ENCYCLOPEDIA OF Espionage, Intelligence, and Security Volume ...

Air Force Intelligence, United StatesAn image ready analyst from the AIA (Air Intelligence Agency) at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, examines the imagery on a light table taken by a U-2 spyplane. AP/WIDE WORLD PHOTOS.War and thereafter. In the 1950s, the United States launchedone of its most successful spy aircraft, the U-2. Despite theshootdown of pilot Francis Gary Powers over the SovietUnion in 1960, as well as the passage of time and the agingof the craft, the U-2 remained in service during the 1990s.In addition to a number of surveillance craft such as theSR-71 Blackbird, deployed the Vietnam War, the Air Forcemade extensive use of satellites and unmanned, remotelypiloted vehicles.The Air Force and its predecessors also took a greatdeal of interest in ATI, which involves the study of aircraft,parts, and accessories. ATI has helped the United States,not only in the building of better aircraft, but also intargeting enemy defense plants for bombing runs. A byproductof ATI work has also been advances in otherareas, including computer systems in general, and automaticlanguage translation technology in particular.Air intelligence today. Most air intelligence work today isunder the leadership of Air Combat Command (ACC).Headquartered at Langley, Virginia, ACC operates fighter,bomber, reconnaissance, battle-management, rescue, andtheatre airlift aircraft, along with command, control, communication,and intelligence systems. Under its leadershipare a number of intelligence-related Air Force activities,most notable of which are the Air Intelligence Agency(AIA) and the Air Force Technical Applications Center(AFTAC).Established in October 1993, AIA grew out of the AirForce Intelligence Service, established in June 1972. AIA,which is tasked with intelligence collection, security, supportfor treaty monitoring, and electronic warfare, is headquarteredat Kelly Air Force Base (AFB) in Texas. It consistsof several components, including the 67th InformationOperations Wing and the 690th Information OperationsGroup at Kelly, as well as the 70th Intelligence Wing atBarksdale AFB in Louisiana. Its three centers are the NationalAir Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio,the Air Force Information Warfare Center at Kelly, andAFTAC, which it supports administratively, at Patrick AFBin Florida. In the mid-1990s, AIA included 12,600 activedutypersonnel, along with 1,900 reservists and 2,400civilians.AFTAC is the sole Department of Defense agencyoperating and maintaining a global network of nuclear12 Encyclopedia of Espionage, Intelligence, and Security