dec. 1, 2003. NGA’s response to the terrorist attack on Sept. 11 and its support to Operations Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom were some of the endeavors recognized. The award also recognized NGA’s support to national security and to disaster relief missions at home.

Last hardcopy of U.S. Notice to Mariners

The Notice to Mariners published since 1869 became fully digital. The change allowed for more timely dissemination of information to sailors at sea and eliminated associated printing and distribution costs.

Tsunami disaster in Asia

NGA provided support to U.S. agencies and troops deployed to the Indian Ocean, as well as for the U.N. and international relief agencies. NGA unclassified imagery was distributed through the Internet to these agencies to facilitate the relief and recovery efforts. NGA products were also created to assess infrastructure damage. Further surveys updated the maps and charts of the region with new features created by the tsunami.

2005

NGA support to national security

The support NGA gave to the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, was portrayed in the support of national events and activities. NGA provided special custom products for the Presidential Inauguration, the Super Bowl, the funeral of former President Ronald Reagan, patrolling the Mexican border and the G-8 Summit in Sea Island, Ga.

USS Cape St. George (CG-71) became the first USN ship certified to use the Electronic Chart Display and Information System – Navy. (ECDIS-N).

This made it the first ship to navigate using NGA’s Digital Nautical Chart ®(DNC) system. Through DNC, the ship received updated electronic charts, enabling it to navigate in real-time.

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita relief efforts

NGA began preparation for the hurricanes by creating charts and maps of critical infrastructure, government facilities and hospitals. After the hurricanes struck, NGA supported FEMA, the military and other relief agencies. NGA deployed personnel and two Mobile Integrated Geospatial-Intelligence Systems (MIGSII) to the area to provide further imagery and intelligence support.

Earthquake in Pakistan

NGA provided the Pakistani government maps, imagery and charts for damage assessment and to coordinate disaster relief.

National System for Geospatial-Intelligence (NSG) Statement of Strategic Intent published

NGA released the NSG Statement of Strategic Intent to convey its vision for the future of geospatial intelligence and how to embrace the challenges it would encounter.

Digital vector data project completed

The Vector Map Level 1 program (VMap1) was an international effort led by NGA to standardize vector data to enable users around the world to work using a common reference point.

Source: NGA - http://www.nga.mil