Mission
The 480th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing, headquartered at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, is the Air Force leader in globally networked ISR operations. The wing's comprehensive set of ISR capabilities include lead wing designation for the Air Force Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS), as well as national cryptologic, information technology, cyber ISR, tactical analysis, Combined Forces Air Component Commander-support, and national-to-tactical signals intelligence integration. The wing is global in nature, and spans the full spectrum of ISR operations, from humanitarian assistance to major theater conflict, leveraging federated mission partners to synchronize timely, relevant intelligence that is regionally aligned to support major command and combatant commander operations.
Organization
Currently, the 480th ISR Wing is organized into six subordinate ISR groups and 23 active-duty squadrons. With more than 6,000 Airmen, the organization serves as the largest ISR wing in the Air Force. Additionally, the wing has 26 Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard units standing side-by-side with the active-duty component as it engages in ISR operations around the globe.
480th ISR Wing; Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia
• 27th Intelligence Squadron
480th ISR Group; Fort Gordon, Georgia
The 480th ISR Group, headquartered at Fort Gordon, Georgia, 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. The group consists of two active-duty squadrons, and has an ANG classic associate unit operationally imbedded.
480th ISR Group
• 3rd Intelligence Squadron
• 31st Intelligence Squadron
497th ISR Group; Joint Base-Langley-Eustis
The 497th ISR Group, headquartered at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, 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. Additionally, there are classic associate units consisting of one Virginia Air National Guard unit and two Air Force Reserve units supporting the total force integration of the wing and group combat ISR operations.
497th ISR Group
• 10th Intelligence Squadron
• 30th Intelligence Squadron
• 45th Intelligence Squadron
• 497th Operations Support Squadron
548th ISR Group; Beale AFB, California
The 548th ISR Group, headquartered at Beale Air Force Base, California, 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 group consists of five active-duty squadrons and one detachment, and Detachment 1 at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona. Additionally, there are classic associate units consisting of three California Air National Guard units, and two Air Force Reserve units supporting operations at Beale.
548th ISR Group
• Det 1, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona
• 9th Intelligence Squadron
• 13th Intelligence Squadron
• 48th Intelligence Squadron
• 548th Operations Support Squadron
692nd ISR Group; Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
The 692nd ISR Group, headquartered at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, 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 Air Force National Tactical Integration to the 613th Air and Space Operations Center. The group consists of four active-duty squadrons and one Air National Guard squadron.
692nd ISR Group
• 8th Intelligence Squadron
• 324th Intelligence Squadron
• 392nd Intelligence Squadron
• 792nd Intelligence Support Squadron
693rd ISR Group; Ramstein Air Base, Germany
The 693rd ISR Group, headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, 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 One, a deployable commercial satellite imagery ground station. The group consists of five squadrons and the 485th Intelligence Squadron at Mainz-Kastel, Germany, which has four operating locations.
693rd ISR Group
• 24th Intelligence Squadron
• 402nd Intelligence Squadron, Darmstadt, Germany
• 450th Intelligence Squadron
• 485th Intelligence Squadron, Mainz-Kastel, Germany
• 693rd Intelligence Support Squadron
694th ISR Group; Osan Air Base, South Korea
The 694th ISR Group, headquartered at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, 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 group consists of three active-duty squadrons, two operating locations and a support unit.
694th ISR Group
• 6th Intelligence Squadron
• 303rd Intelligence Squadron
• 694th Intelligence Support Squadron
History
The 480th ISR Wing has a remarkable history dating back to 1943 when it was activated as the 480th Anti-Submarine Group. The 480th Anti-Submarine Group conducted combat air patrols off the coast of Africa, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Bay of Biscay.
In seven months of operations, the Army Air Force credited the unit with the destruction of three German U-boats. The Army awarded the group with the Distinguished Unit Citation and inactivated the unit in 1944. During the Korean War, the Air Force activated the 580th Air Resupply and Communications Wing at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho. The unit conducted psychological warfare operations and deployed to Wheelus Air Base, Libya in 1952.
The Air Force inactivated this unit in 1953. In 1985, the Air Force consolidated the 480th Anti-Submarine Group with the 580th Air Resupply and Communications Wing forming the 480th Special Operations Wing. Although committed to the special operations mission, the unit was never activated.
In October 2003, the Air Force re-designated the 480th Special Operations Wing as the 480th Intelligence Wing and activated the new unit Dec. 1, 2003. The wing was officially re-designated Jan. 1, 2009 as the 480th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing.