The U.S. Space Force and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) have signed a memorandum of agreement outlining how the two organizations will divide responsibilities for acquiring commercial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) products – formally ending a two-year interagency dispute.
Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman and NGA Director Vice Adm. Frank Whitworth signed the agreement during the annual GEOINT Symposium in St. Louis on May 21.
The accord delineates the boundaries between the Space Force’s Tactical Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Tracking (TacSRT) program and NGA’s existing commercial ISR operations.
“This has been a long time coming,” Saltzman said at the signing, characterizing the deal as the result of “industrial strength collaboration.” Whitworth called it “a new standard for collaboration.”
While the full contents of the agreement have not been made public, officials confirmed it establishes a governance framework detailing each agency’s roles and responsibilities in delivering commercial ISR products to military commanders. The aim is to improve clarity and avoid duplication as both organizations work with commercial space providers.
With the NGA agreement now in place, the Space Force is expected to finalize a similar arrangement with the NRO soon.
Two-Year Dispute Comes to an End
An initiative aimed at speeding up tactical decision-making set off nearly two years of institutional disagreement.
Tensions between the Space Force and NGA began in 2023, when the Space Force launched TacSRT – a program designed to create a rapid-access marketplace for combatant commanders to buy unclassified ISR products such as imagery and data analytics from commercial vendors.
While the program has been recognized for its speed and ease of access, it also prompted concerns within the intelligence community about potential overlap and jurisdiction. Space Force leaders have maintained that TacSRT is designed to complement not compete with intelligence efforts.
Under current policy, the NGA is responsible for acquiring commercial ISR and coordinating its distribution across Federal agencies. NRO handles procurement of commercial remote sensing imaging.
Speaking at the symposium, Saltzman emphasized that TacSRT is focused on rapidly delivering unclassified data for tactical planning, especially in situations where speed and accessibility are prioritized over analytic rigor.
“I don’t want anybody to think we’re going to take one of these products that was produced very quickly with very hastily written requirements and then do targeting, for example. That would be a bridge too far,” he said.
“What I’m talking about here is providing insights and awareness for commanders on the ground to use as a resource for tactical planning, tactical decision making,” Saltzman said. “By definition, these efforts will often lack analytical rigor or application of intelligence tradecraft.”
Saltzman also noted the differing technology needs between the Space Force and the intelligence community.
“The technology we need to support the Space Force missions is different from the technology the NGA or NRO need to support robust intelligence gathering, analysis and dissemination,” he said. “We are going to invest in different capability sets.”
In a statement, Saltzman further reflected on the broader significance of the agreement.
“What [the agreement] really reflects is the quality of collaboration at every echelon that was necessary to work through these procedures. I’m excited about this because of what it represents, and that’s industrial strength collaboration,” he said.