Established in 1882, the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) is America’s longest continuously operating intelligence service. We employ world-class analysts, specialists, engineers, scientists, technicians, leaders, and managers. Consequently, ONI maintains a position of unparalleled leadership in the collection, analysis, and production of scientific, technical, geopolitical, military, and maritime intelligence. ONI employs more than 3,000 military, civilian, reservists, and contractor personnel at the modern National Maritime Intelligence Center facility in Suitland, MD, and at other strategic locations around the world.
America is a maritime nation whose security and prosperity depend on the free navigation of the world’s oceans. ONI’s people, products, and services are focused on ensuring the security of our homeland and freedom of the seas by enabling information dominance for national and naval leaders. Our activities are guided by these objectives:
- Prevent criminal or hostile acts against the United States and its people
- Protect maritime-related population centers and critical infrastructures
- Minimize damage and expedite recovery from attack
- Safeguard the ocean and its resources
ONI is a core element of the Navy’s Information Warfare Community whose goal is to gain and hold a decisive information advantage over America’s potential adversaries. ONI collects, analyzes, and produces maritime intelligence and disseminates that intelligence rapidly to strategic, operational, and tactical decision makers to meet Navy, DoD, and national requirements. Our integrated workforce of active duty and Reserve naval and civilian professionals supports combat operations and provides vital information for planning America’s defense against maritime threats at home and around the world. We produce maritime intelligence on naval weapons and technology proliferation, transnational threats in civil maritime counter-proliferation, counter-narcotics and the global maritime environment, and other activities that directly support the U.S. Navy, joint war fighters and national decision makers and agencies.
There are five Centers of Excellence that are distinct commands under the Office of Naval Intelligence:
- Nimitz Warfare Analysis Center: Center of Excellence for tactical, operational and strategic analysis of mid- to long-term issues and near-term events with strategic implications within the maritime domain. The Center supports Fleet commanders and national policymakers with timely, relevant, and predictive analysis of foreign naval forces to achieve decision advantage in peace, crisis, and in war. https://www.oni.navy.mil/About-Us/Nimitz-Warfare-Analysis-Center-Fact-Sheet/
- Farragut Technical Analysis Center: Center of Excellence for strategic scientific and technical intelligence (S&TI) analysis of foreign technologies, sensors, weapons, platforms, combat systems, C4ISR, and cyber capabilities. It also conducts ONI's foreign materiel exploitation, signal intelligence analysis, modeling and simulation, and is home to the national maritime acoustic intelligence laboratory. https://www.oni.navy.mil/About-Us/Farragut-Technical-Analysis-Center-Fact-Sheet/
- Kennedy Maritime Analysis Center: Center of Excellence for delivering tailored civil maritime, counternarcotics, and adversary malign influence activities expertise coupled with a mastery of the intelligence cycle to enable national, Navy, and Partners/Allies operations, actions, and investments. https://www.oni.navy.mil/About-Us/Kennedy-Maritime-Analysis-Center-Fact-Sheet/
- Hopper Global Communications Center: Center of Excellence that provides communcations for special compartmented information (SCI) and information technology for Navy shore activities. Hopper installs, sustains, and maintains equipment, including workstations, peripherals, routers, and switches, as well as oversees and manages the cybersecurity posture of the network. https://www.oni.navy.mil/About-Us/Hopper-Global-Communications-Center-Fact-Sheet/
- Brooks Center for Maritime Engagement: Center of Excellence for assimilating subject matter expertise with publicly available information to address strategic priorities concerning security threats to our global maritime environment. Brooks liases and partners with the maritime community, enhancing ONI production and fostering decision advantage for U.S. Navy leadership. https://www.oni.navy.mil/About-Us/Brooks-Center-for-Maritime-Engagement-Fact-Sheet/