Updated

Another woman is set to take a top U.S. intelligence job, joining a small handful of women who've held such elite posts.

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper announced Wednesday that longtime intelligence professional Betty Sapp will head the top defense spy satellite agency, the National Reconnaissance Office.

Sapp moves from the deputy spot to replace her boss, retired general Bruce Carlson, who resigned last week.

Sapp's soon-to-be predecessor Carlson publicly slammed commercial contractors for wasting billions on the failed "Future Imagery Architecture" satellite program, and threatened to cancel other contracts to force industry to deliver on time and on budget.

The tough measures produced six successful satellite launches last year, hailed as the NRO's best record in a quarter century.