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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 299 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…
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Seeret NOFOAN
Chapter 6
DELIVERY OF THE FIRST OXCART
The first A- l 2, known as article 121, was assembled and tested at
Burbank during January and February 1962. Since it could not be
flown to the Nevada site, the aircraft had to be partially disassembled
and put on a specially designed trailer that cost nearly S 100,000. The
entire fuselage, without the wings, was crated and covered, creating a
load 35 feet wide and 105 feet long. To transport this huge load safely
over the hundreds of miles to the site. obstructing road signs were re
moved, trees were trimmed, and some roadbanks had to be leveled.
The plane left Burbank on 26 February 1962 and arrived at Area 51
two days later.
After the fuselage arrived in Nevada, its wings were attached and
the 175 engines were installed. but the aircraft was still not ready to be
tested. This new delay was caused by leaking fuel tanks, a problem
that would never be solved completely. Because the A- I 2's high
speeds heat the titanium airframe to more than 500°F. Lockheed
designers had to make allowances for expansion. When the metal was
cold, the expansion joints were at their widest. In the fuel tanks. these
gaps were filled by pliable sealants. but the fuel for the A-12's engines
acted as a strong reducing agent that softened the sealants. causing
leaks. Thus. when fuel was first poured into the aircraft, 68 leaks
developed. Lockheed technicians then stripped and replaced all the
sealant, a tedious and time consuming procedure because the sealant
required four curing cycles, each at a different temperature over a
period of 30 to 54 hours. The engineers were never able to discover a
sealant compound that was completely impervious to the jet fuel while
remaining elastic enough to expand and contract sufficiently. The
A- I 2's tanks continued to leak, so when it was fueled, it only received
enough fuel to get airborne. The plane would then rendezvous with a
tanker, top off its tanks, and immediately climb to operating altitude.
causing the metal to expand and the leaks to stop. 10
CHANGES IN THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Richard Bissell, whose concern for the viability of the U-2 in 1956
had led to the establishment of Project OXCART and who had di
rected its growth all along, was no longer in charge when the first
"' OSA fiistorv. chap. 20. p. 62 (TS C0<.!t:worJJ: \linnich ...OXCART Story." p. 11 (S).
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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.