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

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.

239
~eeret NOFORN
Chapter 5
The FFD-2 unit was installed in a U-2C[
Nn mnre U-2 fli2:hts over Lnma usea tne mrrareoI
scannerj
The loss of yet another U-2 and its pilot made Nationalist
Chinese officials reluctant to resume overflights of the mainland.
They insisted that their U-2 pilots be given permission to turn on the
System-XIII false-angle device during the entire time they were over
hostile territory, not just after they had been alerted by the System-XII
radar-detection device. The Defense Department acceded to these de
mands in order to keep the TACKLE flights going. In addition, the
Project TACKLE U-2s began receiving even more advanced ECM
• 60
equipment.
•• Mission folders C284C (22 November 1964), C304C (25 November 1964), C344C (19
December 1964), and C0l5C (8 January 1965), OSA records, job 66-B-664, box 8, job
69-B-404, bait 2, and job 66-8-597, bait I; USIB History, vol. 6, p. 758 (TS Codeword).
"' Ibid.. chap. 17, pp. 59-61 (TS Codeword).
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