U.S. ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED IN PHOTOGRAPHIC INTELLIGENCE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86B00269R000200060104-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 4, 2003
• Sequence Number: 104
• Publication Date: June 9, 1959
• Content Type: MF

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9 June 1959
UNITED S T A T E S I N T E L L I G E N C E B O A R D
MEMORANDUM FOR THE UNITED STATES INTELLIa\NCE BOARD
SUBJECT: .JJ. S. Organi_zat ons_ Involv_ed_ir Photographic
Intelligence ~. ~.
The attached CIA memorandum on "U. S. Organizations Involved
in Photographic Intelligence" is circulated for information and
review. This memorandum and other matters pertinent to this
subject will be discussed at ~n early Intelligence Board meeting.
25X1
Executive Secretary
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MEMORANDUM FOR : Director of Central Intelligence
SUBJECT : U. S. Organizations Involved in
Photographic Intelligence
1. This memorandum is for information only. It contains a
general background discussion of the various organizations in the
U. S. Government involved in photographic intelligence.
2. CIA
a. The Photographic Intelligence Center of CIA performs
a centralized service of common concern for the intelligence
community with regard to the processing of aerial photography
collected by CIA sources. In addition, it performs photo
interpretation and produces photographic intelligence reports
in response to CIA requirements. It also participates in the
production of joint photographic intelligence reports with
the U. S. Army and Navy.
b. CIA/PIC has About jof these people ILLEGIB
are classed as photo interpreters.
c. The Photographic Intelligence Center has the latest
processing and precision instrument equipment. This
equipment is generally adequate for the present work load
although some items of equipment are still to be delivered.
The Photographic Intelligence Center has been the leader in
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9 June 1959
the intelligence community in developing and/or procuring
improved equipment.
d. The Photographic Intelligence Center is in temporary
quarters which are not suitable for permanent occupation and
which will not be adequate to accommodate any-substantial
increase in work load.
3. NAVY
a. The Navy photographic intelligence effort is directed
by ONI. The effort is devoted to supporting the Navy mission
and participating in joint photographic intelligence projects
with the Army and CIA. The major Navy organization directly
engaged in photo intelligence is the Navy Photographic Inter-
pretation Center at Suitland, Maryland. The Navy Photographic
Interpretation Center until recently was administratively
controlled by the Bureau of Aeronautics and the split
responsibility between Bureau of Aeronautics and the Office
of Naval Intelligence may have been an inhibiting factor in
the development of Naval photographic intelligence.
b. There are approximately
photo interpreters in
the U. S. Navy of whom about =kre actually engaged in
work directly related to work of this specialty. Of these
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about[::] are employed at the Navy Photographic Interpretation
Center. About ^of these Navy photo interpreters work at
the CIA Photographic Intelligence Center. The total complement
of the Photographic Interpretation Center including laboratory
technicians, etc., is approximately
c., Navy Photographic Interpretation Center has an excellent
building with good basic post World War II equipment and is in
the process of procuring more modern equipment comparable
to that held by CIA, but a good bit of it remains to be delivered.
d. The Navy wants to expand its photographic intelligence
effort if the work load expands.
e. The intelligence components of the headquarters of
both the Pacific and Atlantic Fleets have small photographic
intelligence units.
4. ARMY
a. Like the Navy, the Army photographic intelligence
effort is directed by the Assistant Chief of 'Staff, Intelligence,
but the main work is actually carried out by the Army Photo-
graphic Intelligence Center with headquarters at Ft. Holabird,
Md. The mission of the Army Photographic Intelligence Center
is to support the Army mission and participate in joint
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9 Tune 1959
photographic intelligence projects with the Navy and CIA.
b. The Army is heavily committed to a close working relation-
ship with CIA. Of approximately 100 Army photo interpreters, between
0
are working at CIA/PIC and elsewhere in the Washington area.
The remainder are working at Ft. Holabird on projects of interest only
to the Army.
c. The Army has no separate laboratory or other photo pro-
cessing organizations but depends heavily on support by the CIA/PIC.
d. The Army is building a photo intelligence laboratory at the
Army Map Service which should be completed in 1960. It will be
equipped with the latest processing and photo interpretation equipment
and has been designed to complement the capability of CIA/PIC. The
Army plans to increase its photo intelligence strength to about
I
substantially, plans to reac by the end of calendar 1960.
5. AIR FORCE
a. The Air Force has by far the largest number of photo in-
terpreters in the United States. The number is currently about
1, 500, although all of these are not directly employed in photo
interpretation, and the Air Force's photographic intelligence effort
is broken down into a number of organizations with varying degrees
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by the end of fiscal 1960, and if the work load increases
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of capabilities in this field. The Air Force has been quite active
in photo interpretation but has chosen to do this throughout its
photographic intelligence structure rather than concentrate its
efforts in a joint center as the Army, Navy and CIA do. Various Air
Force organizations active in photo interpretation maintain working
relationships with CIA/PIC.
b. AFCIN-1AZ, RECONNAISSANCE BRANCH. The Recon-
naissance Branch has a total strength of 34 of which 20 are photo
interpreters. This is the only unit in the Air Force headquarters
which produces photographic intelligence reports. The Reconnaissance
Branch also lets contracts for photographic intelligence work to ap-
propriately cleared Government and civilian agencies.
c. AFCIN-3, DIRECTORATE OF TARGETS. The Directorate
of Targets makes extensive use of photographic intelligence in pro-
ducing air target materials. This work is done primarily by intel-
ligence analysts with training in photo interpretation. The Directorate
of Targets also uses contracts with other Government and civilian
agencies. and receives considerable support from the Aeronautical
Chart and Information Center.
d. AFCIN-4, AIR TECHNICAL INTELLIGENCE CENTER.
The Air Technical Intelligence Center produces technical intelligence
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for the Air Force. Its photographic intelligence effort is concen-
trated in a division of about ^ people. ATIC also has good
precision processing and analytic equipment.
e. AERONAUTICAL CHART AND INFORMATION CENTER.
The Aeronautical Chart and Information Center is responsible for
producing aeronautical charts and other data for use in targeting.
A division of about 200 people including a number of photo inter-
preters is working on photographic material. This division has a
good laboratory and good up-to-date analytic equipment, although some
equipment is still to be delivered. ACIC has tentative plans to expand
this organization to about 400 people.
f. AIR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT COMMAND. The
Air Research and Development Command, through Rome Air Develop-
ment Center and Wright Air Development Center, awards numerous
contracts for the development of photo intelligence equipment,
techniques, and training.
g. AIR TRAINING COMMAND. The Air Training Command
operates the photo interpreter's courses at Shepherd Air Force
Base.
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h. RECONNAISSANCE TECHNICAL SQUADRONS. The
total strength of the Reconnaissance Technical Squadrons is slightly
are photo interpreters. The Recon-
naissance Technical Squadrons are assigned to Strategic Air Command,
Tactical Air Command, Far East Air Force, and the U. S. Air Force
Europe. These squadrons are the organic units established to provide
photographic intelligence for the Air Force. Their photo interpreta-
tion capabilities vary, depending on the nature of the command to
which they are attached and whether their primary mission includes
targets intelligence and/or electronics intelligence in addition to
straight photographic intelligence. These squadrons produce most
of the Air Force's photographic intelligence reports. The group at
SAC Headquarters, totaling over 800 people, specializes in target
revision and photographic intelligence reports on subjects of special
interest to the Air Force. They are now building a good precision
laboratory and have tentative plans to expand if there is any ex-
pansion in the work load.
i. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. The Air Studies Division at the
Library of Congress supports various Air Force special studies.
About 25 persons in this division do a certain amount of photo inter-
pretation although the organization has no laboratory and no plans
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for further expansion.
6. In addition to the exploitation of aerial photography for
intelligence purposes, the military services and CIA all use aerial
photography to a certain extent in normal mapping and other geo-
graphic activities. Most of the people so engaged have some skill
at photo interpretation which could be used in an emergency.
/s/
ROBERT AMORY, JR.
Deputy Director (Intelligence)
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 PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION
CENTER
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NATIONAL
ARMY
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NAVY
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25
AIR FORCE
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CIA
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!N' DIRECTOR
DEPUTY DIRECTOR
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
OPERATIONS OFFICER
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SECURITY
STAFF
PHOTOGRAPHIC
ANALYSIS
GROUP
PUBLICATIONS
DIVISION
TECHNICAL
PLANS AND
DEVELOPMENT
STAFF
PHOTOGRAPHIC
ANALYSIS
STAFF
TECHNICAL
INTELLIGENCE
DIVISION
DATA
DIVISION
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