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.
“The Advance”34 pages
22 Secret l\'JOFOAl\1 Chapter 1 lenses. Since the university did not wish to continue manufacturing cameras and lenses after the end of the war, the optical laboratory moved to Boston University, which agreed to sponsor the effort as long as the Air Force would fund it. Baker decided to remain at Harvard, so his assistant, Dr. Duncan E. Macdonald, became the new head of what was now called the Boston University Optical Research Laboratory (8 UORL). Baker's association with the Air Force did not end with the transfer of the optical laboratory to Boston University, because he continued to design lenses to be used in photoreconnais sance. 17 The [SP first met at Boston University on 3 August 1953. To provide background on the poor state of US knowledge of the Soviet Union, Philip Strong informed the other panel members that the best intelligence then available on the Soviet Union's interior was photog raphy taken by the German Luftwaffe during World War [l. Since the German photography covered only the Soviet Union west of the Urals, primarily west of the Volga River, many vital regions were not included. The ISP would, therefore, have to look for ways to provide up-to-date photography of all of the Soviet Union. Several Air Force agencies then briefed the panel members on the latest developments and proposed future projects in the area of aerial reconnaissance, in cluding new cameras, reconnaissance balloons. and even satellites. Among the Air Force reconnaissance projects discussed were multi ple sensors for use in existing aircraft such as the RB-47, RB-52, and RB-58; Project FICON-an acronym for "fighter conversion"-for adapting a giant, I 0-engine 8-36 bomber to enable it to launch and retrieve a Republic RF-84F Thunderflash reconnaissance aircraft; re connaissance versions of the Navajo and Snark missiles; the high-alti tude balloon program, which would be ready to go into operation by the summer of 1955; and the search for a new high-altitude reconnais sance aircraft. 3~ " Baker interview (S). In 1957. after the Air Force decided to cut back its funding of BGORL. Duncan Macdonald and Richard Leghorn (by then retired from the Air Force) formt:d their own corporation-ltek-an<l purchased the laboratory from Boston University (Leghorn interview [SJ). " :\lemorandurn for Robert Amory. Jr.. Deputy Din.:ctor. lntc:lligence. from Edward L. Allen. Chief. Economic Research, ORR. and Philip G. Strong. Chief. Operations Staff. OSI. "Meeting of the Intelligence Systems Panel of the Scientitic Advisory Boar<l. USAF,'' 26 August I 953; Memorandum for H. Marshall Cha<lwell. Assistant Director/Scientific lnrelligence. from Chief. Support Staff. OSI. .. Review of OSA Activities Concerned with Scientific an<l Technical Collection Techniques... 13 May I955. p. 6, OSI (OSWR) records. job S0R-01424. bo:< I (S); Donovan interview. 22 May 1985 !S) . ..Sasret
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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.