Cold War TELINT – Data Processing and Analysis (Part 5 of 6)

Special-purpose telemetry processing equipment configurations, often computer-based, were also developed and operated by NSA in the National Telemetry Processing Center (NTPC). Different types of equipment sets were needed to process and analyze different forms of telemetry used by different telemetry transmission equipment.

The telemetry signals were collected by various collection platforms. Magnetic tape recordings of the collected data signals were then sent to NTPC for processing. These measurements were then sent on computer tape to various analysis centers which identified the function of the various transducers and developed performance estimates. The resulting information was used to formulate defense policy and guide treaty negotiations.

RISSMAN was one of the computer systems specially designed for this work using custom hard ware. For a decade, from the early 1980s through the end of the Cold War, RISSMAN processed these tapes daily, often around the clock.