Flying Tigers intelligence mission improves over time with technology

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Stephenie Wade
  • 455th Air Expeditionary Wing
BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan --  The 74th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron "Flying Tigers" have a long history of using timely and accurate intelligence to accomplish its mission, originally using a network of Chinese citizens to detect incoming Japanese aircraft.

But as time changed so did their intelligence capturing methods, now used by the four intelligence analysts who deployed here from Moody AFB, Ga.

Normally intelligence used by the 74th EFS is classified, but there's one bit that the squadron is hoping to share, the unit is about to celebrate its 72nd birthday here on the 4th of July.

The 74th Fighter Squadron Flying Tigers trace their history back to the American Volunteers Group. Created under the leadership of General Claire Chennault the Flying Tigers fought the Imperial Japanese Air Force in China starting on July 4, 1941, five months before the rest of the U.S. would enter the war.

Over the years the necessity for intelligence has remained constant while technology and those in charge of it has evolved. Instead of pilots using a P-40 Warhawks with 20-inch film cameras to capture intelligence, or using a network of radio relays and runners as was done in 1941, today the Flying Tigers deploy A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft equipped with gun cameras and a staff of intelligence analysts.


"Daily we deliver real-time information to pilots who provide close-air-support to ground forces across Afghanistan," said 1st Lt. Lauren Tyson, 74th EFS director of intelligence and native of Hoover, Ala. "This information contributes to their situational awareness while they are completing the mission."

There are three parts to an analyst job: pre-flight, during flight and debrief. The pre-flight products consist of time-sensitive threat analysis of the area pilots will be engaging, which is especially important when it is an area the pilots have not been before.

"We deliver the most current products up until the last minute the pilots leave, even if that means running out to the aircraft five minutes before they take off to hand them an up-to-date map," said Senior Airman Jamie Lambert, an intelligence analyst on her first deployment.

The evolution of technology has added resources such as electronic maps and computer software to assist in collect information efficiently to distribute to those in the air as well as on the ground.

"The capability of being able to record video while in air and print maps allows pilots to conduct battle damage assessments during debrief, helping pilots to learn from the mission and improve," said Lambert, a native of Middletown, N.Y. "But sometimes the analyst and pilots still resort to old-fashion tactics such as drawing on maps to track information."

According to the analysts the environment, and the information they give is always changing.

"Our goal is to pass as much information back to the intelligence community as we can, because the activity here contributes to threat knowledge in other areas of the world," said Lambert. "We [intelligence analysts] are the link between the pilot and the 'eighteen-year-old' kid on the ground, gathering that information as fast as we can to distribute; not only ensuring the safety of our pilots but the members on the ground."