The beginnings of the Missile and Space Intelligence Center can be traced back to the development of missiles by the U.S. Army at Redstone Arsenal, AL, under the leadership of Dr. Werhner Von Braun, MG John B. Medaris, and a team of German scientists. In June 1956, the U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Agency established a special security office known as the Technical Intelligence Division, whose mission was to analyze and report on foreign missile-related activities.
In 1962, this division was renamed the Missile Intelligence Office (MIO). This group, initially staffed with engineers from Redstone and intelligence analysts from around the country, established its presence early when chosen by the Central Intelligence Agency to lead the technical assessment team during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
In 1967, the DIA identified MSIC as one of six national Scientific and Technical Intelligence (S&TI) production centers. From 1970-1985, the organization was known as the Missile Intelligence Agency. The name changed to the Missile and Space Intelligence Center in 1985 when MSIC moved from the Army's Research and Development Community to the Intelligence Community as part of the Army Intelligence Agency. In 1992, Congressional legislation moved MSIC to the DIA.
The Cold War strategy of Mutually Assured Destruction relied heavily on MSIC's analysis to defeat Soviet air defenses and antiballistic missile systems.
From the U.S. strike against Libya, El Dorado Canyon, to Desert Shield/Storm, to Operation Enduring Freedom, to Operation Iraqi Freedom, to ongoing global crises, MSIC employees have deployed directly in theater to provide real-time weapon expertise to aircrews and intelligence support personnel for operational planning.