GCHQ: strategy summary (1)
01 January 1991
GCHQ: strategy summary
artdoc August=1994
The Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) Confidential
strategy summary for 1994 prepared by Sir John Ayde, its
Director, sets out is main objectives. GCHQ is officially under
the Foreign Office and the Foreign Secretary. Its 6,500 civilian
staff is part of the Civil Service and it is assisted by 3,000
members of the Armed forces at overseas bases. Its job is to:
provide signal intelligence, known as Sigint, in - the interests
of national security, the economic well-being of the UK, and to
support the prevention or detection of serious crime. It is
organised in two groups: the national Sigint centre and the
Communications Electronics Security Group (CESG).
The GCHQ staff are told that its work benefits from
collaboration with other countries, `but we must not allow this
to reach a point of overdependence'. They are told to `maximise'
the benefits to the government of UKUSA (the worldwide
intelligence listening operation run by the USA and the UK):
`The UKUSA intelligence relationship is of particular importance.
Our contribution must be of sufficient scale and of the right
kind to make a continuation of the Sigint alliance worthwhile to
our partners. This may entail on occasion the applying of UK
resources to the need of US requirements'.
However, the document makes clear that `the provision of Sigint
to UK customers is the main reason for our existence'. It goes
on to say that: `Since of 50% of UK Sigint resources goes into
collection [of intelligence], the efficient use of these
resources against changing targets is essential'.
GCHQ: Strategic Direction Summary, Confidential, September 1994;
GCHQ Funding, Confidential information notice, 17.1.94.
Statewatch, Vol 4 no 4, July-August 1994