The Navy (as the executive agent for the NRO) operated a space system variously termed Naval Ocean Surveillance Satellite (NOSS) or White Cloud. This consisted of a constellation of satellites, which were launched in clusters of one primary and three secondary satellites. The last launch of this system was on an Atlas H from Vandenberg on 15 May 1987 (1987-043). The White Cloud ELINT satellite system had a complex of six ground stations for receiving signals (Adak AK, Blossom Point MD, Diego Garcia BIOT, Guam, Edzell, Scotland, and Winter Harbor ME) and processing of the reconnaissance signals at Navy Maritime Intelligence Center in Suitland MD and regional Navy intelligence centers in Spain, Great Britain, Japan and Hawaii.
The 1992 Draft Roles and Missions Report of the Joint Chiefs of Staff noted that:
"The newest national space satellite system will consolidate the missions, facilites and infrastructure of two existing satellites. This will facilitate the closure of six ground stations and consolidate operations at one site, eliminating significant facility expenses."
The term "national space satellite system" would appear to be an expansion of the term "national system," which in the past has been the euphemism for National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) intelligence satellites. The "two existing satellites" referred to are almost certainly the Navy and Air Force low altitude Space Based Wide Area Surveillance intelligence systems. The Draft Report mentions that six ground stations will be closed. This is consistent with the closure of the six ground stations of the White Cloud network, including Adak.
