The Defense Mapping Agency (DMA) was established from the Mapping Charting and Geodesy Division, Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), by DoD Directive 5105.40 of January 1 1972, pursuant to a Presidential directive (press release), November 5, 1971, under authority of the National Security Act of 1947 (61 Stat. 495), July 26, 1947, as amended, initiating the consolidation of mapping functions previously dispersed among the military services. Consolidation effected, and DMA became operational, effective July 1, 1972, pursuant to General Order 3, DMA, on June 16, 1972, which formally transferred specified DOD components to DMA.
DMA was terminated and its functions were transferred to the National Imagery and Mapping Agency by Pub. L. 104-201 (Sept. 23, 1996) In 2003, NIMA was redesignated as the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA).