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 401 Original source ↗

“The Pentagon”12 pages

  • p. 18 …Leghorn persuaded his superiors to submit his suggestion to the Pentagon for funding. He had not…
  • p. 20 …Meanwhile Leghorn, frustrated by the rejection of his original concept, had transferred to the Pentagon in…
  • p. 22 …become the assistant director of Lockheed's Advanced Development Program, was in the Pentagon on business…
  • p. 24 …for the construction and maintenance of 30 aircraft to a group of senior Pentagon official s…
  • p. 26 …He had been present at Kelly Johnson's presentation on the CL-282 at the Pentagon…
  • p. 27 …with Strong in the Pentagon on 12 May 1954, six clays before the Wright Air Deve…
  • p. 52 …Late on the morning of 2 December 1954, Dulles told Bissell to go to the Pentagon…
  • p. 91 …He then briefed a high-level Pentagon panel that included the Secretary of the Air Force…
  • p. 92 …After a half hour passed, the base commander called the Pentagon to ask where the crippled…
  • p. 225 …By 25 September 1957, the National Security Council had become concerned with the course of events…
  • p. 251 …Early in 1963 the Agency sought special funds from the Pentagon to de velop a high…
  • p. 363 …CIA and Pentagon Covert Operations Since World War fl. New York: William Morrow, 1986. ---. The Soviet…
388
Sec, et NOFORN
Index
prebreathing
64, 125
projects
39-40. 42-44. 56, 59, 61-62. 71, 73.
74, 81-82, 88-89, 97, 153-155, 157.
186,257,316, 327-331
rocking mount
51, 53
stall envelope
71
stalls
80
tail section
47, 76
taxi trials
68-69
training
302
vertical stabilizers
277,343
vulnerability study
97, 207
U-28
95
U-2Cs
152, 196, 208, 210, 217
U-2F
198
U-2G
248. 250, 252. 255
U-2R
251-253, 257, 282, 336
U-3
66
Ukraine
106
Under Secretary of State
188, 225
Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs)
72
United Arab Republic
153
United Kingdom (See Great Britain)
United Kingdom Requirements Committee
154
United Nations
20
United Press International (UPI)
232
United States
2-4, 7-8. 19-21. 26-27. 73. 77-78.
85, 89-90. 96. 98- I00. I08-110. 112.
117, 121, 124. 140, 142. 147-148. 153-156.
159, 161. 163-164, 179. 181-183. 187,201.
205,215. 221-222, 224-226. 229-232, 245-
247. 254. 256. 285, 294. 297, 299. 301-302.
306. 315. 60. 316, 318-319. 332
unmanned reconnaissance aircraft
'1QJ 304
UPWIND
303
Urals
22. 163
uranium gaseous-diffusion plant
239
uranium-processing facility
138
US Air Attache in Moscow
177
US Air Force. Secretary of the
I I. 32, 78, 81. 327-329
US Air Force
Air Weather Service
94
Chief of Air Scaff
78
EC-130. 146
Inspector General
61
oxygen mask
62
RB-57D Canberra
162
Third Air Force
89
US deterrent force
317
US Geological Survey
254
US House of Representatives
Appropriations Committee
88
US Marine Corps
40. 153. 247, 328
US Marine Corps Reserve
14
US Military Academy at West Point
329
US Navy
Chief of Naval Materiel
285
Secret

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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.