High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Allied Technical Air Intelligence Unit (ATAIU) was a joint group of the United States Navy, United States Army Air Forces, Royal Australian Air Force, and Royal Navy formed in November 1942 to recover Japanese aircraft to obtain intelligence on their technical and tactical capabilities. Crashed and captured aircraft were located, identified, and evaluated (often in or near the front lines), before being recovered for further tests. Aircraft that were not too badly damaged were rebuilt for test flights that revealed vulnerabilities that could be exploited. Examination of the materials used in the construction of aircraft allowed the Allies to analyse Japanese war production. The unit also absorbed a small team who developed the code name system for Japanese aircraft, and produced aircraft recognition charts and photographs.