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.
“Mission Control”27 pages
206 Secret NOFORN Chapter 5 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." 11 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, C[A 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 una;vare. Ground observers have in several recent in stances reported sightings of what they believe to be the SS-4 (SHYSTER) MRBM in Cuba. These reports must be confirmed or denied hy photo coverage.,: Attached to this memorandum was a list of targets, ~vith the area around San Cristobal at the top. 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 DC! :\lcCone from J. S. Earman. Inspector General, ··Handling of Raw Intelligence Information During the Cuban Arms Buildup." 20 November 1962, DC! records, job 80-B- 1676R. box I 7 (TS Codeword). " Lehman Report. p. 30 (TS Codc::word). Seeret
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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.