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.
“Burbank”10 pages
252 3ec. et NOFOfUd Chapter 5 · •' -'-' It •.·· · ····-· ...~ --~~ ..~, .,. ~ ~ f--fi• U-2C and U-2R The U-2R used the upgraded Pratt & Whitney J75/P- l 3B erngine and was able to fly higher-in excess of 74,000 feet-and faster Mach 0.72 (41 0 knots). which is 12 knots faster than the U-2C. When flying at the higher altitude. however. the U-2R·s range was less than the U-2Cs. T he restart capability of the P- 13B engine was signifi cantly better than the P- l 3A power plant As a result. the U-2R could be restarted at 54.000 feet. which was I 0.000 feet higher tham the U-2C. Francis Gary Powers was one of the Lockheed test pilots who checked out this new aircraft when it first took to the air on 28 Auigust 1967. The last of the U-2Rs was delivered on 11 December 1968. The increa:-;ed performance of the U-2R did not come cheapl y. At $7. 1 million per aircraft. the new models cost almost 10 times as much as the original U-2s. M uch of the increased cost was dUte to inflation. but some was the result of technological advances. The ini tial order for eight of the new version of the U-2 was followed on 23 November 1966 by an order from the DC I and the Secretary of Defense for four more. This brought the total number of U-2Rs pur chased by the CIA and the Air Force to 12.n In addition to a new aircraft. the U-2 program received a new camera. Agency managers felt that. because the B camera was now I0 years old. the U-2R needed a camera that incorporated the many im portant advances that had occurred in recent years. The 112B--the mod ified version of the satell ite program ·s stereo camera that had been used in the U-2G-had not proved totally successful. Despite its stereo capabi lity. this camera's shorter focal length could not provide '' OSr\ ffistory. c.:hap. 5. pp. 34-36 (TS Co(kword): "OSA Hiswry-2."' c.:hap. 5. pp. 1-2 (TS Codcwon.l). SeeFat
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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.