497th Intelligence, Surveillance And Reconnaissance Group
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United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
's 497th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group is an intelligence unit located at Joint Base Langley–Eustis,
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
.


Mission

The 497th 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 consists of four active duty Squadrons, the 497th Operations Support Squadron, the 45th Intelligence Squadron, 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.


History


Background

In 1951, United States Air Forces Europe (USAFE) recognized its need for a reconnaissance technical squadron in the European theater to process and produce
aerial reconnaissance Aerial reconnaissance is reconnaissance for a military or Strategy, strategic purpose that is conducted using reconnaissance aircraft. The role of reconnaissance can fulfil a variety of requirements including Artillery observer, artillery spott ...
materials, interpret photographic reconnaissance interpretation, and to compile and reproduce aeronautical charts and related products. Therefore, it activated the 497th Reconnaissance Technical Squadron at Wiesbaden Air Base, Germany on 3 May 1951. However, USAFE lacked resources in theater to train and man the unit, so the 497th Squadron moved to Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, the home of the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing in July 1951.Lent. p. 32 After the completion of training, the squadron sailed on the for Europe, where it was stationed at sites in
Wiesbaden Wiesbaden (; ) is the capital of the German state of Hesse, and the second-largest Hessian city after Frankfurt am Main. With around 283,000 inhabitants, it is List of cities in Germany by population, Germany's 24th-largest city. Wiesbaden form ...
while its base at the Schierstein Administrative Office was being renovated. By the end of April, the unit moved to Schierstein. On 6 June 1966, USAFE transferred the personnel of its Directorate of Air Targets to the squadron, which became the "USAFE Intelligence Research Center." With the increased mission, the Air Force decided to inactivate the 497th Reconnaissance Technical Squadron, and on 1 October 1967, it organized the 497th Reconnaissance Technical Group, which assumed the personnel, equipment and expanded mission of the 497th Squadron.


United States Air Forces Europe intelligence support

The 497th Reconnaissance Technical Group provided intelligence support to flying units in Europe during the
Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
. In September 1968, the
group A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic iden ...
assumed a joint intelligence role when the
Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...
incorporated personnel into the 497th. The next year, USAFE moved to
Ramstein Air Base Ramstein Air Base is a United States Air Force installation located in Rhineland-Palatinate, southwestern Germany. It serves as the headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) and NATO Alli ...
while the group remained at Schierstein. With the move, the unit stopped producing charts and maps but assumed operational control of the photographic processing facility at Wiesbaden Air Base. Marine Corps personnel were added to the group in 1978, and a micrographics production capability was added as well. In the Spring of 1979, the Air Force activated an Operating Location of the group at Ramstein Air Base to provide expanded imagery intelligence support to
Headquarters Headquarters (often referred to as HQ) notes the location where most or all of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. The term is used in a wide variety of situations, including private sector corporations, non-profits, mil ...
, USAFE. The group accomplished photographic intelligence exploitation including studies, analysis and estimates as well as precision targeting, plotting and production. Ity also staffed and supported the USAFE Intelligence Development Center and processed and interpreted reconnaissance imagery for the commander of
United States European Command The United States European Command (EUCOM) is one of the eleven Unified Combatant Command, unified combatant commands of the United States military, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Its area of focus covers and 51 countries and territori ...
and
North Atlantic Treaty Organization The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental transnational military alliance of 32 member states—30 European and 2 North American. Established in the aftermat ...
's Allied Command Europe, and specified U.S. intelligence agencies. In 1982, the 496th Reconnaissance Technical Squadron, based at RAF Alconbury, was activated and assigned to the group. It provided imagery services to Air Force units in the United Kingdom and served as a backup to the group's main operating location. In September 1989, the group detachment at Ramstein became a squadron, the 495th Reconnaissance Technical Squadron. The Group provided intelligence imagery products during the build-up and execution of Operations Desert Shield and
Desert Storm , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...
. On 1 July 1991, the group moved to RAF Molesworth, United Kingdom, where it served as the foundation for European Command's Joint Analysis Center. With the fall of the Soviet Union and withdrawal of Russian forces from Eastern Europe, the Air Force inactivated the group on 1 July 1992.Lent, p. 33


Air Intelligence Agency support

The Air Force redesignated the group as the 497th Intelligence Group and activated it at Bolling Air Force Base, District of Columbia on 1 October 1993 as part of Air Intelligence Agency. The group's mission included three main functions: intelligence systems, operations applications, and security and communications management. As the Air Force developed its doctrine for information superiority and information operations, the 497th was redesignated the 497th Information Operations Group on 1 August 2000. The group was the primary planning, policy implementation, and functional management arm of the Directorate of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissanceof Headquarters,
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
. The unit also supported a number of Air Staff offices, and other
united States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and superv ...
and joint customers around the world. Its provided intelligence infrastructure services and security, weapons system support, automation, and information operations support to users worldwide. It contributed to development of intelligence support infrastructure requirements for weapons systems. The group inactivated on 1 February 2001.


Air Combat Command

The group returned to its former name as the 497th Intelligence Group and was activated at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia on 1 December 2008. The 10th and
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 military reserve force, reserve and Virginia Air National Guar ...
s were assigned to the group. On 1 January 2009, the unit was again redesignated, this time as the 497th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group. Prior to the establishment of the 480th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group, the 497th's 31st Intelligence Squadron performed duties as the Air Force component supporting the
National Security Agency The National Security Agency (NSA) is an intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense, under the authority of the director of national intelligence (DNI). The NSA is responsible for global monitoring, collection, and proces ...
Central Security Service-Georgia operations site. The 497th operates a $750 million Distributed Common Ground System AN/GSQ-272 weapons system, commonly referred to as the Distributed Ground System-1 (DGS-1) or "Sentinel-1". The DGS-1 infrastructure includes analytical and reporting elements for imagery and signals intelligence obtained through Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady,
General Atomics MQ-1 Predator The General Atomics MQ-1 Predator (often referred to as the Predator drone) is an American remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) built by General Atomics that was used primarily by the United States Air Force (USAF) and Central Intelligence Agency ...
, General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper, and Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk reconnaissance platforms. It provides "all source" analysis and fusion, via the Distributed Common Ground System analysis and reporting team. The group now provides real-time tactical and national intelligence collection, exploitation, analysis, and reporting operations providing imagery, full motion video, and cryptologic intelligence to
United States Central Command The United States Central Command (USCENTCOM or CENTCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Defense. It was established in 1983, taking over the previous responsibilit ...
,
United States Southern Command The United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM), located in Doral, Florida, Doral in Greater Miami, Greater Miami, Florida, is one of the eleven unified combatant commands in the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for providi ...
and United States European Command combat operations, plans, and forces. The group also has two associate units from the reserve elements, the 192d Intelligence Squadron of the Virginia Air National Guard and the 718th Intelligence Squadron of
Air Force Reserve Command The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a MAJCOM, major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of ...
. While these two units are not assigned to the group, they work alongside the group's personnel and operate the same equipment.


Lineage

* Established as the 497th Reconnaissance Technical Group and activated on 22 August 1967 (not organized) : Organized on 1 October 1967 : Inactivated on 1 July 1992 * Redesignated 497th Intelligence Group and activated on 1 October 1993 : Redesignated 497th Information Operations Group on 1 August 2000 : Inactivated on 1 February 2001 * Redesignated 497th Intelligence Group on 23 October 2003 : Activated on 1 December 2003 : Redesignated 497th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group on 1 January 2009


Assignments

*
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 f ...
, 22 Aug 1967 (not organized until 1 October 1967) * 7455th Tactical Intelligence Wing, 1 September 1985 – 1 July 1992 * Air Intelligence Agency, 1 October 1993 *
National Air Intelligence Center The National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) is the United States Air Force unit for analyzing military intelligence on foreign air forces, weapons, and systems. NASIC assessments of aerospace performance characteristics, capabiliti ...
, 31 January 2000 – 1 February 2001 * 480th Intelligence Wing (later 480th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing), 1 December 2003 – present


Components

* 10th Intelligence Squadron, 1 December 2003 – presentComponents stationed with group headquarters, except as noted. * 30th Intelligence Squadron, 1 December 2003 – present * 31st Intelligence Squadron, 16 July 2008 – 1 November 2010 (attached to 480th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group (Provisional) after 15 April 2010) * 45th Intelligence Squadron, c. 1 July 2012 – present * 495th Reconnaissance Technical Squadron, 1 September 1989 – 1 July 1992 :: Ramstein Air Base, Germany * 496th Reconnaissance Technical Squadron, 1 October 1982 – 1 July 1992 :: RAF Alconbury, England * 497th Operations Support Squadron, 6 July 2012 – present * 7113d Special Activities Squadron, 1 July 1973 – 1 September 1973


Stations

* Schierstein Administrative Office (later, Schierstein Compound), Germany, 1 October 1967 * RAF Molesworth, England, 1 July 1991 – 1 July 1992 * Bolling Air Force Base, District of Columbia, 1 October 1993 – 1 February 2001 * Langley Air Force Base (later Joint Base Langley–Eustis), Virginia, 1 December 2003 – present


Awards


References


Notes

; Explanatory notes ; Citations


Bibliography

*


External links


497th Reconnaissance Technical Group History

497th 497 Intelligence Group FOI document

AF FOIA Reading Room: Lineage and Honors of 497th Intelligence Group
{{AFISRA 497 Military units and formations in Virginia