The relocation to Fort George G. Meade, MD., consolidated DISA headquarters elements that were housed in multiple locations in Arlington and Falls Church, Va.
It provides reliable data communications over noisy, low bandwidth channels to support chat, file transfer, and email services via an easy-to-use graphical user interface.
CENTRIXS is designed to be a global, interoperable, interconnected, inexpensive, and easy-to use system to share intelligence and operations information through reliable communications connectivity, data manipulation, and automated processes.
DISA plans, designs, constructs, and analyzes the effectiveness of the U.S. military's cyberspace and establishes the technological standards to make the GIG secure and reliable.
The enterprise engineering portfolio includes the Joint Communication Simulation System (JCSS), GIG Technical Guidance for Information Technology Standards, and Interoperability Enhancement Process/iSmart (IEP/iSmart).
Enterprise services provided by DISA to its mission partners fall under three categories: Applications, Infrastructure, and Identity and Access Management.
Nowadays, DISA maintains the following network services, to support diverse telecommunication requirements for organizations focused on, but not limited to, the Department of Defense (DoD):[5] Data: Voice: Video: Messaging: Wireless: Satellite: Providing access to DISN through Through the Defense Spectrum Organization (DSO), DISA provides commanders direct operational support, including electromagnetic battlespace planning, deconfliction, and joint spectrum interference resolution.
DCA was established May 12, 1960, with the primary mission of operational control and management of the Defense Communications System (DCS).
For each, DCA sought to determine its overall system configuration and prepare the technical specifications necessary for the equipment for switching centers, interconnecting transmission media, and subscriber terminals.
With the arrival of the space-age, DCA was designated as the “strong focal point” for development, integration, and operation of the space and ground elements of a number of satellite-based communications initiatives.
The Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962 showed the need for direct, timely, and private communications between the leaders of the world's two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union.
A duplex cable circuit (later augmented by a satellite hookup) between the two capitals known as the Moscow–Washington hotline or "Red Telephone", became operational August 30, 1963.
DCA assumed responsibility for the Minimum Essential Emergency Communications Network (MEECN), a subsystem of WWMCCS, in December 1971.
DCA performed the requirements collection and analysis, system engineering, funding estimation, subsystem project plan development, and establishment of the initial physical architecture for the expansion of the NMCC that was implemented by the Air Force in the 1970s.
A major new DCA headquarters staff directorate, the Military Satellite Communications (MILSATCOM) System Office, was created to discharge the new role.
In April 1986, the assistant secretary of defense for command and control, communications and intelligence proposed the consolidation of DCA and the Joint Tactical Command, Control, and Communications Agency (JTC3A) in view of the “climate within DoD of streamlining and reducing overhead functions.” The Joint Staff endorsed the proposal because it also provided some operational efficiency.
Preserving radio spectrum, information assurance, ensuring interoperability, and establishing secure wireless links were just some of the tasks performed by the agency.
DISA justified $300 million in supplemental funds to support the Global War on Terrorism by providing critical communications paths and command and control enhancements for warfighters.
EMSS allowed Special Operations forces to even call in air strikes from horseback in Afghanistan by permitting instantaneous communications in areas without any infrastructure whatsoever.
DISA facilitated multiple enhancements to the nation's preeminent joint command-and-control system and provided a real-time battle space picture.
The “Pioneer Program” transformed presidential communications by employing net-centric concepts to put voice, video, and data at the president's fingertips on an around-the-clock basis.
The Global Information Grid Bandwidth Expansion (GIG-BE) Program was a major DoD net-centric transformational initiative executed by DISA.
GIG-BE created a ubiquitous "bandwidth-available" environment to improve national security intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, information assurance, and command and control at locations worldwide.
Prior to this installation, the coalition forces in Afghanistan were dependent on satellite communications and tactical microwave links, which had limited bandwidth capacity and induced significant delay.
[7] Computer systems controlled by DISA were hacked in the summer of 2019, and was reported in February 2020, exposing the personal data of about 200,000 people including names and social security numbers.