Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Acquisition: Issues for Congress

Abstract

Increasing calls for intelligence support and continuing innovations in intelligence technologies combine to create significant challenges for both the Executive and Legislative Branches. Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) systems are integral components of both national policymaking and military operations, including counterterrorism operations, but they are costly and complicated and they must be linked in order to provide users with a comprehensive understanding of issues based on information from all sources. Relationships among organizations responsible for designing, acquiring, and operating these systems are also complicated as are oversight arrangements in Congress. These complications have meant that even though many effective systems have been fielded, there have also been lengthy delays and massive cost overruns. Uncertainties about the long-term acquisition plans for ISR systems persist even as pressures continue for increasing the availability of ISR systems in current and future military operations and for national policymaking.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 15, 2010
Accession Number
ADA522982

Entities

People

  • Richard A.. Best Jr.

Organizations

  • Library of Congress

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Autonomy
  • C4I
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Aircrafts
  • Congress
  • Employment
  • Governments
  • Intelligence Community (United States)
  • Law
  • Military Operations
  • National Security
  • Personnel Management
  • Procurement
  • Reconnaissance Satellites
  • Surveillance
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Unmanned Aerial Systems
  • Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Geospatial Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence Analytics
  • Government and Public Administration Law.
  • Systems Analysis and Design