Editing Defense Intelligence Agency (section)

== Comparison to other intelligence community members ==

=== CIA ===
DIA and the [[Central Intelligence Agency]] (CIA) are distinct organizations with different functions. DIA focuses on national level defense-military topics, while CIA is concentrated on broader, more general intelligence needs of the US President and [[United States Cabinet|his Cabinet]]. Additionally, due to DIA's designation as a [[combat support agency]], it has special responsibilities in meeting intelligence requirements specifically for the Secretary of Defense, the [[Joint Chiefs of Staff]] (JCS), and Combatant Commanders, both in peace and at war. Although there are misconceptions in the media and public about the DIA–CIA rivalry, the two agencies have a mutually beneficial relationship and [[division of labor]]. According to a former senior U.S official who worked with both agencies, "the CIA doesn't want to be looking for surface-to-air missiles in [[Libya]]" while it is also tasked with evaluating the [[Syrian civil war|Syrian opposition]].<ref name="washingtonpost.com" /> CIA and DIA Operations Officers all go through the same type of clandestine training at [[Camp Peary]], an interagency Defense installation under CIA administration better known in popular culture by its CIA nickname "The Farm".<ref name="washingtonpost.com" />

=== DIA and the military services ===
DIA is not a collective of all U.S. military intelligence units and the work it performs is not in lieu of that falling under intelligence components of individual [[United States Armed Forces|services]]. Unlike the Russian [[GRU (Russian Federation)|GRU]], which encompasses equivalents of nearly all joint U.S. military intelligence operations, DIA assists and coordinates the activities of individual service-level intelligence units (i.e. [[Twenty-Fifth Air Force|25 AF]], [[United States Army Intelligence and Security Command|INSCOM]], etc.), but they nevertheless remain separate entities. As a general rule, DIA handles national-level, long-term and strategic intelligence needs, whereas service-level intelligence components handle tactical, short-term goals pertinent to their respective services.<ref>Daggett, Stephen. [https://fas.org/irp/crs/RS21945.pdf The U.S. Intelligence Budget: A Basic Overview], [[Congressional Research Service]] via the [[Federation of American Scientists]], September 24, 2004</ref> DIA does, however, lead coordination efforts with the military intelligence units and with the national DOD intelligence services ([[National Security Agency|NSA]], [[National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency|NGA]], [[National Reconnaissance Office|NRO]]) in its role as chair of the Military Intelligence Board and through the co-located [[Joint Functional Component Command for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance]].

{{anchor|MARS}}The Military Intelligence Integrated Database (MIDB) is due to be replaced by the Machine-Assisted Analytic Rapid-Repository System (MARS) beginning in spring 2024.<ref name=marsIoc >Theresa Hitchens (1 Nov 2023): [https://breakingdefense.com/2023/11/getting-to-mars-defense-intelligence-agency-ai-assisted-database-to-begin-ops-in-spring/ ''Getting to MARS: Defense Intelligence Agency AI-assisted database to begin ops in spring''] including access to unclassified data (so marked, to aid disclosure to allies and partners)</ref><ref name= diaMars >DIA Public Affairs  [https://www.dia.mil/News-Features/Articles/Article-View/Article/2560830/dias-mars-initiative-reaches-another-key-milestone/ (5 Apr 2021) DIA’s “MARS” Initiative Reaches Another Key Milestone]</ref>