The National Security Agency is preparing its most extensive internal restructuring in at least a decade, according to current and former officials briefed on the plan.
Army Gen. Joshua M. Rudd, who became NSA director in March and also leads U.S. Cyber Command, told senior leaders last week he will create five new organizations at Fort Meade focused on artificial intelligence, China, cybersecurity, combat support or warfighting, and global intelligence.
Each organization will be led by a new “mission director” with authority similar to an NSA deputy director. Officials said it is not yet clear whether the new groups will replace existing divisions or be added to the existing structure. Rudd said some directors may be hired from outside the agency. The elite hacking unit Tailored Access Operations, reconstituted after its name was retired in 2016, will report to the global intelligence mission director and is slated for a significant budget increase when the fiscal year begins Oct. 1.
Officials said a multibillion-dollar increase for IT and computing has been proposed in the classified budget. Mission directors must submit plans by the end of September. Rollout is expected in mid-October, with full operating capacity targeted for mid-January 2027. The NSA employs more than 30,000 people, more than the CIA.
