CIA-UAP-003, The Central Intelligence Agency and Overhead Reconnaissance; The U-2 and OXCART Programs, 1954-1974

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.

67
Secret NOFORN
Chapter 2
Arrival of U-2 prororype ar Area 51
(left); Article 341, the U-2
prototype (below}
;. ;:;-~ ;t~ ~~ .
...~.,, •i~;:t~
Johnson had designed the U-2 to use the Pratt & Whitney
(P&W) J57/P-3 I engine. which developed 13,000 pounds of thrust
and weighed 3.820 pounds. giving it a power-to-weight ratio of 3.4: 1.
When the U-2 firs t took to the air. however, these engines were not
available because the entire production was needed to power spedally
configured Canberra RB-57Ds for the Air Force. The first U-2s there
fore used P&W 157/P-37 engines, which were 276 pounds heavier
and delivered only 10.200 pounds of thrust at sea level; the resulting
Secret