Editing Pine Gap (section)

==Operational Role of the CIA at Pine Gap==
The CIA is one of the primary U.S. agencies operating Pine Gap, contributing to its SIGINT and military intelligence functions:

	1	Signals Intelligence (SIGINT):
	◦	The CIA collaborates with the NSA to manage Pine Gap’s geosynchronous SIGINT satellites, which intercept communications such as telephone calls, radar signals, and missile telemetry. The CIA’s expertise in human intelligence (HUMINT) complements the NSA’s technical SIGINT capabilities, enabling comprehensive analysis of intercepted data.
	◦	Pine Gap’s early focus (1970s–1980s) was on Soviet missile tests, with the CIA using telemetry data to verify arms control treaties and assess Soviet capabilities. Post-Cold War, the CIA expanded its focus to Asia (China, North Korea) and the Middle East, intercepting communications for counterterrorism and geopolitical intelligence.
	◦	Leaked NSA documents from Edward Snowden (2013) confirm Pine Gap’s role in supplying targeting data for CIA drone strikes in regions like Yemen and Pakistan, highlighting the agency’s reliance on the base for real-time intelligence.

	2	Satellite Control and Covert Operations:
	◦	The CIA’s Directorate of Science and Technology oversees Pine Gap’s Satellite Station Keeping section, which controls SIGINT satellites. This ensures precise data collection, critical for covert operations, including monitoring nuclear facilities and military communications.
	◦	The base supports CIA operations in regions where the U.S. has limited on-ground presence, such as Southeast Asia and the Middle East. For example, during the Vietnam War, Pine Gap’s SIGINT likely aided CIA efforts in Laos, where [[Air America]] (linked to [[Theodore Shackley]] and [[Thomas G. Clines]]) operated.

	3	Infrastructure and Personnel:
	◦	Pine Gap’s computer complex, with 38 radomes and a Torus multi-beam antenna (2008), houses CIA personnel alongside NSA and NRO staff. The CIA maintains restricted areas, such as cryptology rooms, though Australian integration increased after the 1980s “Australianisation” policy.
	◦	Of the 800+ staff, a significant portion are U.S. personnel, including CIA officers specializing in SIGINT analysis and covert operations planning. Australians, primarily from the ASD, work in less sensitive roles, though access has expanded.