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
225 Saaret N0FORN Chapter 5 Taiwan on 14 December. Within the Agency the Nationalist pilots and aircraft were known as Detachment H, and they were based a1t the Nationalist Chinese Air Force Base at T'ao-yuan. One of the U-2s was painted with the Nationalist Chinese insignia, and the other was left unmarked so that it could also be used by Agency pilots as need ed. The planes were maintained by Lockheed mechanics under con tract to the CIA. The Agency attempted to maintain at least two U-2s in Detachment H, so lost or damaged aircraft were replaced from the ·Agency's inventory. During 1961, Detachment H conducted training missions with both U-2s, and one Nationalist pilot was killed in a crash on 19 March. Although the detachment was ready to begin operations, the new Kennedy administration was not yet ready to authorize over flights of the PRC. In a 3 March 1961 meeting between S tate Department and CIA officials to discuss the possibility of such over flights, Under Secretary of State Chester Bowles noted that "the President was feeling his way on the international scene, and time was needed to evaluate the new Sino-Soviet posture with relation to the United States." 37 In July 1961 the USIB considered the possibility of conducting overflights of the PRC, but the State Department re mained opposed. By the fall of 196 l , interest in overflights of the PRC was grow ing because of indications that the Chinese were making progress in nuclear energy and missile development. As a result, on 4 Oc1tober Detachment H U-2 at T'ao-yuan Airfield " James A Cunningham. Jr., Assistant Chief, DPD-DD/P, Memorandum for the Record. ··TACKLE STPOLLY Briefing for State Depanment Officials," 6 March 1961, IC Staff, COMIREX records, job 33-B-119A. bol( I, " IDEALISTffACKLE. 1961" (S). Gearet
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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.