About us

The NATO ISR Force facilities at the NISRF Main Operating Base in Sigonella, Italy

The NATO Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Force (NISRF) is a multinational NATO Force established in mid-2015 as the NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance Force (NAGSF) and based in Sigonella, Italy.

The NATO ISR Force is a foundational component of NATO's Joint Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (JISR) structure. Since its establishment, NISRF has grown and developed steadily. With NISRF the Alliance now has extensive Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance capabilities at its disposal at the Sigonella Air Base in Sicily.

NISRF is equipped with the appropriate systems and personnel to receive collection and exploitation tasking, to plan and operate remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) and to act as a Federated Process, Exploitation, and Dissemination (FEDPED) Node for the Alliance. Once NISRF received surveillance and reconnaissance date from NATO, member nations and its own, its intelligence specialists can analyze it, exploit it, fuse it with other information from other data sources and produce intelligence products. With their Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) fleet of five RQ-4D "Phoenix" RPA's, NISRF is able to carry out radar reconnaissance and surveillance autonomously and independently of the weather, day and night - a unique capability for the Alliance.

Our Mission:

The NISRF mission is to conduct unified Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations in support of Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), NATO and member nation requirements.

Our Operational Focus Areas

Our Main Facts:

NISRF is NATO’s ISR HUB and provides high-quality intelligence products to NATO decision makers and member nations at the speed of need.

NISRF enables rapid, permanent and long-range surveillance on land and at sea in all weather conditions.

NISRF provides the commanders of deployed forces with domain awareness in their respective area of responsibility/operations.

It also contributes to a range of missions such as the protection of ground forces and the civilian population, border control, maritime security, counter-terrorism, crisis management and humanitarian aid in the event of natural disasters.

All five NATO RQ-4D “Phoenix” remotely piloted aircraft are based at the NISRF's main operational base in Sigonella, Italy.

Our Components:

NISRF is divided into three main components: The NISRF Operations Wing, the NISRF Support Wing and the NISRF Training Center:

NISRF Operations Wing

The NISRF Operations Wing serves as the cornerstone of the Force, responsible for the meticulous planning, execution, and coordination of all intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. This entails the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the reception and processing of surveillance data from diverse sources, and the generation of high-quality intelligence products meticulously tailored to the specific requirements of NATO decision-makers. The Wing is staffed by a cadre of highly skilled intelligence analysts, sensor operators, and mission planners who are dedicated to providing timely and accurate information to support the Alliance's strategic and operational objectives.

NISRF Support Wing

The NISRF Support Wing is indispensable to the Force's operations, providing essential logistical and technical support. This includes the maintenance of aircraft and equipment, the management of facilities, and the assurance that the Force possesses the necessary resources to effectively execute its missions. The Wing is staffed by a team of skilled technicians, engineers, and logistics experts who collaborate closely with the Operations Wing to ensure that all requirements are met.

NISRF Training Center

The NISRF Training Center (NISRF TC) is a hub for excellence in Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance training. NISRF TC offers a comprehensive training programs for all the career fields of personnel assigned to the Force, including among others our Joint ISR Analysts, Pilots, Sensor Operators, and Maintainers. The training is meticulously designed to meet the evolving needs of the Force and to ensure that NATO personnel are equipped to address the challenges of the contemporary ISR environment.