Documents / Official release
This is a Secret History Staff monograph by Gregory W. Pedlow and Donald E. Welzenbach of the Central Intelligence Agency, published in 1992. It gives a history of the CIA's manned overhead reconnaissance program from 1954 to 1974, covering the development and operation of the U-2 and the A-12 OXCART aircraft. It covers overflights of the Soviet Union, the 1960 downing of Francis Gary Powers, and later operations. One section is titled "U-2s, UFOs, and Operation BLUE BOOK."
From the source:Release of 2026-06-12 This CIA History Staff document chronicles the complete history of the U-2 and OXCART (A-12) high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft programs from 1954 to 1974, detailing their development, operations over the Soviet Union and other targets worldwide, the famous downing of Francis Gary Powers in 1960, organizational reforms following that incident, and the eventual transfer of operations from CIA to Air Force control. A more redacted version of this document has been available on CIA's public website.
“Headquarters”22 pages
146 Secret NOFORN Chapter 3 Equipment from a WS-461L balloon on display in Moscow, 11 October 1958 Goodpaster on 29 July 1958 10 rell rhe Air Force that " the project is to be discontinued at once and every cent thac has been made avail able as part of any project involving crossing the Iron Curtain is 1to be impounded and no further expenditures are to be made." "' Two days later Eisenhower followed up this order with a formal memorandum co Secretary of Defense Nei l McElroy telling him that "there is disturbing evidence of a deterioration in the processes of discipline and responsibility within the armed forces." He cited, in particular, "unauthorized decisions which have apparently resulted in certain balloons falling within the territory of the Communist B loc" and overflights over routes "that contravened my standing orders." 99 On 2 September I 958, there was another violation of Soviet ai r space when an unarmed Air Force EC-130 on an electronic intelligence collection mission crossed from Turkey into Soviet Armenia and was shot down by Soviet fighter aircraft. Six of the men on board were killed and the remaining 11 were never heard from agai n, despite State Department attempts to get the Soviet Union to reveal their fate.""' " Andrew J. Goodpaster, l\lkmorandum for the Record. :!9 July 1958. WHOSS. Alpha, DDEL (S): Goodpa.~ter interview (S). •,. Quo1ed in Ambrose. Eiserrhower: The President. pp. 475-476. "" "US Rc:presen1a1ions to 1he Sovie! Government on C-130 Transport Shoe Down by Sovie! Fighl<!r Aircr.i.ft." US Departmerrt of State Bulletin. 23 Fd,ruary 1959. pp. 2621-271: Beschloss, Mayday. p. 159. Secret
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Official release, from the pursue collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 406 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.