Parent agency Department of Defence | Website asd.gov.au | |
 | ||
Formed 12 November 1947; 69 years ago (1947-11-12) Minister responsible the Hon. Marise Payne, Minister for Defence | ||
Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) (formerly: Defence Signals Directorate (DSD)) is an Australian government Department of Defence intelligence agency responsible for signals intelligence (SIGINT) and information security (INFOSEC). ASD was established in 1947.
Contents
Overview
ASD has two principal functions: to collect and disseminate foreign signals intelligence; and to provide information security products and services to the Australian Government and ADF, its foreign partners and Militaries.
Based in Canberra, at the Defence Headquarters at Russell Offices it operates monitoring facilities at Kojarena, Western Australia and at Shoal Bay, Northern Territory, which are believed to be part of the ECHELON system, and is involved in Pine Gap.
Under the 1948 UKUSA agreement, ASD's intelligence is shared with its foreign partner agencies: the National Security Agency (NSA) – United States, the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) – United Kingdom, the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) – Canada, and the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) – New Zealand.
Electronic warfare operators in the Royal Australian Corps of Signals work closely with the Australian Signals Directorate. 7 Signal Regiment (Electronic Warfare) at Borneo Barracks, Cabarlah, Queensland is associated with ASD.
Facilities
The ASD operates at least three receiving stations: the Australian Defence Satellite Communications Station (ADSCS), located at Kojarena, near Geraldton, Western Australia; the Shoal Bay Receiving Station, located at Shoal Bay, Northern Territory; and a small station on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.
These stations contribute signals intelligence for many Australian Government bodies, as well as the wider UKUSA partners. The ASD also maintains a workforce at Pine Gap in central Australia.
In addition, it has been reported that many Australian embassies and overseas missions also house small facilities which provide a flow of signals intelligence to ASD.
Naming
The Directorate has operated under a number of different names since its founding: