Documents / Official release

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.

  • p. 143 …Air Force contract to evaluate ra dars, EG&G operated a small testing facility at Indian…
  • p. 244 …Then in August 1964, following the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, the Air Force assumed responsibility for…
  • p. 381 …232 Indian Springs, Nevada 274. 130, 132 Indonesia 211-212, 214,319 Indonesian Air Force 212…
246
Sec, et NOfOPIN
Chapter 5
Nationalist Chinese U-2R March 1972. when the President's: visit took place, Detachment H
ceased all operational missions .~'
In March 1973, the TACKLE agreement with the National ist
Chinese was renegotiated. Although no end date was set, the agree
ment contained a termination clause that would become effective three
months after notification by either party. This clause provided more
flexibility to the United States, which could now end the Nationalist
Chinese U-2 program whenever US foreign policy considerations
made such a step desirable.
Operation SCOPE SHIELD Ovm North Vietnam
In addition to the Project TACKLE peripheral missions against the
PRC. Detachment H (wi th Agency rather than Nationalist Chinese pi
locs) flew a series of missions known as Operation SCOPE SHIELD
to gather intelligence on activities in North Vietnam . The Indochina
area had become the responsiblity of the Air Force in 1964. but, under
the terms of the cease-fire agreement negotiated with North
., lbi<l.. pp. 44-45 (TS Co<lcwor<l).
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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.