List of intelligence gathering disciplines

Intelligence Gathering Disciplines

• HUMINT - Human Intelligence - gathered from a person on the ground.
  • Patrolling (Military police, patrols, etc);
  • strategic reconnaissance, as by Special Forces
  • military attaches
  • Friendly accredited diplomats
  • Prisoners of war (POW's) or detainees;
  • Refugees;
  • Traveler debriefing(e.g., CIA Domestic Contact Service);
  • Non-governmental organizations (NGOs);
  • Espionage;

• GEOINT - Geospatial Intelligence - gathered from satellite, aerial photography, mapping/terrain data
  • IMINT - Imagery Intelligence - gathered from satellite and aerial photography
• MASINT - Measurement and Signature Intelligence
  • Electro-optical MASINT
    • Airborne Electro-Optical Missile Tracking MASINT
    • Tactical Countermortar Sensors
    • Infrared MASINT
    • Airborne Electro-Optical Missile Tracking MASINT
    • Optical Measurement of Nuclear Explosion Clouds
    • LASER MASINT
    • Spectroscopic MASINT
    • Hyperspectral Imagery MASINT
    • Space-based Staring Infrared Sensors
  • Nuclear MASINT
    • Radiation survey and dosimetry
    • Space-based Nuclear Energy Detection
    • Effects of Ionizing Radiation on materials
  • Geophysical MASINT
    • Weather and Sea Intelligence MASINT
    • Acoustic MASINT
    • Seismic MASINT
    • Magnetic MASINT
    • Gravitimetric MASINT
  • Radar MASINT
    • Line-of-Sight Radar MASINT
    • Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR) MASINT
    • Non-Cooperative Target Recognition
    • Multistatic Radar MASINT
    • Passive Covert Radar
  • Materials MASINT
    • Chemical Materials MASINT
    • Biological Materials MASINT
    • Nuclear test analysis
  • Radiofrequency MASINT
    • Frequency Domain MASINT
    • Electromagnetic Pulse MASINT
    • Unintentional Radiation MASINT
• OSINT - Open Source Intelligence - gathered from open sources
• SIGINT - Signals Intelligence - gathered from interception of signals
  • COMINT - Communications Intelligence
  • ELINT - Electronic Intelligence - gathered from non-communications electronic emissions
    • FISINT - Foreign Instrumentation Signals Intelligence
      • TELINT - Telemetry Intelligence - the collection and analysis of telemetry data from the target's missile or sometimes from aircraft tests.
• TECHINT - Technical Intelligence - gathered from analysis of weapons and equipment used by the armed forces of foreign nations
• FININT - Financial Intelligence - gathered from analysis of monetary transactions
• MEDINT - Medical Intelligence - gathered from analysis of medical records and/or actual physiological examinations to determine health and/or particular ailments/allergetic conditions for exploitation.
• VPBINT - Variable Programmable Beacon Intelligence - gathered via telematics from static and dynamic (mobile) variable programmable intelligent beacons. See 'generalised example' of Variable Programmable Beacon Intelligence system - potential capabilities, applications & component varieties.

See also

• Cryptanalysis
• TEMPEST
• Traffic analysis
• Spy satellite