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.

Open the PDF at page 389 Original source ↗

“Hill”15 pages

  • 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…
376
6eeret NOFORN
Index
Pakistan
128, 135. 139, 148, 163, 167-168.
170, 172, 174, 178. 189,247,316,319
Paksane, Laos
231
Palmdale, California
31 I
panoramic-type framing camera
53
Paradise Ranch
57, 66
PARAMOUNT Committee
114, 116, 120
Parangosky. John
274,288.296, 309. 331
"parasite" aircraft
263
Paris Summit
172. 181-182
Pasadena, California
13. 50,252
Pathet Lao
221
PB-4Y aircraft
222
Pearl Harbor
322 _
Pearson. Drew
299
Peenemunde rocket project
2
Peiping. China
228-229
Pellegrini. Joseph J.
6
Pennsylvania State Police
222
Pentagon
5, 7, 9, ll. 13-14, 39, 78-79, 238
People ·s Liberation Anny (PLA)
215
People's Republic of China (PRC}
85, 135. 201, 215, 222, 225-226,
228-247, 253. 282, 301, 319. 339. 341
(See also China)
radars
215
troop movements
215
nuclear plants
238
nuclear weapons establishment
226
Shuangchengzi missile-test range
235
periscope
56. 76
Perkin. Richard S.
18, 31. 50-52. 281-282, 31 I. 332-333
Perkin-Elmer (P-E) Company
18. 31. 50. 281
Perkin-Elmer tracking camera
52
Perkins. Courtland D.
260
Personnel (USAF). Deputy Chief of Staff for
74
Peshawar. Pakistan
135. 163-164. 167-168, 172, 174-!76
Philippines
305
Photo-Intelligence Division (PID)
82. 100. 135
photographic chemicals
121
Photographic Evaluation of /n/onniltion on Cuba
200
photographic resolution
281
photo interpreters
83. 108. Ill. 114-116. 120-121. 135,
138. 153. 172. 191, 198. 209. 2! l.
2 I6. 221. 236. 303, 307
photomapping
I. 232
photoreconnaissance
I. 4-5. 7. 22
photosatellite
270, 3 I3. 327. 330, 157
Phouma. Souvanna
221
PID's Special Projects Branch
ll5
PINE RIDGE
343-344
"pioneer" photography
87
pitot-static tube
295
Pittsburgh-Corning Glass Company
55
Plans, Deputy Director for
157, 191-192, 327. 333

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Official release, from the pursue collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. 406 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.