Technology and intelligence

Abstract The remarkable contributions of science and technology to national intelligence programs are reviewed. Overhead reconnaissance was the most celebrated of these and has been described elsewhere. This paper focuses on the way in which a combination of technical collection systems and scientific analysis contributed decisively to the solution of three important Cold War problems: Soviet ballistic missile programs, the Soviet space program, and Soviet missile defense systems. In doing so, it suggests the similarity of intelligence activities to scientific research. It also notes the long-running collaboration of civilian scientists and engineers with the intelligence community.