The Aviation Research Centre (ARC) is India's imaging-intelligence organisation, a part of the Directorate General of Security, run by the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW). It started functioning in November 1962, in the wake of the Sino-Indian War, as an extension of the Intelligence Bureau, but placed under the Ministry of External Affairs. It was formally created on 7 September 1963, with Acting Group Captain Lal Singh Grewal as Operations Manager at Charbatia air base. It was later moved to the Prime Minister's Secretariat.

ARC was initially a temporary and ad hoc organisation, but was made permanent in 1971. Aerial surveillance, SIGINT operations, photo reconnaissance flights (PHOTINT), monitoring of borders, imagery intelligence (IMINT) were the main functions of the Aviation Research Centre (ARC).

ARC operated bases at Charbatia Air Base in Choudwar; Sarsawa Air Base near Saharanpur & Dum Duma Air Base near Tinsukia in Assam.

The ARC was headed by an Ops Manager and assisted by Assistant Ops Manager and Cdr, Air Wing. Crew were from three fleets - Canberra, Transport (An-12, C-46, C-90) & Helicopters (Mi-4, Mi-8 & Alloutte)