Office of Naval Intelligence
Encyclopedia
The Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) was established in the United States Navy
in 1882. ONI was established to "seek out and report" on the advancements in other nations' navies
. Its headquarters are at the National Maritime Intelligence Center
in Suitland, Maryland. ONI is the oldest member of the United States Intelligence Community
, and is also therefore by default the senior intelligence agency within the armed forces
, though subordinate to the Defense Intelligence Agency
.
ONI was founded by the Secretary of the Navy, William H. Hunt
with General Order 292, dated March 23, 1882, which read:
ONI's position as the naval intelligence
arm began in earnest when the United States declared war on Spain
in 1898 in response to the sinking of the U.S. battleship
Maine
in the harbor of Spanish-controlled Havana
, Cuba
. ONI's powers grew as it became responsible for the "protection of Navy Personnel, censorship
and the ferreting out of spies
and saboteurs."
In 1929, the Chief of Naval Operations
made these functions the permanent duties of ONI. During World War II
, Naval Intelligence became responsible for the translation
, evaluation and dissemination of intercepted Japan
ese communications, and its budget
and staff grew significantly. While other parts of the Navy were downsized after the war, Fleet Admiral Nimitz
ensured ONI's continued strength, which was to prove important during the Cold War
.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
in 1882. ONI was established to "seek out and report" on the advancements in other nations' navies
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
. Its headquarters are at the National Maritime Intelligence Center
National Maritime Intelligence Center
The National Maritime Intelligence Center is a United States Navy military intelligence facility located in Suitland-Silver Hill, Maryland in Prince George's County, Maryland located east of Washington, DC and is part of the Suitland Federal Center.NMIC houses offices of the Office of Naval...
in Suitland, Maryland. ONI is the oldest member of the United States Intelligence Community
United States Intelligence Community
The United States Intelligence Community is a cooperative federation of 16 separate United States government agencies that work separately and together to conduct intelligence activities considered necessary for the conduct of foreign relations and the protection of the national security of the...
, and is also therefore by default the senior intelligence agency within the armed forces
Armed forces
The armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external aggressors. In some countries paramilitary...
, though subordinate to the Defense Intelligence Agency
Defense Intelligence Agency
The Defense Intelligence Agency is a member of the Intelligence Community of the United States, and is the central producer and manager of military intelligence for the United States Department of Defense, employing over 16,500 U.S. military and civilian employees worldwide...
.
ONI was founded by the Secretary of the Navy, William H. Hunt
William H. Hunt
William Henry Hunt was the United States Secretary of the Navy under President James Garfield and briefly under President Chester A. Arthur.-Biography:...
with General Order 292, dated March 23, 1882, which read:
ONI's position as the naval intelligence
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
arm began in earnest when the United States declared war on Spain
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
in 1898 in response to the sinking of the U.S. battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
Maine
USS Maine (ACR-1)
USS Maine was the United States Navy's second commissioned pre-dreadnought battleship, although she was originally classified as an armored cruiser. She is best known for her catastrophic loss in Havana harbor. Maine had been sent to Havana, Cuba to protect U.S. interests during the Cuban revolt...
in the harbor of Spanish-controlled Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. ONI's powers grew as it became responsible for the "protection of Navy Personnel, censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
and the ferreting out of spies
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
and saboteurs."
In 1929, the Chief of Naval Operations
Chief of Naval Operations
The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...
made these functions the permanent duties of ONI. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Naval Intelligence became responsible for the translation
Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...
, evaluation and dissemination of intercepted Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese communications, and its budget
Budget
A budget is a financial plan and a list of all planned expenses and revenues. It is a plan for saving, borrowing and spending. A budget is an important concept in microeconomics, which uses a budget line to illustrate the trade-offs between two or more goods...
and staff grew significantly. While other parts of the Navy were downsized after the war, Fleet Admiral Nimitz
Chester Nimitz
Fleet Admiral Chester William Nimitz, GCB, USN was a five-star admiral in the United States Navy. He held the dual command of Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Fleet , for U.S. naval forces and Commander in Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas , for U.S...
ensured ONI's continued strength, which was to prove important during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
.
Directors of Naval Intelligence from 1882
- Note: Prior to 1911 the head of the ONI was known as the Chief Intelligence Officer.