CARDILLO: ... our National Technical Means, that the euphemism for our capabilities to image across the globe. Those are the ones that my committee, OPSCOM, manages, all right? And we manage those, again, for the military, and for CIA, and for the National Security Council, for all customers. The icons you see on this chart, for example, there's a U2, and a Global Hawk, and a Predator right above that. Those, in general, are managed by the military services, though predominantly the Air Force. They build collection plans for those assets, but there is a coordination process between the two. So I share what I'm doing with assets that are delegated to us, the Air Force shares what they're doing on their airborne platforms. And while it isn't pretty today: I mean, there are issues with classification levels and connectivity, even in things such as what software people are using, but there's a much better coordination process today. So if you're General Franks, and you're fighting OIF, you can be confident that the collection deck I'm building is not just compatible with, but coordinated and synergistic with those airborne assets. Like I said, we've got a ways to go to improve that, to really make it more efficiently executed online, desktop and whatnot. But the intent certainly is there, and when it needs to happen, it happens very well.
FRANCICA: From an ideal operational perspective, all of these collection platforms would eventually come under your auspices to collect and disseminate all of the information that any commander in the field would require?
CARDILLO: That's a dicey topic, and I'll tell you why. There are sensitivities in our communities about joystick control, and ownership of assets.
It's like two kids arguing over whose turn it is to play. "Mom, sis' isn't taking turns!"
