BRIEFING OF DIVISION D

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Animal Partners
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06636845
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: September 6, 2019
• Document Release Date: September 12, 2019
• Publication Date: June 27, 1966

Approved for Release: 2019/07/30 C06636845
ORD # 2602-66
27 June 1966
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT : Briefing of Division D
REFERENCE: Project AXIOLITE
1. At the request of Chief Scientist. TSD.
I accompanied him to Headquarters this date to brief
Chief, Division D, DD/P, and some of his cognizant staff on
the status with Project AXIOLITE. was involved very closely
with some of the activities and efforts which took place under the old
TSD project called and some of his people
had apparently gotten wind of Project AXIOLITE through conversations
they have had with people from TSD, particularly Dr. Gottlieb.
2. I gave, per request, a short briefing on the objectives of the
project and exhibited bird harness and the training aids that we use
for the birds plus showed the film that we now have. An animated
discussion session followed the short presentation and I am impressed
with the interest shown in the potential applicability of bird emplacement
platforms to missions and problems that confront Division D. There
was certainly no lack of enthusiasm for the concepts upon which this
project has been predicated.
3. In response to numerous questions, I gave them, although it
was not scheduled, a very short thumbs.nail sketch of our overall
animal studies program taking care to be extremely discreet about the
very sensitive items. There was almost as much interest shown in
Project KECHEL as they had shown previously for Project AXIOLITE.
Another quite animated discussion followed during which a large
number of questions were answered. Subsequent to the more or less
formal presentation, it was indicated to me that Division D would
like very much to be kept in the communications loop on all these
projects from the standpoint of being kept apprised of progress and
problems and the potential solutions to problems. When they have
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Approved for Release: 2019/07/30 C06636845
Approved for Release: 2019/07/30 C06636845
SUBJECT: Briefing of Division D
written their memorandum for the record covering this briefing this
morning, it was indicated to me that they would hope to establish a
fairly informal communications loop consisting of some designee of
from Division D, from TSD, and
myself.
4. My approach in talking to these people was strictly soft sell
and I made, or I attempted to make, quite a point of the fact that these
systems have been carried to the point of proof of feasibility but by no
means were they operationally ready systems. This is particularly
true with regard to Project AXIOLITE where no attempt has been
made to generate operational hardware at all. This approach on my
part apparently did not dampen their enthusiasm. On the contrary,
they started immediately talking about what kind of sensor and payload
package would be necessary for the types of missions they would hope
to accomplish using bird emplacement.
5. Pursuant to instructions given me some time ago by Dr.
Aldrich in which he indicated that I should deal more and more directly
with DD/P components, I feel that this meeting this morning was well
worth while, expressed, after the meeting, his pleasure
to me with the way the briefing, the question session, and the conclusions
that had been reached sounded. As further developments accrue, you
will be kept apprised of progress with these various DD/P components
and in particular, Division D.
C/BSD/ORD
ET
Approved for Release: 2019/07/30 C06636845