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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.

Open the PDF at page 296 Original source ↗

“The Advance”34 pages

  • p. 6 …255 The Phaseout of the Office of Special Activities ........ ................... 257 0 ) Chapter 6 The U-2…
  • p. 7 …319 Advances in Technology............................................... ........................... 320 Cooperation With the Air Force ............................................................. 321 Impact of the Overhead Reconnaissance…
  • p. 22 …retired from the Air Force to become the assistant director of Lockheed's Advanced Development Program…
  • p. 24 11 / Chapter 1 gravity (g's) instead of the military specification strengLh of 5.33 g…
  • p. 32 …lithium deuteride, a tech nology more advanced than the heavy water method used by US '' BEACON…
  • p. 33 …between the developed and undeveloped nations. This aggressive Soviet foreign policy. combined with advances in nuclear…
  • p. 58 …secrecy in the new project, Kelly Johnson placed it in Lockheed's Advanced Development facility at…
  • p. 65 …His software algorithms made it possible to model lens designs and determine in advance the effects…
  • p. 76 …seen on pilot Francis Gary Powers) advanced gear for the U-2 pilots. David Clark expert…
  • p. 111 …of Soviet advances in long-range bombers and missiles. The initial sighting of the new Soviet…
  • p. 114 …Adenauer be informed in advance of US plans to overfly the Soviet Union from bases in…
  • p. 174 …concentrating on developing the more advanced solid-fueled missiles rather than increasing the num ber of…
  • p. 183 …if the Soviet SAMs received sufficient advanced warning, they posed a major threat to the U…
  • p. 191 …the cover story that had been prepared and distributed in advance of the mission. The first…
  • p. 206 …In 1965 the head of OSA received a new title, Director of Special Activities. The Office…
  • p. 235 …STPOLLY added the more advanced Lockheed P3A in 1963. Between 1955 and 1967, when the CIA…
  • p. 249 …The Defense Department feared that the loss of this device with its highly advanced traveling-wave…
  • p. 250 …Chapter 5 Advanced ECM Equipment for Detachment H Demand for overhead photography of the PRC continued…
  • p. 252 …In addition, the Project TACKLE U-2s began receiving even more advanced ECM • 60 equipment. •• Mission…
  • p. 265 …but some was the result of technological advances. The ini tial order for eight of the…
  • p. 266 …This camera was actually a very advanced version of the original B camera with a new…
  • p. 282 …aircraft from the small inventory of its most advanced bomber. Even had the B-588 program…
  • p. 295 …In fact, it was an advanced version of the highly reliable B camera developed for the…
  • p. 296 …Prospective pilots had to be qualified in the most advanced fighters and be emotionally stable and…
  • p. 307 …advanced experimental jet aircraft, the A-11. which has been tested in sustained flight at more…
  • p. 310 …It was now time to find work for the most advanced aircraft ever conceived and built…
  • p. 321 …advanced aircraft ever .built was to be put out to pasture. The aban donment of the…
  • p. 325 …when the OXCART program ended in the summer of 1968, no mcire advanced successor was wait…
  • p. 326 …The most advanced aircraft of the 20th century had become an anachronism before it was ever…
  • p. 333 …ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY One very important byproduct of the CIA's manned reconnaissance program was the…
  • p. 334 …the end of the usefulness of the world's most advanced aircraft; its offspring, the SR…
  • p. 335 …Thus, the CIA sponsored the development of the world's most advanced aircraft-the OXCART-and…
  • p. 352 …They believed that recent advances in the minia turization of electronic technology would make possible the…
  • p. 356 343 Defense Research and Engineering, John Foster, liked the concept and provided DOD funding for ORD…
283
Seerct NOFORN
Chapter 6
CHOOSING PILOTS FOR OXCART
Just as in the U-2 program, the Air Force provided considerable sup
port to Project OXCART, including training, fuel storage, and weather
service. One of the most important areas of support was the provision
of pilots; all of the OXCART pilots came from the Air Force.
Prospective pilots had to be qualified in the most advanced fighters
and be emotionally stable and well motivated. In contrast to 1955,
when cover considerations had limited the U-2 pilot selection process
to individuals with reserve commissions, the Air Force was able to
devise personnel and cover procedures that enabled both regular and
reserve officers to volunteer to become OXCART pilots. Because of
the limited size of the A-12 cockpit, they had to be under six feet tall
and weigh less than 175 pounds. Following extensive physical and
psychological screening, 16 potential nominees were selected for in
tensive security and medical screening by the Agency. By the end of
this screening in November l 961. only five individuals had been ap
proved and had accepted the Agency's offer of employment on a
highly classified project involving a very advanced aircraft. A second
search and screening raised the number of pilots for the OXCART to
eleven. The thorough screening process produced an elite group of pi-
•tots; all but one of these 11 officers eventually became generals. The
new pilots transferred from military to civilian status and received
compensation and insurance arrangements somewhat better than those
of the U-2 pilots.15
SELECTION OF A TESTING SITE FOR THE OXCART
From the very beginning, it was clear that Lockheed could not test the
OXCART aircraft at its Burbank facility, where the runway was too
short and too exposed to the public. The ideal testing site would be far
removed from metropolitan areas, away from civil and military air
ways, easily accessible by air, blessed with good weather, capable of
accommodating large numbers of personnel, near an Air Force instal
lation, and having a runway at least 8,000 feet long. But no such place
was to be found.
After considering 10 Air Force bases programmed for closing,
Richard Bissell decided to upgrade the Area 51 site in Nevada where
the U-2 had been tested. Although its personnel accommodations, fuel
'' Minnich. --OXCART Story."· pp. 6- 7 (S); OSA Hiswry. chap. 20. pp. -l8-50 (TS
Codeword); Geary interview with Pedlow (S).
Secaet

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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.