intelligence support activity direct action

The forms of intelligence gathered by the Activity include: HUMINT (HUMan INTellgence) The Cantor, busy writing, asked me how it went. His areas of focus are extremism in the Western world, military privatization and the impact of climate change on global security. An ISA agent was secretly infiltrated into Beirut where he provided real-time intelligence on the location of the hostages. But if the copyright owners want to get in touch to have them immediately removed from this site then please contact our webmaster. 2023 The SOFREP Media Group. The terrain was extremely rugged, the enemy was far more entrenched than anticipated, and Murphys Law was in full effect. Both were doing the same thing in Colombia, except Centra Spike was doing a better job, at a much lower cost. The operation was codenamed Amber Star, and was a joint US-British-French-Dutch effort to apprehend the suspects. (Source). (Source). ISA would operate under a host of cover names to confuse anyone without the need to know. Later that same year, Delta Force and ISA operators were sent to Saudi Arabia to help organize and train a Special Purpose Detachment of the Saudi National Guard. These techniques include intelligence gathering, infiltration and intelligence support. The Headquarters element of ISA is located in Fort Belvoir, VA but the squadrons and supporting elements are scattered across the Maryland/D.C./Virginia area. An ISA technician with a SATCOM was provided for the operation to aid in the tracking. The cyber operations team extends into other offsets of intelligence gathering, including OSINT, cyber threat intelligence and cyber warfare. ISA agents even managed to obtain Lebanese license plates, which would allow Delta to be parachuted in with their own cars, then 'legitimized' with the plates. But it had no effect on me or what I was doing not for now at least. During these operations, the ISA operated alongside other combat groups, providing them with signals intelligence support and field intelligence, including HUMINT. Some solid intelligence gleaning prompted the community into action to capture PIFWC Serbian General S. Kladanj on his scheduled move out of Serbia proper into the Republic of Serbia. They began forming their own plan for storming the airplane and liberating the hostages. The moronic mandarins merely blinked and nothing more. These operatives have a cover in the commercial sector, typically as an international businessperson. Little is known about the organization or its activities, but it is clear that they serve as a military intelligence unit and have partaken in numerous missions around the globe. Unit Profile. Royal Cape, Granite Rock and Powder Keg were some, Centra Spike and Torn Victor being other possible cover names. . The United States Army Intelligence Support Activity (USAISA), frequently shortened to Intelligence Support Activity or ISA, and nicknamed The Activity, is a United States Army Special Operations unit originally subordinated to the US Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM). Highly recommended. find out more (Source), Additionally, the ISA has acted as a pseudo-security element for the CIA. Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance, otherwise known as Force Recon, are a company-sized (about 200) recon and direct-action element that falls directly under the Marine Expeditionary Force. The Intelligence Support Activity, commonly called "The Activity" . (Source) Sending agents that not only act, but look like the people of the country they seek to infiltrate makes for an even more effective cover. (Source) The US military sought to carry out intelligence operations without the direct need of US intelligence agencies. 160th SOAR | PO Box 1077 MURFREESBORO, Tennessee 37133 United States, P.O. (Source), The tactics and techniques of the ISA are some of the most unique among all the JSOC special operations groups. The ISA is perhaps the most major outlier doctrinally from its other, better known, counterparts within JSOC and SOCOM as a whole. Zones are prepared, field intelligence is gathered, and targets are laid out for other forces. "Apparently, ISA's direct action element was also put on alert during the hijacking of the Italian cruise ship, Achille Lauro. Through their mastery of SIGINT, the ISA quickly got on the task of intercepting radio and telephone transmissions. "During the 1983 American invasion of Grenada, special forces units were plagued by lack of useful and up-to-date intelligence. The unit selects operatives for deployments based on their language proficiency and their ability to blend in with the locals. A declassified document provides background information about the Intelligence Support Activity (ISA ), a little known intelligence gathering unit that collects tactical intel for Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) and other Special Operations units. Most officials disliked the unit's head, Jerry King, and thus, JSOC did not send the unit in. COL Nightingale is a retired Army Colonel who served two tours in Vietnam with Airborne and Ranger (American and Vietnamese) units. Secret Warriors: Inside the Covert Military Operations of the Reagan Era by Steven Emerson Get the weekly email from Grey Dynamics that makes reading intel articles and reports actually enjoyable. Killer Elite During Anaconda, ISA intelligence helped save both the 10th Mountain Division and 101st Airborne Division at Takur Ghar. The ISA agent was ordered to stop the recording, an order to which he complied. While driving through northern Lebanon, Cowan and his mates suffered several close calls with Syrian roadblocks and patrols. The SIGINT group of the ISA gathered signal intelligence via aircraft, that was then passed on to NSA analysts. The ISA considers ethnicity of agents when they are deployed. "ISA's existence became public in 1982 as a result of a scandal involving US POWs in Vietnam. Additionally, these operative can remotely turn on a cellphone thats been turned off, which allows them to hear everything going on near it. Not wishing to be a dire critic, I found it rather novice of him, but drew another pick from my kit and threw open the lock. Once they arrived they took pictures of the embassy from every angle, recorded the types of locks on all doors, inside and outside, recorded the number of windows and exits, and created a blueprint of the building. One selection exercise involved dropping a candidate off in the desert without food, water or means of communication. The U.S. Army Intelligence Support Activity (ISA) is a special operations unit that collects "actionable" intelligence in preparation for activities by other special operations units, particularly those related to counter-terrorism missions. (Source) This indicates that members of the primary four battalions who are combat specialists will have a wide range of skills, and therefore a high range of weapons they utilize. ISA has gone by many names over the years but its current one is not public knowledge. The aim of the operation was to monitor cross-border raids and movements of Sandinista forces and rebels in El Salvador. 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; There are four primary battalions with various responsibilities being spread across them. Not only did this demonstrate that the ISA was functionally effective, it showed that it could operate alongside not only various elements of the US military, but foreign military elements as well. Years before its actual formation, the need for the ISA, or an operational entity like it, was already being examined. Along with reviewing the security and organization again, ISA was also tasked with formulating plans for reprisals against the Syrians who had shot down two US fighters. US Navy SEALs | Political bickering stalled the deployment of the agents, and finally, the operation was approved. US Army Special Forces | Centra Spike was withdrawn in 1993 for a temporary assignment in Somalia to aid US special forces there, but resumed the hunt later in the year. Does the army's intelligence support activity also do direct action? Originally referred to as Task Force Orange, other names have included Centra Spike, Torn Victor and Gray Fox. It was settled, and Majestic Eagle withdrew from the operation. (Source), The failure of Operation Eagle Claw was a turning point for US special operations. Once admitted, candidates must pass the operations training course, which teaches infiltration techniques, advanced air operations, offensive and off-road driving, personal defensive measures and communications. Praesidus brings homage to the military watch tradition. 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Primarily acting as enablers for JSOC special mission units. Subscribe to Military.com and receive customized updates delivered straight to your inbox. The ISA specializes in gathering human intelligence, signals intelligence and combat. Nonetheless, it is known that these operators have shown their indispensable worth to both the intelligence and SOF communities in matters of national security, supporting Delta and SEAL Team Six operations by hitting the ground first to prep the environment: gathering actionable intelligence, pathfinding, and performing a broad range of operational support. Since incorporating under JSOC in 2003, Gray Fox has expanded into direct action and hostage rescue, showing that they may be the most diversely equipped, trained and adaptable Special Missions Unit in the SOF community. 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It is tasked to collect actionable intelligence in advance of missions by other US special operations forces . On December 2, 1993, with help from Centra Spike and a mobile Colombian surveillance team, Escobar's hideout was pinpointed, and Colombian police moved in. He scurried off to the barricade. Delta troop is tasked with countries that are a softer target for infiltration such as the Philippines or Morocco. Barrett products are used by civilians, sport shooters, law enforcement agencies, the United States military, and more than 75 State Department-approved countries around the world. The simple plan called for pipe-hitters to deploy from the states and set up an ambush at a blind S-curve along the generals route. More technical training on SIGINT, such as transmission and signals interpretation is also a component of the training. And now somebody SOMEBODY knows that somebody is recording all the cars turning down that specific road. The US military and many of its allies consider DA one of the basic special operations missions. As such, the activities and specifics of Gray Fox are not widely made available. The southern blocking force team of mystified mandarins meandered in where we were stacking mags and: What are you guys doing with all the hardware?, Mission prep for the Klandanj takedown., Well were a blocking force; were supposed to block cars keep them from getting around us to the ambush site. It was the type of mission ISA was designed for, but no agents were sent in. Distinctive Unit Insignia of the US Army Intelligence Support Activity (USAISA), Task Force Orange; the Intelligence Support Activity; The Activity; the Army of Northern Virginia; the Field Operations Group (FOG); the United States Army Intelligence Support Activity, or just shortened to Intelligence Support Activity (USISA). "The government realized the importance of the FOG. Fort Belvoir, North Virginia, United States. A much more classified component was a solely-US effort codenamed Green Light, focusing specifically on former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic. FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii -- Leaders from the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) G-6/Ground Intelligence Support Activity (GISA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACoE) Honolulu . A DOD lawyer was assigned to the development planning, and Col Jerry King (MG Vaught's Chief of Staff for the Iran JTF) became the first head of the FOG. It was late in the evening after a long day and long drive for the mandarins, who finally stopped to stay the night in one of the many safe houses we had scattered throughout the country. The force is supposedly around 250-275 operators, who excel in intelligence gathering, languages and electronic surveillance. Killer Elite The exact breakdown of this squadron isnt known, however it is a reasonable assumption that its divided into troops based on the specific mission, such as airborne SIGINT or ground SIGINT. The exact makeup of ISAs force structure is hard to determine. Every modern military relies on intelligence, and the US military is a voracious consumer of intelligence, from both an analytical and functional standpoint. Both sides would work together on developing the intel, and then a decision would be made regarding a specific operational tasking to avoid statutory conflict. Their unique abilities are called upon when other special operations forces have not been able to complete their mission due to a gap in intelligence. Additionally, conceal meant can be a factor in weapon selection too. Candidates pulled from computer records, or by word of mouth were required to pass a tough selection course, physical and psychological tests. Subsequently, theyre protected by diplomatic immunity if theyre compromised during an espionage operation. Given the nature of their operations and the close work and training they receive alongside other US special operations forces, much of their equipment is likely to mimic that of the special mission units they support and work alongside. Come again, Cantor? I was trying to make him look at me while he repeated that last instruction. US News & World Report 7/6/98 - "Hunting war criminals: The first account of secret U.S. missions in Bosnia" by Richard J. Newman, https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Intelligence_Support_Activity&oldid=305336, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. ISA operatives often work in disguise and undercover. There's a lot of fascinating special operation history in the Netflix thriller "Lou," but going into details would reveal Jason McCarthy of goruck.com and Stew Smith discuss his journey to, through, and after Army Special Forces and being Copyright 2023 Military.com. The CIA proved unable to provide the critical intelligence Delta Force needed, such as the number of guards, the type of weapons they were using and what kinds of locks were on the doors.