Documents / Official release

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.

  • p. 143 …Air Force contract to evaluate ra dars, EG&G operated a small testing facility at Indian…
  • p. 244 …Then in August 1964, following the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, the Air Force assumed responsibility for…
  • p. 381 …232 Indian Springs, Nevada 274. 130, 132 Indonesia 211-212, 214,319 Indonesian Air Force 212…
352
Secret PJOFORl:iJ
Bibliography
Witze, Claude. "Russians Outpacing US in Air Quality, Twining
Warns Congress," Aviation Week, 27 February 1956, pp. 26-28.
"Yakovlev Yak-25RM Mandrake," Jane's Defence Weekly, vol. 3, no.
7, 16 February 85.
Interviews and Speeches
Interview with Robert Amory, Jr., by Donald E. Welzenbach and
Gregory W. Pedlow, Washington, DC, 22 April 1987 (Secret).
Interview with James G. Baker by Donald E. Welzenbach,
Washington, DC, 24 April 1985 (Secret).
Speech given by Richard Bissell at CIA Headquarters, 12 October
1965 (Top Secret Codeword).
Interview with Joseph V. Charyk by Donald E. Welzenbach,
Washington, DC, 5 December 1984 (Top Secret Codeword).
Interview with fonner U-2 pilots James Cherbonneaux, Cannine Vito,
and Hervey Stockman, by Donald E. Welzenbach, Washington,
DC, May 1986 (Secret).
Interview with James A. Cunningham, Jr., by Donald E. Welzenbach,
Washington, DC, 4 October 1983 (Top Secret Codeword).
Interview with Allen F. Donovan by Donald E. Welzenbach, Corona
de! Mar, California, 20 May 1985 (Secret).
Interview with Brig. Gen. Leo A. Geary, USAF (Ret.), by Donald E.
Welzenbach, 3 April 1986 (Secret).
Interview with Gen. Andrew J. Goodpaster by Donald E. Welzenbach
and Gregory W. Pedlow, Washington, DC, 8 July 1987 (Secret).
Speech by Maj. Gen. Patrick J. Halloran (fonner Air Force U-2 pilot)
at the National Air & Space Museum, 24 April 1986 (Unclassified).
Interview with James R. Killian, Jr. by Donald E. Welzenbach,
Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2 November 1984 (Secret).
Interview with Edwin H. Land by Donald E. Welzenbach, Cambridge,
Massachusetts, 17 and 20 September 1984 (Top Secret Codeword).
-&ec,er

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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.