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CIA-UAP-003, The Central Intelligence Agency and Overhead Reconnaissance; The U-2 and OXCART Programs, 1954-1974

Central Intelligence Agency · 1954 · 406 pages · text from the file's own layer

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.

Open the PDF at page 160 Original source ↗

“The Advance”34 pages

  • p. 6 …255 The Phaseout of the Office of Special Activities ........ ................... 257 0 ) Chapter 6 The U-2…
  • p. 7 …319 Advances in Technology............................................... ........................... 320 Cooperation With the Air Force ............................................................. 321 Impact of the Overhead Reconnaissance…
  • p. 22 …retired from the Air Force to become the assistant director of Lockheed's Advanced Development Program…
  • p. 24 11 / Chapter 1 gravity (g's) instead of the military specification strengLh of 5.33 g…
  • p. 32 …lithium deuteride, a tech nology more advanced than the heavy water method used by US '' BEACON…
  • p. 33 …between the developed and undeveloped nations. This aggressive Soviet foreign policy. combined with advances in nuclear…
  • p. 58 …secrecy in the new project, Kelly Johnson placed it in Lockheed's Advanced Development facility at…
  • p. 65 …His software algorithms made it possible to model lens designs and determine in advance the effects…
  • p. 76 …seen on pilot Francis Gary Powers) advanced gear for the U-2 pilots. David Clark expert…
  • p. 111 …of Soviet advances in long-range bombers and missiles. The initial sighting of the new Soviet…
  • p. 114 …Adenauer be informed in advance of US plans to overfly the Soviet Union from bases in…
  • p. 174 …concentrating on developing the more advanced solid-fueled missiles rather than increasing the num ber of…
  • p. 183 …if the Soviet SAMs received sufficient advanced warning, they posed a major threat to the U…
  • p. 191 …the cover story that had been prepared and distributed in advance of the mission. The first…
  • p. 206 …In 1965 the head of OSA received a new title, Director of Special Activities. The Office…
  • p. 235 …STPOLLY added the more advanced Lockheed P3A in 1963. Between 1955 and 1967, when the CIA…
  • p. 249 …The Defense Department feared that the loss of this device with its highly advanced traveling-wave…
  • p. 250 …Chapter 5 Advanced ECM Equipment for Detachment H Demand for overhead photography of the PRC continued…
  • p. 252 …In addition, the Project TACKLE U-2s began receiving even more advanced ECM • 60 equipment. •• Mission…
  • p. 265 …but some was the result of technological advances. The ini tial order for eight of the…
  • p. 266 …This camera was actually a very advanced version of the original B camera with a new…
  • p. 282 …aircraft from the small inventory of its most advanced bomber. Even had the B-588 program…
  • p. 295 …In fact, it was an advanced version of the highly reliable B camera developed for the…
  • p. 296 …Prospective pilots had to be qualified in the most advanced fighters and be emotionally stable and…
  • p. 307 …advanced experimental jet aircraft, the A-11. which has been tested in sustained flight at more…
  • p. 310 …It was now time to find work for the most advanced aircraft ever conceived and built…
  • p. 321 …advanced aircraft ever .built was to be put out to pasture. The aban donment of the…
  • p. 325 …when the OXCART program ended in the summer of 1968, no mcire advanced successor was wait…
  • p. 326 …The most advanced aircraft of the 20th century had become an anachronism before it was ever…
  • p. 333 …ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY One very important byproduct of the CIA's manned reconnaissance program was the…
  • p. 334 …the end of the usefulness of the world's most advanced aircraft; its offspring, the SR…
  • p. 335 …Thus, the CIA sponsored the development of the world's most advanced aircraft-the OXCART-and…
  • p. 352 …They believed that recent advances in the minia turization of electronic technology would make possible the…
  • p. 356 343 Defense Research and Engineering, John Foster, liked the concept and provided DOD funding for ORD…
147
Seeret NOFOAN
Chapter 3
President Eisenhower was disturbed by the increased superpower
tension that had resulted from violations of Soviet airspace by US
balloons and aircraft because he still hoped to enter into arms I imita
tion negotiations with the Soviets. On 8 September 1958, the United
States sent a note to the Soviet Union calling for a Soviet answer to
US proposals for a " study of the technical aspects of safeguards
against the possibility of surprise attack... One week later the S,oviets
agreed to participate and suggested that the talks begin in Geneva on
IO November I 958. President Eisenhower was also attempting tt:> per
suade the Soviet Union to begin talks aimed at eliminating the atmo
spheric testing of nuclear weapons. These efforts began with a 22
A ugust 1958 offer to suspend US nuclear tests for one year on the
condition that the Soviet Union al so refrain from further tests and join
in negotiations. On 30 August, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev ac
cepted the proposal and agreed to start talks on 3 I October 1958 in
Geneva. When the talks began, however, the Soviets refused to agree
to a test ban and carried out nuclear tests at Semipalatinsk on I and 3
November. Nevertheless, during the late summer and early autumn of
1958, President Eisenhower. detennined to reduce to a minimum any
aggravation of the Soviets. kept the U-2 overflight program in
[. b 10 1
_ 1_ro o.
In November 1958, relations with the Soviet Union worsened af
ter Khrushchev prec ipitated a new crisis over West Berlin by an
nouncing plans to sign a peace treaty with East Germany by May
1959. He stated that such a treaty would terminate Allied rights in
West Berlin. Four days later, Soviet troops began harassing US Anny
truck convoys on the highways leading from West Germany to West
Berlin. Although this new Berlin crisis never became as threat,ening
as the blockade of l 948-49, President Eisenhower wished to :avoid
any actions that would provoke the Soviets. Tension over West Berlin
was, therefore, an additional reason for continuing to keep the U-2
away from the Soviet Bloc. oo:
CONCERNS ABOUT SOVIET COUNTERMEASURES
AGAINST THE U-2
Another reason for President Eisenhower's gro~ ing re l!J.~ ance to au
thorize flights over the Soviet Union may have ~ en c~ ;rn , hat the
Soviets were developing countenneasures that would enable them to
" " Ambrose. Eisenhower: The President. pp. 489-J9 I.
"'' Ibid.. pp. 502-504.
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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.