Defense Primer: Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security

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Updated January 14, 2025

Defense Primer: Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security

The Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security (USD(I&S)) is a civilian official, appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, who reports directly to the Secretary of Defense. The USD(I&S) is the Principal Staff Assistant and advisor to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense on intelligence, counterintelligence (CI), security, sensitive activities, and other intelligence- related matters. On behalf of the Secretary, the USD(I&S) also exercises authority, direction, and control over Department of Defense (DOD) intelligence and security policy, intelligence organization, and intelligence support to military decision-makers and warfighters.

Congress redesignated the position of Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence (USD(I)) as the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security (USD(I&S)) in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020 (Section 1621 of P.L. 116-92). This change increased the emphasis on the importance and scope of the USD(I&S)’s security responsibilities, which include the responsibility for conducting most of the federal government’s background investigations to determine eligibility for access to classified information (consistent with Executive Order 13869) P.L. 116-92.

As the head of the defense intelligence and security enterprise, the USD(I&S) has responsibility for a significant portion of the personnel and funding supporting the Intelligence Community (IC) overall. The USD(I&S) and staff, however, are not statutory elements of the IC. Title 50 U.S. Code §3003(4) lists the 18 organizational elements of the IC, two of which are independent—the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and Central Intelligence Agency—and 16 of which are components of six separate departments of the federal government. The nine IC elements within DOD comprise the defense intelligence and security enterprise overseen by the USD(I&S). They include the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), National Security Agency (NSA), National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and the intelligence components of the Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, and Space Force. These elements, in turn, provide the Joint Staff and Combatant Commands with the personnel and expertise for their component joint intelligence organizations.

Origin of the USD(I&S) Position

Leadership of intelligence-related functions within the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) has been realigned multiple times over the course of DOD’s history. The most recent development came when Congress established the USD(I) position in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks.

DOD requested the change, asserting that in exercising delegated oversight over intelligence, CI, and security functions, the position would “provide the Secretary of Defense with the flexibility ... require[d] to respond to heightened demands on the [DOD] to support the President’s efforts to prevent and respond to acts of terrorism against the United States.” The legislative language establishing the position of USD(I) was included under Section 901 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 (P.L. 107-314), which was codified as Section 137 of Title 10, United States Code.

Under Secretaries of Defense (I&S)

• Stephen A. Cambone (March 2003-December 2006)

• James R. Clapper (April 2007-August 2010)

• Michael G. Vickers (March 2011-April 2015)

• Marcel Lettre (December 2015-January 2017)

• Todd Lowery (acting) (January 2017-June 2017)

• Kari Bingen (acting) (June 2017-December 2017)

• Joseph D. Kernan (December 2017-November 2020)

• Ezra Cohen-Watnick (acting) (November 2020-January 2021)

• David M. Taylor (acting) (January 2021-June 2021)

• Ronald S. Moultrie (June, 2021-February 2024)

• Milancy D. Harris (acting) (March 2024-present)

Origin of “Dual-Hatted” Role for USD(I&S) In May 2007, the Secretary of Defense and the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to establish a dual role for the USD(I). In a news release announcing the issuance of the MOA, then-USD(I) James Clapper indicated that the creation of a Director of Defense Intelligence (DDI) position was intended to “strengthen the relationship between the DNI and the DOD … [and] to facilitate staff interaction and promote synchronization.” Under the “dual-hatting” arrangement, the incumbent within OSD serves as the USD(I&S), and within the ODNI as the DDI. In the role of DDI, the USD(I&S) reports directly to the DNI as principal advisor on defense intelligence matters.

The DNI and the USD(I&S) together coordinate a range of interagency activities designed to facilitate the integration of national- and tactical-level intelligence activities. The USD(I&S) coordinates and aligns defense intelligence with IC programs and priorities, and addresses strategic, tactical, or operational requirements supporting military strategy and operations. The USD(I&S) and staff, therefore, provide strategic direction and oversight of the defense products and

Defense Primer: Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security

https://crsreports.congress.gov

services derived from DOD’s collection, processing, and analysis of information, providing insight on the capabilities, plans, intentions and disposition of forces of foreign militaries, non-governmental foreign adversaries, and areas of actual or potential military operations.

Roles and Responsibilities of the USD(I&S)

DOD Directive 5143.01, updated April 6, 2020, establishes the responsibilities, functions, relationships, and authorities of the USD(I&S) within DOD, as defined by law, executive order, and DOD policy, including those responsibilities and authorities delegated by the Secretary of Defense to the USD(I&S). Among the USD(I&S)’s major responsibilities listed in DOD Directive 5143.01 are,

• advising the Secretary of Defense and the Deputy

Secretary of Defense regarding defense intelligence, CI, security, and other intelligence-related matters;

• serving as DDI and principal advisor to the DNI on

defense intelligence, as well as facilitating the integration of defense intelligence and DOD support with IC activities;

• engaging the National Security Council (NSC) staff,

other government agencies (OGAs), and DOD components to develop defense intelligence policies, plans, and programs;

• serving as DOD senior official for the insider threat

program, and providing strategic direction and oversight of defense CI programs generally;

• exercising authority, direction, control, and oversight

over the activities of the DIA, the NGA, the NRO, the NSA/Central Security Service (CSS), and the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), on behalf of the Secretary of Defense;

• establishing strategy, policy, programs and priorities for,

and providing oversight of, the Defense Intelligence Enterprise, including all intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) manned and unmanned activities (including cyberspace activities), human intelligence collection operations, and defense signals intelligence, geospatial intelligence, and measurement and signature intelligence capabilities and performance;

• ensuring DOD IC elements are responsive to the

intelligence requirements of operational military forces;

• establishing and maintaining defense intelligence and CI

relationships with foreign defense intelligence entities in coordination with the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (USD(P)), and in consultation with Combatant Commanders, as appropriate; and

• providing strategic direction and oversight of defense

security programs and capabilities, including DCSA-led activities to protect the supply chain and conduct personnel background investigations and security clearance adjudications.

Other major responsibilities and functions of the USD(I&S) include acting as the Program Executive for the Military Intelligence Program (MIP) and managing the MIP through the DOD Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) process. The USD(I&S) also has acquisition authority for intelligence, CI, and security- related technologies, systems, and equipment, and exercises

oversight of personnel and manpower issues for defense intelligence positions.

Program Executive of the MIP IC spending is the sum of two separate budget programs: (1) the National Intelligence Program (NIP), covering IC- wide programs, and activities related to the strategic requirements of decision-makers; and (2) the MIP, which funds the tactical intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the DOD in support of military operations. The DNI manages the NIP budget through the IC budget process (Intelligence Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Evaluation Process, or IPPBE). The USD(I&S) manages the MIP separately through the DOD’s PPBE process. The DNI and USD(I&S) thus coordinate and integrate the two programs within the constraints of two separate budget processes.

For FY2024, funding appropriated for the NIP and MIP totaled $106.3 billion, including $76.5 billion for NIP and $29.8 billion for MIP. For the FY2025 budget, the amount requested totaled $101.6, including $73.4 billion for NIP and $28.2 billion for the MIP.

Issues for Congress

• Congress may consider whether or not codifying the

USD(I&S)’s function as DDI and the relationship to the DNI would enhance U.S. national security by adding explicit congressional direction for these functions.

• Because of the highly technical nature of this position,

Congress may consider further, more explicit direction on the qualifications for such an appointment on par with those for the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) (10 U.S.C. §135(a)(2)).

Relevant Statutes

Title 10, U.S. Code, §137

CRS Products

CRS In Focus IF10524, Defense Primer: Budgeting for National and Defense Intelligence, by Michael E. DeVine

CRS In Focus IF10525, Defense Primer: National and Defense Intelligence, by Michael E. DeVine

CRS In Focus IF10574, Defense Primer: Intelligence Support to Military Operations, by Michael E. DeVine

Other Resources

DOD Directive 5143.01, Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, Change 2 effective April 6, 2020.

Executive Order 12333, U.S. Intelligence Activities, as amended.

Michael McConnell, DNI, and Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense, Memorandum of Agreement, May 2007.

Defense Primer: Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security

https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10523 · VERSION 17 · UPDATED

Michael E. DeVine, Analyst in Intelligence and National Security

IF10523

Disclaimer

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