National Security Agency

The National Security Agency (NSA) has traditionally influenced and been a very early and sophisticated user of the highest performance commercial computer, storage, and networking systems. For these reasons, NSA actively participated in the original HPCC studies which led to the Federal HPCC program. Through the entire period of growth of high performance computing and networking, spanning several decades, NSA has stimulated both industry and academia with some of the most challenging problems in the nation. A number of major U.S. computer companies are now using hardware and software technology in their products which originated at NSA. This role must continue, both to assure the availability of increasingly higher performance systems to meet the nation's national security interests and to ensure that benefits of NSA's activities accrue to the overall advantage of the industry and the satisfaction of other HPCC Grand Challenges.

NSA will continue to pursue high performance computing and very high speed networks in order to perform its mission. Many of these programs will also contribute directly to the overall goals of HPCC. NSA sponsors divisions of the Institute for Defense Analyses (an FFRDC) to do most of this research.

Results of programs and external drivers have led to revised priorities and funding levels for the supercomputing, superconducting, and very high speed research programs.


FY 97 President's Request by Program Component Area
Program Activity Budget Account Code Partner/User Agencies Budget (BA, $ M) HPCC PCAs by 1997 Pres. Request
FY95 Actual FY96 Pres. FY96 Est. FY97 Rqst. HECC LSN HCS HuCS ETHR
Supercomputing Research   DARPA, NASA, NIH 25.90 27.40 27.48 23.43 23.43        
Superconducting Research   NASA 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.50 2.50        
Very High Speed Networking   DARPA 3.50 3.00 3.00 3.50   3.50      
Secure Operating System Development   NIST 5.70 4.70 4.70 4.50     4.50    
High Speed Data Protection Electronics   DARPA, NASA 2.60 2.70 2.70 2.80     2.80    
Technology Based Training     0.23 0.23 0.15            
Totals: 39.93 40.03 40.03 36.73 25.93 3.50 7.30    


Comparison of FY 97 and FY96 Budgets by Program Component Area
Program Activity Budget (BA, $ M) HPCC PCAs by 1997 Pres. Request HPCC PCAs by 1996 Estimated
FY95 Actual FY96 Pres. FY96 Est. FY97 Rqst. HECC LSN HCS HuCS ETHR HECC LSN HCS HuCS ETHR
Supercomputing Research 25.90 27.40 27.48 23.43 23.43         27.48        
Superconducting Research 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.50 2.50         2.00        
Very High Speed Networking 3.50 3.00 3.00 3.50   3.50         3.00      
Secure Operating System Development 5.70 4.70 4.70 4.50     4.50         4.70    
High Speed Data Protection Electronics 2.60 2.70 2.70 2.80     2.80         2.70    
Technology Based Training 0.23 0.23 0.15                     0.15
Totals: 39.93 40.03 40.03 36.73 25.93 3.50 7.30     29.48 3.00 7.40   0.15