Measurement And Signature Intelligence Article Index for
Measurement
Website Links For
Measurement
 

Information About

Measurement And Signature Intelligence




Measurement and Signature Intelligence, or '''MASINT''', refers to Intelligence Gathering activities that bring together disparate elements that do not fit within the definitions of Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), Imagery Intelligence (IMINT), or Human Intelligence (HUMINT).

According to the United States Department Of Defense , MASINT is technically derived intelligence (excluding traditional imagery IMINT and signals intelligence SIGINT ) that – when collected, processed, and analyzed by dedicated MASINT systems – results in intelligence that detects, tracks, identifies, or describes the signatures (distinctive characteristics) of fixed or dynamic target sources. MASINT was recognized as a formal intelligence discipline in 1986.

Within the US Intelligence Community the Directorate of MASINT and Technical Collections office of the Defense Intelligence Agency is the central agency for MASINT.

MASINT includes:

MASINT can be broken down into six categories, based on what is being analyzed.

  • Electro-optical

  • Radar

  • Radio

  • Nuclear

  • Materials

  • Seismic


Some analysts would argue that radar and radio should be combined, and others are of the opinion that the entire electro-magnetic spectrum should be in the same category.


EXTERNAL LINKS

  • http://www.gpo.gov/congress/house/intel/ic21/ic21007.html