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VaST personnel are recognized leaders in multiple functional areas, or services, including: On-Line Mission Operations, Collection Management, SIGINT Analysis, Project Management, QRC Installations, Tactical Support, and New Mission Development. There is obvious overlap in these categories; a VaST person conducting Geolocation Operations, for example, will be engaged daily in Collection Management and On-Line Mission Operations, and will often be involved in New Mission Development as well. On-Line Mission Operations Whether it's live support to military operations or performing live acquisition and analysis of new signals never before seen by the Intelligence community, VaST is involved daily in On-Line Intelligence Operations. Multiple examples of saving the lives of U.S. military personnel or of helping to provide the intelligence that enables a successful engagement of the enemy burnishes VaST's reputation in this area and helps to maintain a high morale and sense of purpose throughout the company. VaST personnel are also involved in highly selective and new operations where only a handful of people in the world are trained to conduct the mission. This helps to foster and maintain that same sense of purpose that is found throughout the company. SIGINT Analysis VaST employs numerous multi-disciplined analysts. VaST analyst skills include Language, Signals, Intelligence, Target, and Geospatial disciplines. VaST seeks analysts and operators that have the drive and talents to understand SIGINT problems from collection, through analysis, to exploitation and production. Most VaST analysts are embedded into Target Office of Primary Interest (TOPI) organizations and work alongside government civilian and military analysts. VaST analysts are heavily depended upon to produce intelligence products. As government support and training for their own civilian and military analysts continues to erode VaST is there to provide the subject matter expertise and skills to fill the void. Collection Management Old-time SIGINTers would not recognize today's complex collection management requirements. An intricate interplay now exists between National and Tactical collectors, further complicating collection management and processing issues. VaST personnel are fortunate to be integral to many of the leading edge capabilities and CONOPs (Concept of Operations) required for today's missions. Because of VaST experience in both Tactical and National SIGINT operations, and because of the nuance and detail required in today's collection management which also requires detailed knowledge in processing, data flow and reporting, VaST is routinely relied upon to assist the government in the management and execution of collection issues. Project Management VaST personnel are placed in collaborative environments where they work closely with Government personnel and other companies. It's in this environment that multiple systems, throughout the Intelligence community now perform critical mission operations, were developed under VaST's leadership. Other projects benefit from VaST's expertise where we are part of the development team but not "in the lead." But it is the intimate knowledge obtained through decades of SIGINT operations that enables VaST personnel to either lead or to be part of a team that produces new state-of-the-art capabilities for the Intelligence Community. QRC Installations VaST personnel have been to multiple combat zones installing Quick Reaction Capability (QRC) systems. VaST has also installed QRC systems at National Intelligence Centers and their respective field sites. As the pace of technological development continues to escalate and as the Intelligence targets continue to evolve leveraging this technology, the need for QRC systems in the field continues to be a critical piece of the fight. Many of the QRCs become "baselined" mission capabilities, continuing to produce intelligence for years. Tactical Support Whether it is a QRC installation in a combat zone or in testing sensors before they head downrange, VaST is very proud of the role it has played and continues to play in the area of tactical support. VaST grew out of National Intelligence experience but has always been involved in tactical support. As the requirements levied on Government Intelligence Operations continue to evolve to counter today's threats, a tight coupling of National and Tactical capabilities is required. VaST is engaged daily in the challenging and diverse climate where these two worlds (National and Tactical) meet. New Mission Development New Mission Development lies at the heart of VaST's philosophy. Technology and targets are ever-changing. SIGINT methods and operations must rapidly evolve to counter the dynamic threats. That means New Mission Development never ends. It means today's New Mission must become baseline operations so the personnel operating in the ill-defined and unordered world of New Mission can meet tomorrow's threats. Many of the best Intelligence producing systems currently in baseline operations started as a QRC targeting a New Mission. But it is the acquisition of details and nuances obtained through many years of experience that permits VaST to be a leader in New Mission Development. The number of "firsts" on the resumes of VaST personnel is second to none. back to top  |