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.
“Nevers”34 pages
257 lead to the overseas deployment of Detachment G U-2s in 1974, when the CIA was tasked to monitor the Israeli-Egyptian and lateir the Israeli-Syrian disengagement areas. On 21 April l 974, a Detachment G U-2 with appropriate support elements arrived at Akrotiri, Cyprus, to conduct Operation OLIVE HARVEST. Between l2 May and 28 July, the detachment conducted six overfli ghts of the disengagement areas. During these missions the electronic warning systems of the U-2 registered numerous radar lockons, but no surface-to-air mis:siles were fired. On l August 1974, responsibility for the OUYE HARVEST missions as well as the aircraft itself came into the hands of the Air Force as part of the transfer of the entire Agency U-2 pro gram at that time. 77 The Phaseout of the Office of Special Activities The Agency's U-2 program had been under review since the autumn of l 969 to detennine if it should be continued along with the larger Air Force U-2 program. In December 1969, President Nixon decided to keep the Agency's program in existence through l 971 and asked for a formal review by the 40 Committee (the new name for the 303 ·Committee/Special Group). ln August 1970, the committee recom mended continuing the program through fiscal year 1972. On 12 August 1972, the 40 Committee again favored continuation of the CIA U-2 program. This recommendation was motivated primarily by a desire not to alienate the Nationalist Chinese Government by el.imi nating Project TACKLE. In June 1973, however, DCI Jame:s R. Schlesinger informed the 40 Committee that this project could be ter minated without causing major difficulties with the Nationalist Chinese. On 30 August 1973, the 40 Committee approved the C:IA's plans to tenninate the U-2 program effective I August 1974. The: Air Force would assume funding responsibility for the four U-2R airicraft assigned to the Agency and would take physical possession of them then or shortly thereafter. On l April l 974, Ambassador Walter P. McConaughy informed the Nationalist Chinese Government of the US intention to end the U-2 project, and the two countries then worked out a schedule for phasing out Project TACKLE.73 The transfer of all Agency U-2s to the Air Force eliminated Detachments G and H. Their parent organization, the Office of Special Activities, began its phaseout immediately thereafter. The 20-year career of the U-2 with the CIA had come to an end. ,., Ibid.. pp. 31-H (TS Codeword). ,. Ibid.. chap. 10, pp. 1-4 (TS Codeword). Secret NOfOftN Chapter 5
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Official release, from the pursue collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. 406 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.