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…
372
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Index
Luna 2 rocket
163
Lundahl, Arthur C.
82, 114-115. 117,119,121,135,
142, 154, 191,209,241, 331
M
M Building
83
M-12 aircraft
291
M-195 aircraft
9
MacArthur, John
167
Macdonald. Duncan E.
22, 154-155
Macmillan, Harold
155-156, 164. 167, 187
Malaya Sazanka, Soviet Union
144
Malinovsky, Rodion
160
Malta
114, -116
Manchuria
229. 233. 237
Mandrake
148
Manhattan Project
329
Manila, Philippines
311
manned space program
62
March AFB, California
75
Mark-30
335
Marquardt ramjets
268
Marr, William H.
72
Mars
7:
Marsna1 Plan
15,327
Martin. Glenn L., Aircraft Corporation
5, 8-9. 24, 270
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
4, 15, 18, 27, 30, 110, 129-130, 327,
330, 332-333
Matomic Building
42, 104
MATS
72
Matsu Islands
229
May Day
20. 176, 191. 195
MC-2 and MC-3 partial-pressure suits
64
McConaughy, Walter P.
257
McCone. John A.
184-186, 192, 195, 197, 201, 206-207,
209, 232-234, 236-238, 240, 292-294,
296,298,300,327,331
McCoy, Frederick
95
McCullough Corporation
339
McDonnell Aircraft
312
McElroy, Neil
146, 161-162
McFadden. William
54
McMahon, John N.
186
McNamara, Robert
229, 234, 236, 238, 253, 285, 292-293,
298, 300-301
mechanical fuel totalizer/counters
68
Mediterranean Sea
114, 116. 121, 140, 142, 153
medium-range ballistic missiles
201,206
Melpar. Incorporated
342
Menderes. Adnan
112, 181
mercenary pilots
214
metal fatigue
242
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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.