11/21/2023 0 Comments Spies like us g force trainingIn 1979 the need for a dedicated special operations intelligence unit was solidified following the overthrowing of Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza. Originally the unit was known as the Field Operations Group or FOG and was designed to fill the Army’s need for clandestine intelligence collection. ( Source) The US military sought to carry out intelligence operations without the direct need of US intelligence agencies. The Department of Defense in 1965 outlined its need to be more involved with collecting intelligence, supported by Robert McNamara. Years before its actual formation, the need for the ISA, or an operational entity like it, was already being examined. History of the Intelligence Support Activity There are also teams within the ISA who can conduct direct action missions should the need arise. Additionally, ISA gathers SIGINT primarily by intercepting enemy communications or sending an agent to physically bug a target. The ISA’s HUMINT collectors gather information from human sources via coercion and interrogation depending on the asset. Human intelligence (HUMINT) and signals intelligence (SIGINT) are the most common products of their operations. The Intelligence Support Activity conducts its operations during and in advance of US military operations. While Delta and DEVGRU focus on direct engagement and specialized combat tactics, the ISA conducts intelligence and espionage operations at a tactical level. The ISA is perhaps the most major outlier doctrinally from its other, better known, counterparts within JSOC and SOCOM as a whole. Operationally, the ISA is a dedicated intelligence group, doing the intelligence leg work for special operations groups. Primarily acting as enablers for JSOC special mission units. Nowadays the ISA focuses on the preparation of the battlespace for military operations across the globe. Originally the ISA operated as a tactical arm of the National Security Agency. Its scope is quite large, and it often works in support of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), SOCOM and even other intelligence agencies. Its purpose is unlike many other special operations forces of the US military, not dedicated to direct combat, and more towards secretive and clandestine actions necessary to support other military operations. ISA has gone by many names over the years but its current one is not public knowledge. The Intelligence Support Activity (ISA), the 1st Capabilities Integration Group (Airborne), or simply The Activity is a component of the US Army and acts as a dedicated intelligence group for JSOC.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |