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Third Echelon is the name of a fictional sub-agency within the National Security Agency (NSA) featured in the Splinter Cell series of games created by Tom Clancy. It is named after the real-life ECHELON, a rumored signals intelligence network.

The NSA is the United States' cryptologic oversight organization. It coordinates, directs, and performs highly specialized activities to protect U.S. information systems and produce foreign intelligence information. In response to the growing use of sophisticated digital encryption to conceal potential threats to the national security of the United States, the NSA has ushered forth a new dawn of intelligence-gathering techniques. This top-secret initiative was founded in 2004. It marks a return to classical methods of espionage, enhanced with leading-edge surveillance and combat technology for the aggressive collection of stored data in hostile territories.

Since the NSA is a U.S. government agency tasked with breaking codes and intercepting signal traffic, its operatives typically monitor transmissions sent all over the world, scouring them for anything that could pose a threat to national security. In the game, Third Echelon is the internal black operations unit which the NSA uses when critical intelligence cannot be obtained by passive means. Third Echelon resolves the situation by conducting so-called "physical operations" — a euphemism for direct action. To do so, Third Echelon deploys units known as Splinter Cells.

The first Splinter Cell was Sam Fisher, the main character of the games and novels. These lone field operatives are supported by a remote team. They are used in situations where more than one operative — even though highly secret — would arouse too much attention. They infiltrate secure installations, seize critical intelligence, destroy dangerous data or equipment, and neutralize the enemy as needed, without leaving a trace. The doctrine of Third Echelon is that although killing may compromise secrecy, "the choice between leaving either a witness or a corpse is no choice at all".

Splinter Cells are very unusual people, even when compared with "ordinary" special operators or "ordinary" spies without official cover. It is not sufficient that Splinter Cells have extraordinary training and skill, or that they are mind-numbingly precise, or that they deal with grave stress and risk, or that a single mistake will kill them. To top it all off, they must do it alone. In the game, the ability to operate in this manner is referred to as the "Fifth Freedom" — that is, the freedom to do whatever is deemed necessary to protect the four cornerstones of American moral thought, as defined in one of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's famous speeches. Roosevelt articulated these as "freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from want and freedom from fear." Under this unofficial Fifth Freedom, an operative may disregard any law, agreement, or framework of ethical behavior in order to protect the other four. For example, the operative may kill in combat or by assassination, may torture or kidnap people, may deploy on U.S. soil, may spy on other U.S. government agencies, etc. The downside is, of course, obvious. If an operative is captured or killed, the U.S. government will disavow them — either by claiming that the person has gone rogue, or by denying that they even exist. Mission objectives and locations vary, but a field operative's basic goal is to infiltrate the area of operations (AO), do the required things there, and then escape without being detected. Reconnaissance is the field operatives core competency.

The main point of contact and source of information for the field operative is the Operations Coordinator, who oversees the remote team of researchers, hackers, and strategists. He is the fictional character Colonel Irving Lambert, US Army, Ret. In espionage parlance, he would typically be described as the operative's "handler" or "controller". When travelling, he carries a portable transmitter wherever he goes. The operative has subdermal microchips and at least one cochlear implant, designed to help him stealthily communicate with Lambert.

It is the field runners who are mainly responsible for coordinating the transportation and equipment for field operatives. Transportation is usually stolen from an area of operations (AO) and abandoned afterwards. Field Runners are responsible for maintaining an operative's equipment and munitions. They brief the field operatives on any new equipment or weaponry as it becomes available. The Communications Lead heads a small team of programmers responsible for providing technological, cryptographic, and data support for the field operative. They will assist in interfacing with mission-essential equipment.

As of 2006, a new team-based program called Shadownet has been launched by NSA analyst Dermot P. Brunton. Usually teams are composed of two "Splinter Cells in training" to complete objectives impossible for one operative. They operate laterally, shifting command structure in the field as the situation demands. Occasionally, Shadownet operatives perform missions in the same general AO as Splinter Cells, but direct contact is prohibited to prevent agents from being compromised. Shadownet spies generally carry the same equipment as Splinter Cells, however, occasionally they are not allowed to carry lethal weapons and are instead issued P190s, P90s modified to shoot rechargeable sticky shockers attached with 40mm multi-purpose launchers for their gadgets. Later in 2008 the spies directly run under Third Echelon instead of Shadownet. The Shadownet spies were deployed for field operations during Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, and continued to do so in the PS2/Gamecube/XBox/Wii versions of Splinter Cell: Double Agent

In the XBox 360/PS3/PC versions of Splinter Cell: Double Agent, their equipment and general outfit changed dramatically, with most members sporting shaved heads. The way the team operates has also changed slightly. The team members operating during missions have been increased from two to three and they are no longer allowed to use their projectile weapons to discourage enemy contact. However, with the lighter load the Spies of Third Echelon have acquired much higher agility and new acrobatic maneuvers for missions.

This gear will be the final unlockable in the upcoming title Assassin's Creed. On the 8th November 2007 Jade Raymond stated this to the press and asked for it to be kept secret but it was leaked out to the internet on the 9th November 2007. (Note) The information above has no credible source thus questioning the validity of it. This information should be deleted if no link supporting the statement can be found.