Documents / FOIA release
This is a CIA History Staff monograph by Gregory W. Pedlow and Donald E. Welzenbach, published in Washington in 1992 and approved for release in 2011. It covers the CIA's manned overhead reconnaissance program from 1954 to 1974, which developed and flew the U-2 and the A-12 OXCART. It traces the U-2's development, the overflights of the Soviet Union, the downing of Francis Gary Powers on 1 May 1960, and later operations. One section is titled U-2s, UFOs, and Operation BLUE BOOK.
“Nevers”24 pages
005653421 UNCLASSIFIED Siet --rferst4194013N Chapter 5 206 that had been placed on U-2 overflights of Cuba, DCI McCone told the Special Group on 4 October 1962 that their policy of avoiding SAM sites had restricted the Agency to using the U-2 only in Cuba's southeastern quadrant. He questioned "whether this was a reasonable restriction at this time, particularly since the SAM's were almost cer- tainly not operational." " The Special Group then requested the preparation of an overall program for reconnaissance of Cuba in time for its next meeting on 9 October. In the meantime, CIA U-2s continued the reconnaissance pro- gram that the Special Group had approved in September. In early October two peripheral missions-3098 along the southeastern coast on 5 October and 3100 along the northern coast on 7 October (see map on page 203)—discovered an additional five SAM sites. This brought the total to 19, but there was still no evidence of sur- face-to-surface missiles. Evidence was mounting that the portion of Cuba that the September and early October missions had avoided was the most likely location for Soviet medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBMs). On 6 October 1962, the Committee on Overhead Reconnaissance rec- ommended frequent and regular coverage of Cuba, pointing in partic- ular to the need for renewed coverage of western Cuba: The absence of coverage of the western end since August 29, coupled with the rate of construction we have observed, means that there may well be many more sites now being built of which we are unaware. Ground observers have in several recent in- stances reported sightings of what they believe to be the 55-4 (SHYSTER) MRBM in Cuba. These reports must be confirmed or denied by photo coverage.' : Attached to this memorandum was a list of targets, with the area around San Cristobal at the top. ED 129581.6Idli1l>10<25Yrs IS1 On 9 October the Special Group met to discuss COMOR's rec- ommendations, the most important of which was a U-2 flight over the "suspect MRBM site as soon as weather permits." This mission was also designed to pass over one of the SA-2 sites that was thought to be most nearly operational in order to determine the status of SA-2 " Minutes of the Special Group meeting. 4 October 1962. in Memorandum for DCL McCone from J. S. Barman. Inspector General, "Handling of Raw Intelligence Information During the Cuban Arms Buildup," 20 November 1962, DC1 records, TS Codeword). Lehman Report, p. 30 (TS Codeword). UNCLASSIFIED
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FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. 406 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.