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. 4 …17 The BEACON HILL Report .................................................................... 17 Concern About the Danger of a Soviet Surprise Attack ................ 19…
  • p. 13 Helen Hill Kleyla and Robert D. O'Hern. This 16-volume Top Secret Codeword study of…
  • p. 14 …view of the "other side of the hill." With the advent of dry film, it became…
  • p. 30 …Dulles The BEACON HILL Report In 1951 the Air Force sought even more assistance from scientists…
  • p. 31 …Their head quarters was located over a secretarial school on Beacon Hill, which soon became the…
  • p. 32 …et NOFOAN Chapter 1 document on 15 June 1952, the BEACON HILL Report advocated radical approaches…
  • p. 34 …Created in July 1953, the Intelligence Systems Panel (ISP) included several experts from the BEACON HILL…
  • p. 37 …sance needs ex.pressed in the BEACON HILL Report. Theoretically, he explained to the panel. any…
  • p. 41 …H. T. Friis R. Mettler A.G. Hill E. Purcell W. H. Radford E. H. Plesset…
  • p. 44 …members had been discussing since the BEACON HILL and Intelligence Systems Panel meetings. James Baker was…
  • p. 45 …Having participated in the BEACON HILL Study and the Intelligence Systems Panel, several Project Three members…
  • p. 344 …He headed the Beacon Hill Panel in 1952 and later became director of Lincoln Laboratories. PARANGOSKY…
  • p. 345 …of several advisory panels, including the BEACON HILL project. He helped Baker decide what cameras to…
  • p. 364 …BEACON HILL Report: Problems of Air Force Intelligence and Reconnaissance. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 15 June…
  • p. 371 …Soviet Union 137 Beacon Hill 17-19. 21. 24, 3 1-32. 331-33'.! BEACON HILL…
357
article 345A
79
article 346
80
article 347
104
article 349
219
article 354
80
article 357
80
article 360
175,217
article number
59
articles
20, 59, 99,216
Ashford, Douglas E.
30
Asia
135, 190,198,211,216,221,
230,233, 300-301, 310,319
Asian Photographic Interpretation
229
aspheric lens
53
ASPIC
229
Aswan Dam
112
atmosphere
278, 25, 152, 182,215
atmospheric testing
147
atomic bomb
19
Atomic Energy Commission
56, 133, 182, 241-242, 274
atomic energy facilities
233
ATR (Air Transport Rating)
187
Atsugi, Japan
134, 215, 218
autopilot
76, 341-342
Aviation Week
216
AXILLARY
342
Ayer, Frederick, Jr.
14-15, 36,327
B
B model camera
53
B-17 bomber
222
B-26 bomber
214
B-36 bomber
22, 50
B-47 bomber
72
B-52 bomber
20, 111, 291, 3 12
B-57 bomber
5, 8-9, 13, 15, 24, 35, 72
B-58 bomber
262, 269-270, 273
B-58 "Hustler" bomber
262
B-58A bomber
269
B-588 "Super Hustler"
262
B-58B bomber
263. 269
B-70 bomber
279. 293
BACKFIN
167
"badlands"
71
Baikal, Lake
128
Baird. Walter
56
Baird Associates
56
Baker, James G.
18, 21-25, 29-31. 46, 50-56,
108,253,282.327, 332-333
Balkhash, Lake
138, 139
ballistic missiles
2,201,206,299,318
See1et NOF8RN
Index
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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.