AIA Mission
Home Up

 

SOURCE

AIR INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

About the Agency

The Air Intelligence Agency, headquartered at Kelly Air Force Base, Texas, was activated Oct. 1, 1993.

MISSION

An Air Force Field Operating Agency, AIA's mission is to exploit and defend the information domain. The Agency's 16,000 people worldwide deliver flexible collection, tailored air and space intelligence, weapons monitor-ing and information warfare products and services.

 

ORGANIZATIONS AND FUNCTIONS

National Air Intelligence Center The National Air Intelligence Center, Wright- Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the primary Department of Defense producer of foreign aerospace intelligence. NAIC develops its products by analyzing all available data on foreign aerospace forces and weapons systems to determine performance characteristics, capabilities, vulnerabilities and intentions.

 

Assessments are an important factor in shaping national security and defense policies. As the Department of Defense experts on foreign aerospace system capabilities, center personnel historically have also been involved in supporting American weapons treaty negotiations and verification. The Air Force Systems Command's Foreign Technology Division was the organizational beginning of today's National Air Intelligence Center. Since the start of its organizational lineage in 1961, the unit's mission and resources have expanded to meet the challenge of worldwide technological developments and the accompanying national need for aerospace intelligence. In recent years, the emphasis has increasingly shifted toward evaluation of worldwide aerospace systems and the production of "tailored," customer- specific products. After name changes to Foreign Technology Center, and Foreign Aerospace Science and Technology Center, the Air Force assigned the 480th IG to it and redesigned the unit National Air Intelligence Center Oct. 1, 1993.

Like a coat of arms, the Air Intelligence Agency's emblem lets the world know what we stand for. On a blue field, a light blue globe bearing a black chess piece is displayed over a yellow key. The blue and yellow are the Air Force colors. Blue alludes to the sky, the primary theater of Air Force operations. Yellow refers to the sun and the excellence required of Air Force personnel. The globe signifies the intelligence support the agency provides to the Air Force Global Reach — Global Power mission. The key represents the agency's efforts to unlock its protagonist's secrets. The teeth on the ward symbolize the disciplines of intelligence — SIGINT, HUMINT, IMAGERY and MASINT. The chess knight reflects counter-intelligence and the ability to use intelligence information in a variety of ways. The compass rose symbolizes intelligence operations reaching the four corners of the earth and the use of satellite information gathering.

Air Force Information Warfare Center

The Air Force Information Warfare Center at Kelly Air Force Base, Texas, is engaged in a myriad of activities supporting its role as the Air Force information warfare executive agent. Its mission is to develop, maintain and deploy information warfare/ command and control warfare capabilities in support of operations, campaign planning, acquisition and testing. The center acts as the time sensitive, single focal point for intelligence data and C2W services. It provides technical expertise for computer and communications security and is the Air Force's focal point for tactical deception and operations security training. The AFIWC was activated Sept. 10, 1993, by combining the Air Force Electronic Warfare Center, and elements of the Air Force Cryptologic Support Center's securities directorate. The AFEWC provided electronic combat and technical expertise for Desert Storm C2W successes. Coupled with AFCSC's technical skills in command, control, communications and computer systems security, the merger of the two organizations provided a solid baseline for the new IW mission.

497th Intelligence Group

The 497th IG, Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D. C., provides worldwide intelligence infrastructure support, physical and personal security, threat support to weapon systems acquisition and employment and automation support. The group also serves as the Washington- area focal point for Air Force intelligence planning, logistics and readiness issues, communications/ computer system sup-port and all military and civilian personnel actions and programs. The 497th also includes the Air Force Departmental Imagery Requirements office. Formerly known as the Air Force Intelligence Support Agency, the group was renamed the 497th Oct. 1, 1993.

 

544th Intelligence Group

The 544th IG, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., directs, manages and supports units worldwide in the collection, refinement and delivery of wholesale intelligence. Personnel operate C4I systems, providing space surveillance, threat warning and technical analysis to Air Force Space Command, United States Space Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

The group acts as an interface in working infrastructure issues between collocated and associated AIA units. The 544th was activated Sept. 7, 1993, to provide a single focal point for AIA involvement in worldwide space issues and to posture AIA to better support national agencies.

 

67th Intelligence Wing

The 67th Intelligence Wing, Kelly Air Force Base, Texas, manages the agency's global mission. As the only intelligence wing in the Air Force, the 67th IW manages the planning of all-source intelligence. It assists Air Force components in the development of concepts, exercises and employment of AIA forces to support contingency, low- intensity conflict, counter- drug and special operations. Subordinate to the wing are five intelligence groups and 35 squadrons located in the Continental United States., Hawaii and Germany. With more than 9,500 personnel assigned, the 67th IW is one of the Air Force's largest wings. The 67th IW is the only Air Force wing with people and resources permanently located around the world, providing continuous coverage to fulfill its global responsibilities. The wing was activated on Oct. 1, 1993.

 

JC2WC

AIA also supports the Joint Command and Control Warfare Center, a Joint Chiefs of Staff Organization collocated with Headquarters AIA. The AIA commander is also the JC2WC director.