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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. 123 …Former Air Force Col. Richard S. Leghorn headed the SEI operation for the Agency when it…
  • p. 146 …U-2 took off from Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska to conduct the first intentional…
  • p. 195 …were consolidated into Detachment G at Edwards Air Force Base, California. the unit formed after the…
  • p. 222 …CIA's U-2 Detachment at Edwards Air Force Base on 11 October, and the CIA…
  • p. 234 …were incorporated into Detachment G at Edwards Air Force Base in California. This detachment was now…
  • p. 269 …s Detachment G at Edwards Air Force Base could deploy air- craft to~-------------' and begin ti…
  • p. 308 295 Sect et NOFORN Chapter 6 these aircraft were hastily flown to Edwards Air Force Base…
Geeret PJOFORN
..'t', Chapter 5
U-2 Operations After M ay 1960
U-2 Operations in Latin Ameri ca ................ ...................... ................... .. 197
U-2 Support to the Bay of Pigs Invasion.. ..... ............ .............. ....... 197
Aerial Refueling Capability for the U-2 ........................... ........ ....... .. 198
U-2 Coverage Duri ng the Cuban Missile Crisis .............................. 199
U-2s Over South America ............. ..................................................... 211
U-2 Operations in Asia ........ ........................... ......................................... 211
Detachment C and the Indonesian Revolt of 1958 ............... .... ..... 211
China Offshore Islands Dispute of 1958 ................................ ..... ..... 215
U-2 Support for DDP Operations in Tibet....................................... 216
U-2Cs for Detachment C....................... .................... ... ....................... 217
U-2 Crash in Thailand ......................................................................... 219
End of Detachment C Operations ...................................... ............... 219
Detachment G Missions Over Laos and North Vietnam .............. 221
New Detachment on Taiwan ......... ......... ........................................... 222
Use of Detachment H Aircraft by US Pilots ............................ ....... 230
U-2s in India ................. ........................................................................ 231
Increasing Responsibilities. Inadequate Resources in Asia ........... 233
Advanced ECM Equipment for Detachment H................................ 237
Infrared Scanner Over PRC Nuclear Plants ....................... 238
.............................. ......... 240
~~::-::;--::,-;-~~:F:::.:-:=--::-r-;~ =-=-=~The End of U-2 Overflights o ain an China ............................. 242
Peripheral M issions by Detachment H ................... .......................... 244
Operation SCOPE SHIELD Over North Vietnam ............................. 246
Improvements in U-2 Technology .........................................................247
Modification of U-2s for Aircraft Carrier Deployment ... ... ............. 247
Use of Car rier-Based U-2 To Film a French Nuclear Test Site... 249
A New Version of the U-2 ...................................................... ........... 251
Replacement of the Orig inal U-2s W ith U-2Rs............. ........ .......... 253
The Final Years of the U-2 ................. ................................................ .... 253
Support to Other Agencies .... .......... .................................................. 254
Overseas Deployment Exercises and Missions ............................... 255
The Phaseout of the Office of Special Activities ........ ................... 257
0 ) Chapter 6
The U-2·s Intended Successor: Project OXCART, 1956-1968
The Evaluation of Designs for a Successor to the U-2 .... ................ 260
Competition Between Lockheed and Convair ...................................... 267
The Selection of the Lockheed Design .............. ... ................ ................ 270
Efforts To Red uce the A·12's Radar Cross Section ............................ 274
The OXCART Contract ............................................................................. 277

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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.