INSA Leadership dinner with VADM Frank Whitworth

Top Takeaways:
-On relationship with USSF and roles and responsibilities, VADM Whitworth said NGA and USSF are still working to define their relationship. NGA is working to better tell their story and message their strengths. 

-VADM Whitworth briefly touched on JREN, MAVEN, and LUNO, providing small updates and vision for each.  

Quotes:

-Speed. Seriousness, synthesis, space, sharing

-List is extensive. Passing challenge of China. We ensure maximum visibility, highlighting threats. 

-Acute threat of Russia and their continuous threats to Ukraine. We continue cutting our teeth at Strategic warning. That vigilance has saved lives.

-Threats to US forces and allies in the Red Sea. Current and evolving threats in the region. 

-Threats to US forces and allies in Iraq and Syria. 

-Threats to US forces and allies on the Korean Peninsula. Our people are critical to warning and characterization of launch events.

-Building an understanding of the situation in Gaza. NGA comes through every day. 

-Domain of space. Our motto, we sought to emphasize how important space is to our mission. NGA has responsibilities in and for space. NGA vanguard of distinction. We embrace this challenge especially in USSPACECOM. 

-Growth of data. Impressive and daunting. Storage access and management will require significant resources. We have the architecture in place already to serve the nation’s needs.

-Analysis, NGA has the humility to seek commercial analytics to free up analysts. We just had a ten fold increase in analytics.

-NGA is best postured to provide rapid GEOINT to the combatant commands. We’re operating at the speed of combat. 

-AI, we are incorporating responsible AI into GEOINT at NGA. It’s integrated into our workflows. We’re using it to increase our speed as we support our military and Us agencies.

-NGA ingests, analyzes and stores more data than any agency. Importance of rapid dissemination cannot be overstated.

-JREN widens pipes at the theater level which will increase resiliency. JREN and Odyssey are moving towards a mesh architecture which means data dissemination and sharing with partners is key and enabled. Trying to set organized cohesive standards. 

-Trajectory of AI, goal is to let it do basic tasks while keeping the human in the loop.

-Machines are and will always be an entry level analysis but they will be trained by the best.

-Responsible use of AI, we will stay present.

-Distinction, we will never take risks with that. It’s our compass. 

-AI/ML hoping it delivers the answers we need. 

-Decisions of consequence and times of uncertainty shouldn’t be left up to machines. We cannot let go of content and context. Our workforce will always bear our standards. We commit ourselves to speed, synthesis, serious, space, and sharing.

-We’re defining our relationship with SF. I was nervous when we talked about changing our motto. I went to CSO Raymond and asked if he would mind “seabed to space” and he was excited.

-Buck has to stop somewhere and we take that mandate.

-Space born collection that is being defined. I’m proud of the way our team is having active conversations. We’re having educated discussions.

-I’m pleased with how we’ve defended our people. I address speed deliberately. Collection orchestration is effectively tasking. NGA has this mandate and has had it for decades and it’s something we haven’t been trumpeting. We do a good job at it. We’re really getting our act together in telling this story. 

-Issue is you need to know what’s happening on the ground and priorities in putting it together. I have yet to receive a single complaint from any of the combatant commands.

-On October 6th I didn’t think we had any other capacity for another problem.

-Russia, China, Korean Peninsula, terrorism

Workforce

-It made total sense for this problem and opportunity to come to us. We went head on in making this a program of record. We’re proud of it and it’s a serious responsibility and we take that charge.

-Contracting, probably too early to talk about but partnerships have been tremendous.

-It’s being used by several combatant commands is meaningful and that’s expanding.

-MAVEN Smart System, an aspect, it’s being referred to as CJADC2. People want to be tool agnostic but it’s pretty powerful right now.

-We’re looking at requirements on a 24/7 basis. We’re not tolerant of delays. Some things need additional coverage so that’s the right path for our country.

-JREN aspects, some are really good on pixel side and coming out this summer.

-LUNO that’s a very significant effort to make sure we have analytics applied to the data. There will be some things that aren’t life or death but can be if not treated appropriately. We’re looking for efficiency and commercial analytics brings that.

-I look at production every day. I think there are more multi-sealed products every day at NGA. There are some very good single seal out there

-Being able to talk and come up with better products with layers that’s really important.

-Cyber resiliency throughput is exhausting. I’ve never seen IT professionals cut corners.

-There’s no agency that we work closer with than NRO.

-It’s very true that we write about emerging threats and they’re some of our most popular products that we put out there.

Data Sharing Across Agencies

-MARS it has to work, it’s as simple as that. I’m enjoying the conversations we’re having. Having spent so many years at DIA I understand you need a data layer that you can trust and is timely. 

-I really respect the guidance we’ve received from DOD. This is very important. 

-It’s not an enemy. For me because the globe is huge and there are complex opportunities to miss… it’s the thought of missing something.

-It’s really hard for an irresponsible nation to deny something when we have good exposure. 

-Not only validation of something true or untrue but making sure the truth is out there using GEOINT.

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