Spy agency completing local building addition
Friday, March 21, 2008
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE — The National Air & Space Intelligence Center, which analyzes enemy air and space military capabilities for the U.S. government, is preparing to open a $67 million addition to its headquarters.
The spy agency had once hoped to have the Intelligence Production Complex project completed months ago, but concluded that the original construction schedule was too ambitious. NASIC has scheduled a May 2 ribbon-cutting ceremony for the building addition.
Extras
Agency officials hope to have all staff moved in by this summer.
The new, 108,000-square-foot building will house a data processing center from which information technology systems will be operated, plus rooms where NASIC analysts can collaborate to examine images and other classified data collected from spy satellites and other sources. The building also will be home to a backup power source and an "innovation lab" where staff can develop better ways to work and use new technology.
Officials have said the facility will expand data processing capability and will allow the center to host spy agency conferences with one of the biggest top-secret auditoriums outside of the Washington, D.C., area. NASIC officials have said they will use the Intelligence Production Complex's 500-seat auditorium for meetings, training sessions and senior officer orientations.
Monarch Construction Co., a Cincinnati contractor, is constructing the building. The work began in 2005.
NASIC analyzes data collected by other military and government entities and issues reports on it for the president, the military and intelligence organizations.
The agency was known as the Foreign Technology Division until 1991. Predecessor agencies that assessed information about enemies and their capabilities date to 1917.
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