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.
“United Press”17 pages
Set1 el NOP'OAN Chapter 1 15 mainly with XF-104 jigs and designs . ... The prototype of this plane can be produced within a year from the date of order: Five planes could be delivered for operations within two years.. The Bell proposal is a more conventional aircrai having nor mal landing gear. As a result, its maximum altiwde over .rarget is 69,500 feet and the speed and range are not as good as the Lockheed CL-282. :; Gardner's enthusiasm for the CL-282 had given Strong the false impression that most A ir Force officials supported the Lockhee:d de sign. (n reality, the Air Force's uniformed hierarchy was in the pro cess of choosing the modified version of the Mart in B-57 and the new Bell X- 16 to meet future reconnaissance needs. During their meeting with Strong, Trevor Gardner, Fredlerick Ayer, and Garrison Norton explained that they favored the CL-282 because it gave promise of flying higher than the other designs and because at maximum altitude its smaller radar cross section might make it invisible to existing Soviet radars. The three officials :asked S.trong if the CIA would be interested in such an aircraft. Strong promised to talk to the Director of Central Intelligence's newly hi red Special Assistant for Planning and Coordination. Richard M. Bissell . Jr., about possible Agency interest in the CL-282.:"' Philip Strong Richard Bissell had already had an active and varied career be fore he joi ned the CIA. A graduate of Groton and Yale, Bissell stud ied at the London School of Economics for a year and then completed a doctorate at Yale in 1939. He taught economics, first at Yale and then from 1942 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he became a full professor in 1948. During World War II. Bissell had managed American shipping as executive officer of the Combined Shipping Adjustment Board. A fter the war, he served as deputy director of the Marshall Plan from 1948 until the end of 195 1, when he became a staff member of the Ford Foundation. His first association with the Agency came in late 1953, when he undertook a contract study of possible responses the United '·' Philip G. Strong. Memorandum for the Record . ..Special Aircraft for Penetr:nion Photo Reconnaissance," 12 May 1954. OSI records (now in OSWR). job 80R-0l424. box I (Sl. '' Karl H. Weber. The Office of Scientific /r11elligence. /949-68. Directorate of Science and Technology Historical Series OSI- I (CIA: DS&T. I 971). vol. I. tab A. pp. 16- 17 (TS Codeword). Gee,et
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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.