The 480th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing (480th ISR Wing) is headquartered at
Langley Air Force Base,
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
.
Mission
The 480th ISR Wing leads Air Force globally networked ISR operations. The wing operates and maintains the Air Force
Distributed Common Ground System
The Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) is a system which produces military intelligence for multiple military branches.
DCGS Programs
* DCGS-N - DCGS for the United States Navy
* DCGS-A - DCGS for the United States Army
* AF DCGS - DCGS fo ...
(DCGS), also known as the AN/GSQ-272 "Sentinel" weapon system, conducting imagery, cryptologic, and measurement and signatures intelligence activities. The unit processes twenty
terabyte
The byte is a unit of digital information that most commonly consists of eight bits. Historically, the byte was the number of bits used to encode a single character of text in a computer and for this reason it is the smallest addressable uni ...
s of data each day.
The 480th ISR Wing employs more than 6,000 civilian and military personnel, and operates and manages over $5 billion of intelligence resources.
The
27th Intelligence Squadron
The 27th Intelligence Squadron is an active squadron of the United States Air Force, stationed at Langley Air Force Base, part of Joint Base Langley-Eustis, near Hampton, Virginia. It is assigned to the 480th Intelligence, Surveillance and Rec ...
is assigned directly to the wing and provides communication and network services. Tests and evaluates emerging information technologies and handles all aspects of the 480th ISR Wing security program.
480th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group
Based at
Fort Gordon,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
(13 May 2010 – present). Conducts real-time tactical and national intelligence collection, exploitation, analysis and reporting operations. The Group provides cryptologic products and services to war fighters and decision makers operating in, or concerned with, the CENTCOM, EUCOM, AFRICOM and SOCOM areas of responsibility. The Group also conducts Air Force National Tactical Integration and Tactics Analysis Studies Element missions for the 609th Air and Space Operations Center and is the Air Force component of the National Security Agency-Central Security Service-Georgia. The Group consists of the 3rd Intelligence Squadron, the 31st Intelligence Squadron, and the 451st Intelligence Squadron; all located at Fort Gordon, Georgia.
497th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group
The United States Air Force's 497th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group is an intelligence unit located at Joint Base Langley–Eustis, Virginia.
Mission
The 497th Group delivers real-time high-confidence intelligence, surveil ...
Based at
Langley Air Force Base,
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
. Delivers real-time high-confidence intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance products and services to Joint and Coalition forces and other designated government agencies. The Group consists of two active duty Squadrons, the 30th Intelligence Squadron and 10th Intelligence Squadron, one Air National Guard unit, the 192nd Intelligence Squadron (VA ANG), and a new classic Air Reserve unit, the 718th Intelligence Squadron, stood up to support the total force integration of the Wing and combat ISR operations.
548th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group
Delivers real-time high-confidence intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance products and services to Joint and Coalition forces and other designated government agencies. The Group also processes, exploits and disseminates broad area, synoptic, high-resolution imagery collected by the U-2 Optical Bar Camera for combatant commanders and war fighting forces worldwide.
The following Air National Guard squadrons are operationally gained by the group when federalized.
* 222d Intelligence Squadron (CA ANG), Beale AFB, California
* 222d Operational Support Squadron (CA ANG), Beale AFB, California
* 234th Intelligence Squadron (CA ANG), Beale AFB, California
* 152d Intelligence Squadron (NV ANG), Reno, Nevada
* 123d Intelligence Squadron (Arkansas ANG), Little Rock AFB, Arkansas
692d Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group
The United States Air Force's 692nd Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group is an intelligence unit located at Hickam AFB, Hawaii, performing operations as part of the Kunia Regional Security Operations Center (KRSOC).
Mission
The m ...
Based at
Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii (2008 – present). Processes, exploits and disseminates ISR data collected by U-2, Predator, and Global Hawk aircraft. The Group also is the Air Force component of the National Security Agency-Central Security Service-Hawaii and provides AF National Tactical Integration to 613th Air and Space Operations Center. The Air National Guard's 201st Intelligence Squadron (Hawaii ANG) is operationally gained by the group when federalized.
693d Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group
The United States Air Force's 693rd Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group is an intelligence unit located at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
Mission
The mission of the 693rd Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group is to le ...
Based at
Ramstein AB
Ramstein Air Base or Ramstein AB is a United States Air Force base in Rhineland-Palatinate, a state in southwestern Germany. It serves as headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) and also ...
, Germany. Conducts multi-intelligence airborne ISR operations for the European, African and Central Command areas of responsibility. The Group also conducts Air Force National Tactical Integration and Tactics Analysis Studies Element missions for the 603rd Air and Space Operations Center and operates
Eagle Vision 1, a deployable commercial satellite imagery ground station
694th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group
The United States Air Force's 694th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group (694 ISRG) is an intelligence unit located at Osan AB, Korea.
Mission
The mission of the 694th ISRG is to provide continuous armistice indications and warn ...
Based at
Osan Air Base
Hanja:)
, partof =
, location =
, nearest_town = Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province
, country = South Korea
, image = Osan Air Base 51 FW F-16 A-10 Flyby.jpg
, alt = US Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon and A ...
, South Korea (2008 – present). Processes, exploits and disseminates intelligence data from reconnaissance aircraft, conducting ISR operations during armistice, crisis and wartime to meet Component, Combatant Commander and national requirements. The Group also conducts Air Force National Tactical Integration, Tactics Analysis Studies Element and real-time threat warning missions for the 607th Air and Space Operations Center and conducts reporting of intelligence through global networks serving the intelligence community. The Air National Guard's 117th Intelligence Squadron (
Alabama ANG
The Alabama Air National Guard (AL ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Alabama, United States of America. It is, along with the Alabama Army National Guard, an element of the Alabama National Guard.
As state militia units, the units in t ...
–
Birmingham ANGB
Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
, Alabama) and
161st Intelligence Squadron
The 161st Intelligence Squadron (161 IS) is a unit of the 184th Wing of the Kansas Air National Guard stationed at McConnell Air Force Base, Wichita, Kansas. The 161st is a non-flying squadron operating the Distributed Common Ground System
T ...
(
Kansas ANG –
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532. The Wichita metro area had a population of 647,610 in 2020. It is located in ...
) are operationally gained by the group when federalized.
Component units
Unless otherwise indicated, units are based at
Joint Base Langley-Eustis
A joint or articulation (or articular surface) is the connection made between bones, ossicles, or other hard structures in the body which link an animal's skeletal system into a functional whole.Saladin, Ken. Anatomy & Physiology. 7th ed. McGraw ...
, Virginia, and subordinate units are located at the same location as their commanding group.
Wing Staff
*
27th Intelligence Squadron
The 27th Intelligence Squadron is an active squadron of the United States Air Force, stationed at Langley Air Force Base, part of Joint Base Langley-Eustis, near Hampton, Virginia. It is assigned to the 480th Intelligence, Surveillance and Rec ...
480th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group (
Fort Gordon, Georgia)
* 3rd Intelligence Squadron
* 31st Intelligence Squadron
*
451st Intelligence Squadron
497th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group
*
10th Intelligence Squadron
The United States Air Force's 10th Intelligence Support Squadron is an intelligence unit located at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia.
The squadron was first activated during World War II as the 678th Bombardment Squadron, a United States Army ...
*
30th Intelligence Squadron
The 30th Intelligence Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit, stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia and operating Distributed Ground Station-1 in association with reserve and Virginia Air National Guard squadrons.
The squadron ...
* 45th Intelligence Squadron
* 497th Operations Support Squadron
548th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group (
Beale AFB
Beale Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force base located approximately east of Marysville, California. It is located outside Linda, about east of the towns of Marysville and Yuba City, and about north of Sacramento.
The ho ...
, California)
*
9th Intelligence Squadron
The United States Air Force's 9th Intelligence Squadron is an intelligence unit located at Beale Air Force Base, California. The 9th is associated with Lockheed U-2 and Distributed Common Ground System operations. The squadron was first active du ...
*
13th Intelligence Squadron
The 13th Intelligence Squadron (13 IS) is part of the 548th Intelligence Group at Beale Air Force Base. It is one of the exploitation units for the Lockheed U-2 (operated out of Beale AFB), MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper (operated out of Nellis, ...
*
48th Intelligence Squadron
The United States Air Force's 48th Intelligence Support Squadron is an intelligence support unit located at Beale AFB, California. The squadron is associated with Lockheed U-2 operations.
Mission
The 48th Information Support Squadron provides i ...
* 548th Operations Support Squadron
* Detachment 1 (
Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona)
692nd Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group (
Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii)
*
8th Intelligence Squadron
*
324th Intelligence Squadron
* 392nd Intelligence Squadron
* 792nd Intelligence Support Squadron
693rd Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group (
Ramstein AB
Ramstein Air Base or Ramstein AB is a United States Air Force base in Rhineland-Palatinate, a state in southwestern Germany. It serves as headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) and also ...
, Germany)
*
24th Intelligence Squadron
* 402nd Intelligence Squadron (
Darmstadt, Germany)
*
450th Intelligence Squadron
The United States Air Force's 450th Intelligence Squadron is an intelligence unit located at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The squadron was first activated in July 1974 as the 6950th Security Squadron and served as an intelligence gathering unit ...
*
485th Intelligence Squadron (
Mainz-Kastel
Mainz-Kastel is a district of the city Wiesbaden, which is the capital of the German state Hesse in western Germany.
Kastel is the historical bridgehead of Mainz, the capital of the German state Rhineland-Palatinate and is located on the right si ...
, Germany)
* 693rd Intelligence Support Squadron
694th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group (
Osan AB
Hanja:)
, partof =
, location =
, nearest_town = Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province
, country = South Korea
, image = Osan Air Base 51 FW F-16 A-10 Flyby.jpg
, alt = US Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon and A-1 ...
, South Korea)
*
6th Intelligence Squadron
The United States Air Force's 6th Intelligence Squadron is an intelligence unit located at Osan Air Base, Korea. During World War II, as the 6th Radio Squadron, Mobile, it gathered intelligence for 10th Air Force from listening posts in India. ...
*
303rd Intelligence Squadron
303rd Intelligence Squadron (303 IS) is an intelligence unit of the United States Air Force located at Osan AB, South Korea. Also known as "Skivvy Nine," the squadron is a tenant unit of the 51st Fighter Wing, although it is operationally a comp ...
* 694th Intelligence Support Squadron
History
The wing traces its history back to 1943 when it was formed as the 480th Antisubmarine Group. In 1951, it became the 580th Air Resupply and Communications Wing, and it inactivated in 1953. The wing was officially redesignated the 480th Intelligence Wing and reactivated 1 December 2003. It was organized under
Eighth Air Force,
Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, and
Air Combat Command,
Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. Air Force officials announced 14 January 2008, the transfer of the 480th Intelligence Wing from 8th AF to the
Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency.
480th Antisubmarine Group
The group was formed on 19 June 1943, at
Port Lyautey
Kenitra ( ar, القُنَيْطَرَة, , , ; ber, ⵇⵏⵉⵟⵔⴰ, Qniṭra; french: Kénitra) is a city in north western Morocco, formerly known as Port Lyautey from 1932 to 1956. It is a port on the Sebou river, has a population in 201 ...
,
French Morocco in North Africa, as one of the units of the
Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command
The Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command was formed in the fall of 1942 to establish a single command to control antisubmarine warfare (ASW) activities of the Army Air Forces (AAF). It was formed from the resources of I Bomber Command, which ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. The group came from squadrons at
RAF St Eval
Royal Air Force St. Eval or RAF St. Eval was a Royal Air Force station for the RAF Coastal Command, southwest of Padstow in Cornwall, England, UK. St Eval's primary role was to provide anti-submarine and anti-shipping patrols off the south wes ...
, England who deployed to Port Lyautey as the 2037th Antisubmarine Wing (Provisional) the previous March after training with
RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was founded in 1936, when the RAF was restructured into Fighter, Bomber and Coastal Commands and played an important role during the Second World War. Maritime Aviation ...
in aerial anti-submarine warfare techniques..
The anti-submarine group's mission was to shore up scanty Allied antisubmarine defenses in the Atlantic approaches to the
Straits of Gibraltar.
U-boat
U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare ro ...
s had very recently sunk four ships in an Allied convoy about a hundred miles off the coast of Portugal. Over the long term, the Allies wanted to increase air antisubmarine patrols and convoy coverage to protect their preparations for the impending Tunisian offensive and the subsequent invasion of Sicily.
Using modified
B-24 Liberator bombers equipped with RADAR, external fuel tanks and other antisubmarine equipment, the group's 1st and 2d Antisubmarine Squadrons joined two
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
PBY Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina is a flying boat and amphibious aircraft that was produced in the 1930s and 1940s. In Canadian service it was known as the Canso. It was one of the most widely used seaplanes of World War II. Catalinas served w ...
squadrons patrolling the Atlantic Ocean north and west from Morocco. The two squadrons were assigned to the Northwest African Coastal Air Force for administration and placed under the operational control of the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
Fleet Air Wing 15, which answered to the commander of the
Moroccan Sea Frontier
Sea Frontiers were several, now disestablished, commands of the United States Navy as areas of defense against enemy vessels, especially submarines, along the U.S. coasts. They existed from 1 July 1941 until in some cases the 1970s. Sea Frontiers ...
.
The AAF squadrons flew their first mission on 19 March 1943 despite shortages of spare parts, equipment, and maintenance personnel. Ordinarily, three B-24s flew daily on operational missions, covering an area as far south as 30°N, as far north as Cape Finisterre, Spain, and as far west as a thousand nautical miles from Port Lyautey. Much of the time, the Liberators flew convoy coverage for ships sailing from or approaching the Straits of Gibraltar. Its antisubmarine activity reached a peak in July 1943 when enemy
U-boat
U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare ro ...
s concentrated off the coast of Portugal to intercept convoys bound for the
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...
. The group destroyed and damaged several submarines during the month which aided in protecting supply lines to forces involved in the campaign for
Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Ethnicity
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographi ...
. At the time, the group was under the command of Colonel Jack Roberts and assigned to the
Northwest African Coastal Air Force The Northwest African Coastal Air Force (NACAF) was a specialized functional command of the combined Northwest African Air Forces. The Mediterranean Air Command (MAC) oversaw the combined air forces until superseded by the MAAF.
The NACAF had res ...
under the command of Air Vice-Marshal
Hugh Lloyd
Hugh Lewis Lloyd (22 April 1923 – 14 July 2008) was an English actor who made his name in film and television comedy from the 1960s to the 1980s. He was best known for appearances in ''Hancock's Half Hour'', ''Hugh and I'' and other sit ...
, but they operated under the control of USN FAW-15 at Port Lyautey, French Morocco, now
Kenitra
Kenitra ( ar, القُنَيْطَرَة, , , ; ber, ⵇⵏⵉⵟⵔⴰ, Qniṭra; french: Kénitra) is a city in north western Morocco, formerly known as Port Lyautey from 1932 to 1956. It is a port on the Sebou river, has a population in 201 ...
, Morocco.
The group also covered convoys and engaged numerous
Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
aircraft in combat. In September, part of the group deployed to Protville
Tunisia
)
, image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa
, image_map2 =
, capital = Tunis
, largest_city = capital
, ...
located between
Tunis
''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois
, population_note =
, population_urban =
, population_metro = 2658816
, population_density_km2 =
, timezone1 = CET
, utc_offset1 ...
, on the east coast and
Bizerte
Bizerte or Bizerta ( ar, بنزرت, translit=Binzart , it, Biserta, french: link=no, Bizérte) the classical Hippo, is a city of Bizerte Governorate in Tunisia. It is the northernmost city in Africa, located 65 km (40mil) north of the cap ...
, on the north coast about thirty-five miles northwest of Tunis. For the first fourteen days, the 1st Squadron operated under the Northwest African Coastal Air Force. On 4 September, the B-24s began searching for enemy submarines and shipping between
Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Ethnicity
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographi ...
and
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
. the squadron covered this area twenty-four hours a day until the landing of the
United States Fifth Army
The United States Army North (ARNORTH) is a formation of the United States Army. An Army Service Component Command (ASCC) subordinate to United States Northern Command (NORTHCOM), ARNORTH is the joint force land component of NORTHCOM. at
Salerno, Italy
Salerno (, , ; nap, label= Salernitano, Saliernë, ) is an ancient city and ''comune'' in Campania (southwestern Italy) and is the capital of the namesake province, being the second largest city in the region by number of inhabitants, after ...
, on 9 September, when it extended antisubmarine patrols to cover the sea west of
Sardinia
Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...
and
Corsica
Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of ...
. One B-24 destroyed three German flying boats northwest of Sardinia. In addition to the antisubmarine patrols, the 1st Squadron flew escort for several Allied convoys and covered the escape of Italian naval vessels from
Genoa
Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the List of cities in Italy, sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian ce ...
and
Spezia
La Spezia (, or , ; in the local Spezzino dialect) is the capital city of the province of La Spezia and is located at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the southern part of the Liguria region of Italy.
La Spezia is the second largest city ...
to
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
following Italy's surrender.
After returning to Port Lyautey on 18 September, the 1st Squadron operated in the Moroccan Sea Frontier until it moved to
Langley Field Langley may refer to:
People
* Langley (surname), a common English surname, including a list of notable people with the name
* Dawn Langley Simmons (1922–2000), English author and biographer
* Elizabeth Langley (born 1933), Canadian perform ...
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
in November. That return to the United States marked the final stage in the Air Force's withdrawal from its antisubmarine mission. The 480th was disbanded on 29 January 1944.
The 480th Antisubmarine Group was awarded a
Distinguished Unit Citation
The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enem ...
in 1944 for its actions from 10 November 1942 to 28 October 1943 that contributed to the winning of the
Battle of the Atlantic
The Battle of the Atlantic, the longest continuous military campaign in World War II, ran from 1939 to the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, covering a major part of the naval history of World War II. At its core was the Allied naval blockade ...
.
580th Air Resupply and Communications Wing
The 580th Air Resupply and Communications Wing (ARCW) was activated at
Mountain Home AFB
Mountain Home Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) installation in the western United States. Located in southwestern Idaho in Elmore County, the base is southwest of Mountain Home, which is southeast of Boise via Interstate ...
,
Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...
, in April 1951.
First-year activities for the 580th was devoted to training aircrew and support personnel in their new PSYWAR mission and in rebuilding Mountain Home AFB, which had fallen into disrepair since the end of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
.
"A B-29 assigned to the 581st Air Resupply Squadron, 580th Air Resupply and Communications Wing (ARCW), based at
Mountain Home AFB
Mountain Home Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) installation in the western United States. Located in southwestern Idaho in Elmore County, the base is southwest of Mountain Home, which is southeast of Boise via Interstate ...
, Idaho, conducted trials at
Eglin AFB
Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in the western Florida Panhandle, located about southwest of Valparaiso in Okaloosa County.
The host unit at Eglin is the 96th Test Wing (formerly the 96th Air Base Wing). The 9 ...
, during the summer of 1951 to determine if the aircraft could be used to extract personnel utilizing the prototype Personnel Pickup Ground Station extraction system. The test aircraft was modified with a 48-inch diameter opening in place of the aft-belly turret and with an elongated tailhook at the rear of the aircraft. The system was similar to the one adopted in 1952 by
Fifth Air Force
The Fifth Air Force (5 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It is the U.S. Air Force's oldest continuously serving Numbered Air Force. The organiza ...
for the
C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota (Royal Air Force, RAF, Royal Australian Air Force, RAAF, Royal Canadian Air Force, RCAF, Royal New Zealand Air Force, RNZAF, and South African Air Force, SAAF designation) is a airlift, military transport ai ...
s of the Special Air Missions detachment in Korea. The tests proved technically feasible, but the project was dropped for the B-29 aircraft due to aircraft size and safety considerations of flying it so close to the ground."
In July and September 1952 the 580th ARCW, which had been stationed at Mountain Home AFB since its activation, embarked its support personnel by way of ship to North Africa for its initial deployment overseas. Assigned B-29s flew out of
Westover AFB
Westover Air Reserve Base is an Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) installation located in the Massachusetts communities of Chicopee and Ludlow, near the city of Springfield, Massachusetts. Established at the outset of World War II, today West ...
,
, with a planned refueling and overnight crew rest stop in the
Azores
)
, motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace")
, anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores")
, image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg
, map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union
, map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...
en route to
Wheelus AB
Wheelus Air Base was a United States Air Force base located in British-occupied Libya and the Kingdom of Libya from 1943 to 1970. At one time it was the largest US military facility outside the US. It had an area of on the coast of Tripoli. T ...
, Libya. The C-119s and SA-16s, with a much shorter range than the B-29s, took a northern route through
Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
, England, and Italy before arriving in Libya.
Life at Wheelus AB for the 580th was Spartan, at best, for the first six months of operations. Personnel lived and worked in tents enduring the sweltering summer heat of North Africa. Low-level training was emphasized for the aircrews. The B-29s and C-119s flew low over the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...
, and flew 500 feet above the Libyan desert. In January 1954 a B-29 was lost during a low-level training mission when it failed to clear a ridgeline.
A primary customer for the 580th was the
10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) (10th SFG) (A) which was garrisoned at
Bad Tölz
Bad Tölz (; Bavarian language, Bavarian: ''Däiz'') is a Town#Germany, town in Bavaria, Germany and the administrative center of the Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen district.
History
Archaeology has shown continuous occupation of the site of Bad Tö ...
,
West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
, in the
Bavarian Alps
The Bavarian Alps (german: Bayerische Alpen) is a collective name for several mountain ranges of the Northern Limestone Alps within the German state of Bavaria.
Geography
The term in its wider sense refers to that part of the Eastern Alps that ...
. Tenth Group personnel would deploy to Libya for parachute and desert survival training. Dropping at 1,000 feet above the ground, B-29 navigators utilized the
Norden bombsight
The Norden Mk. XV, known as the Norden M series in U.S. Army service, is a bombsight that was used by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) and the United States Navy during World War II, and the United States Air Force in the Korean and t ...
developed during World War II to determine the release point. The bombsight proved to be equally as accurate at 1,000 feet as it had been dropping bombs at high altitude during World War II.
Assigned SA-16s were tasked to fly classified courier missions throughout the
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...
, Middle East, and southern Europe. The amphibian aircraft proved to be versatile and on several occasions was tasked to fly extremely sensitive missions, including ones into the Balkans behind the so-called Iron Curtain and into southern Russia. Operating out of
Tehran
Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...
, Iran, in March 1956, an SA-16 penetrated Soviet airspace at low-level altitude en route to a night amphibious exfiltration from the
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, often described as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia; east of the Caucasus, west of the broad steppe of Central Asia ...
. The mission went as planned, resulting in the successful exfiltration of a man, woman, and two children. The family was flown directly to a water rendezvous in the Mediterranean Sea and from there transferred to an awaiting ship.
In September 1953, after the
Korean Armistice
The Korean Armistice Agreement ( ko, 한국정전협정 / 조선정전협정; zh, t=韓國停戰協定 / 朝鮮停戰協定) is an armistice that brought about a complete cessation of hostilities of the Korean War. It was signed by United Sta ...
was signed that ended active conflict on the Korean peninsula and three months before inactivation of the ARCS, the three active wings were reduced to air resupply groups. The downsized 580th ARG was approximately one-half the size of the former wing and consisted of two squadrons – one flying squadron and one support squadron.
Headquarters
Seventeenth Air Force
The Seventeenth Expeditionary Air Force (17 EAF) was a numbered air force of the United States Air Force located at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The command served the United States Air Forces in Europe during (1953–1996) and AFAFRICA, United Sta ...
, dated 12 October 1956, inactivated the 580th ARG in place in Libya.
Lineage
480th Antisubmarine Group
* Constituted as the 480th Antisubmarine Group (Separate) on 19 June 1943
: Activated on 21 June 1943
* Disbanded on 29 January 1944
* Reconstituted and consolidated with the 580th Air Resupply and Communications Wing as the 480th Special Operations Wing
[Bailey, Carl. ]
AFHRA Factsheet 480th Intelligence Wing
, 28 December 2007 (retrieved 16 July 2013)
580th Air Resupply and Communications Wing
* Constituted as the 580th Air Resupply and Communications Wing on 15 March 1951
: Activated on 16 April 1951
: Inactivated on 8 September 1953
* Consolidated with the 480th Antisubmarine Group as the 480th Special Operations Wing
[
Consolidated Unit
* Designated 480th Special Operations Wing on 31 July 1985
: Redesignated 480th Intelligence Wing on 23 October 2003
: Activated on 1 December 2003][
: Redesignated as 480th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing on 1 January 2009.][Lent, John W., ''480th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing Heritage Pamphlet'', 1 May 2012 Office of the Historian 480th ISR Wing, pp. 14–15 ]
Assignments
* Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command
The Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command was formed in the fall of 1942 to establish a single command to control antisubmarine warfare (ASW) activities of the Army Air Forces (AAF). It was formed from the resources of I Bomber Command, which ...
(later I Bomber Command), 21 June 1943 (attached to Northwest African Coastal Air Force The Northwest African Coastal Air Force (NACAF) was a specialized functional command of the combined Northwest African Air Forces. The Mediterranean Air Command (MAC) oversaw the combined air forces until superseded by the MAAF.
The NACAF had res ...
, 21 June – 25 July 1943, Northwest African Air Service Command, 26 July – 22 August 1943, XII Fighter Command
Twelve or 12 may refer to:
* 12 (number)
* December, the twelfth and final month of the year
Years
* 12 BC
* AD 12
* 1912
* 2012
Film
* ''Twelve'' (2010 film), based on the 2002 novel
* ''12'' (2007 film), by Russian director and actor Nikit ...
, 23 August – November 1943) Under operational control of US Navy Fleet Air Wing 15, 21 June 1943 – unknown)
* Second Air Force
The Second Air Force (2 AF; ''2d Air Force'' in 1942) is a USAF numbered air force responsible for conducting basic military and technical training for Air Force enlisted members and non-flying officers. In World War II the CONUS unit defended ...
, c. 1 January 1944 – 29 January 1944
* Air Resupply and Communications Service
The Air Resupply And Communications Service (ARCS) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was assigned to Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. Established during the Korean War, the mission of ARCS was providing the Air Force an un ...
, 16 April 1951
* United States Air Forces in Europe
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...
, 1 October 1952 – 8 September 1953
* Eighth Air Force, 1 December 2003[
* (later Twenty-Fifth Air Force), 26 February 2008][
* ]Sixteenth Air Force
The Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber) (16 AF) is a United States Air Force (USAF) organization responsible for information warfare, which encompasses intelligence gathering and analysis, surveillance, reconnaissance, cyber warfare and ele ...
, 11 October 2019 – present
Components
Groups
* 480th Intelligence Group (later 480th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group): 1 December 2003 – 25 February 2008, 1 November 2010 – present
* 497th Intelligence Group (later 497th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group): 1 December 2003 – present
* 548th Intelligence Group (later 548th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group): 1 December 2003 – present
* 580th Air Base Group, November 1951 – 24 June 1952
* 580th Air Resupply and Communications Group, 16 April 1951 – 12 October 1956 (not operational: 8 April 1952 – 8 September 1953)
* 580th Medical Group, November 1951 – 24 June 1952
* 692d Intelligence Group (later 692d Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group): 17 July 2008 – Present
* 693d Intelligence Group (later 693d Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group): 23 July 2008 – Present
* 694th Intelligence Group (later 694th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group): 15 July 2008 – Present[
Squadrons
* 1st Antisubmarine Squadron: 21 June 1943 – 29 January 1944
* ]2d Antisubmarine Squadron
The 2d Antisubmarine Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 480th Antisubmarine Group, based at Clovis Army Airfield, New Mexico, and under the command of Col. Jack Roberts. On 13 November 1943, th ...
: 21 June 1943 – 29 January 1944
* 27th Intelligence Support Squadron (later 27th Intelligence Squadron): 1 December 2003 – present
* 580th Air Resupply Squadron: 8 April 1952 – 12 October 1956[
]
Stations
* Port Lyautey Army Airfield, French Morocco, 21 June– November 1943
* Langley Field Langley may refer to:
People
* Langley (surname), a common English surname, including a list of notable people with the name
* Dawn Langley Simmons (1922–2000), English author and biographer
* Elizabeth Langley (born 1933), Canadian perform ...
, Virginia, c. 18 November 1943
* Clovis Army Air Field
Cannon Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base, located approximately southwest of Clovis, New Mexico. It is under the jurisdiction of Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). The host unit at Cannon is the 27th Special Operatio ...
, New Mexico, c. 1–29 January 1944
* Mountain Home AFB
Mountain Home Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) installation in the western United States. Located in southwestern Idaho in Elmore County, the base is southwest of Mountain Home, which is southeast of Boise via Interstate ...
, Idaho, 16 April 1951 – 17 September 1952
* Wheelus Air Base
Wheelus Air Base was a United States Air Force base located in British-occupied Libya and the Kingdom of Libya from 1943 to 1970. At one time it was the largest US military facility outside the US. It had an area of on the coast of Tripoli. T ...
, Libya, 22 September 1952 – 12 October 1956
* Langley AFB, Virginia, 1 December 2003 – present
Aircraft
* Antisubmarine Command's units flew such aircraft as Douglas B-18 Bolo
The Douglas B-18 Bolo is an American heavy bomber which served with the United States Army Air Corps and the Royal Canadian Air Force (as the Digby) during the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Bolo was developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company f ...
, Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Theater ...
, North American B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Major General William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allied air forces, the B-25 served in ...
, Lockheed B-34 Ventura, North American O-47
The North American O-47 is an American observation fixed-wing aircraft monoplane designed in the mid-1930s and used by the United States Army Air Corps during the Second World War. It has a low-wing configuration, retractable landing gear, and a t ...
, Douglas A-20 Havoc
The Douglas A-20 Havoc (company designation DB-7) is an American medium bomber, attack aircraft, night intruder, night fighter, and reconnaissance aircraft of World War II.
Designed to meet an Army Air Corps requirement for a bomber, it was or ...
, and Lockheed A-29 Hudson
The Lockheed Hudson is a light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built by the American Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. It was initially put into service by the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and prim ...
, and the Consolidated B-24 Liberator (1943–1944)
* C-119 Flying Boxcar
The Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar (Navy and Marine Corps designation R4Q) was an American military transport aircraft developed from the World War II-era Fairchild C-82 Packet, designed to carry cargo, personnel, litter patients, and mechaniz ...
1951–1956
* B-29 Superfortress
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 Fl ...
1951–1956
* SA-16 Albatross 1951–1956
References
Notes
Bibliography
*
*
Air Resupply and Communications Association
* Thigpen, Jerry L. (2001). The Praetorian STARShip: The untold story of the Combat Talon. Air University Press, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. ASIN: B000116LSI
External links
480th ISR Wing fact sheet
{{DEFAULTSORT:480th Intelligence, Surveillance And Reconnaissance Wing
0480
Military units and formations in Virginia