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
14 Sec, et NOFOAN Chapter 1 Trevor Gardner design showed the most promise for reconnaissance of the Soviet Union. This belief was shared by Gardner's special assistant, Frederick Ayer, Jr., and Garrison Norton. an adviser to Secretary Talbott.~' According to Norton, Gardner tried to interest SAC commander LeMay in the Lockheed aircraft because Gardner envisioned it pri marily as a collector of strategic. rather than tactical. intell igence. But General LeMay had already show ni that he was not interested in an unarmed aircraft. Gardner, Ayer, and Norton then decided to seek CIA support for the high-flying aircraft. At that rime the Agency·s official involvement in overhead reconnaissance was limited to advising the Air Force on the problems of launiching large camera-carryi ng bal loons for reconnaissance flights· over hostile territory (for the details of this program. see chapter 2). The Chief of the Operations Staff in the Office of Scientific Intelligence, Philip G. Strong. however. served on several Air Force advisory boards and kept himself well in formed on developments in reconnaissance aircraft.!! Gardner, Norton, and Ayer met with Strong in the Pentagon on 12 May 1954, six clays before the Wright Air Deve lopment Command began to evaluate the Lockheed proposal. Gardner described Kelly Johnson's proposal and showed the drawings to Strong. After this meeting. Strong summarized his impressions of the Air Force·s search for a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft: Proposals for special reconnaissance aircraft have been re ceived in the Air Staff from Lockheed. Fairchild. and Bell. ... The Lockheed proposal is considered to be the best. It has been given the type designation of CL-282 and in many respects is a jet-powered glider based essentially on the Lockheed Day Fighter XF-104. It is primarily subsonic but can attain transonic speeds over the target with a consequent loss of range. With an altitude of 73,000 feet over the target it has a combat radius of 1,400 nautical miles. ... The CL-282 can be manufactured " Garrison Norton. interview by Donald E. Wt!lzcnbach. tape recording. Wa.shington. DC. 23 May 1983 (S): Michael R. Beschloss. Mayd"y: Eisenhower. Kltrmhchev and the U-2 Affuir (New York: Harper & Row. 1986). p. 79. " Strong was a colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve and often used that tille even though he was not on active duty. He later ad,·anced to• the rank or brigadier general in the reserve. For S1rong·.~ contacts with senior Air Force officials concerning 1he CL-282. see the Norton interview (S). 6ee,ot
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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.