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. 24 …April 1954. Lo.:khec:d Corporation. Advanced Devdopmcnt Projec:ts Divi~ion. Burbank. California. Sec,et
  • p. 58 …Pedlow, Burbank, California, 26 August 1988. 6eeret 11
  • p. 85 …how to transfer Lockheed employees from Burbank to Area 5 l without arousing a great deal…
  • p. 273 …SP-1362, "History of the OXCART Program," Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, Burbank, CA. I July 1968, p…
  • p. 287 …designed trailer truck that carried it from Burbank to Area 5 I. By 18 November 1959…
  • p. 296 …not test the OXCART aircraft at its Burbank facility, where the runway was too short and…
  • p. 297 …Construction began in September 1960; a C-47 shuttle s,ervice ferried work crews from Burbank…
  • p. 299 …The plane left Burbank on 26 February 1962 and arrived at Area 51 two days later…
  • p. 304 …into the engine nacelles during assembly at Burbank were sucked into the power plant during initial…
  • p. 372 …293 BUORL 22 Burbank. California 45 &eeret NOFe"N Index Burke. William 168 120 114 Byeloruss1a…
370
Sec, et NOFOAN
Index
Khimki rocket-engine plant
105
Khrushchev, Nikita
94, 96, I00-101, 147, 160, 163-164,
168, 179-180, 299
Kiangsi Province
235
Kiangsu Province
229
KICK OFF
198
Kickapoo Joy Juice
45
Kiefer, Eugene P.
7, 9, II, 260, 330
Killian, James R.
27, 29-30, 33-34, 89, 100, 191-192,
263, 292, 330
KINGFISH
270, 273
Kirkpatrick, Lyman B.
190
Kirov, Soviet Union
172,- T76
Kirtland AFB
79
Kissinger, Henry
256
Kistiakowsky, George
171
Klein, Burton
11
Klyuchi, Soviet Union
134 143
KNIFE E~E
167
Knowles, Harold F.
344
Kohler, Foy D.
112
Koko Nor
233
Kola Peninsula
182
Kollman Instrument Company
59
Koon, Ralph E.
79
Korea, demilitarized zone (DMZ)
305 (See also North Korea)
Kotlas, Soviet Union
172
Krag, Jens Otto
299
Kratt, Jacob
65, 79, I 16
Kremlin
123
Kunming, China
2"6
Kuybyshev, Soviet Union
164
KWCORK
113
KWEXTRA-00
59
KWGLITTER-00
59
Kyshtym, Soviet Union
176
L
L'il Abner
47
L-pills
66, 125
Lahore, Pakistan
135
Lakenheath AFB, England
93
ieeret

Not linked to a story yet.

About this file

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.