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.
“US Navy”15 pages
- p. 11 …At great risk, US Air Force and Navy aircraft had
been conducting peripheral reconnaissance and shallow…
- p. 16 …As a result, in the late 1940s, the US Air Force and Navy began trying
to…
- p. 17 …Two months later, on 7 October 1952, Soviet fighter aircraft
stalked and shot down a US…
- p. 72 …The terminology used to describe U-2 aircraft and pilots also
played a part in maintaining…
- p. 94 …The committee issued its l ist of cargets for the use of the entire intelli
gence…
- p. 147 …The Agency
then turned co the Navy, which granted permission for Detachmernt C
to use the…
- p. 180 …James Doolittle
urged President Eisenhower to use overflights of the Soviet Union to
the maximum degree…
- p. 223 …by Air Force and Navy reconnais
sance aircraft. President Kennedy used NPIC photographs to i llustrate…
- p. 273 …Charyk, and
his Navy counterpart, Garrison Norton. Designers from several air
craft manufacturers also attended some…
- p. 283 …This engine had originally been developed
for the Navy's large, jet-powered flying boat, the…
- p. 297 …The need for additional bui ldings on the base was
met by the Navy. Three surplus…
- p. 298 …After hearing Bissell and
Holcomb's suggestion that the 158 might be used in future Navy…
- p. 348 …Following modifications to make System-VII suitable for use by the
Navy, the designation was changed…
- p. 353 …In 1968 tests on an AQUILINE prototype at Randsburg Wash on
the US Navy's Naval…
- p. 401 …247, 328
US Marine Corps Reserve
14
US Military Academy at West Point
329
US Navy…
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About this file
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.