PRODUCTION OF GUIDED MISSILE INTELLIGENCE FROM EVIDENCE GATHERED BY AQUATONE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP61S00750A000200060141-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 2, 2004
• Sequence Number: 141
• Publication Date: October 3, 1957
• Content Type: MF

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3 October 1957
I MORANDUM FOR: Director of Central. Intelligence
THROUGH: Deputy Director for Intelligence
SUBJECT: Production of Guided Missile Intelligence
from Evidence Gathered by AQUATONE
REFERENCE: Memorandum to Chairman, IAC, Subject: "GAIC
Comments Relative to AQUATONE
1. This memorandum contains recommendations for action in
paragraph 5-
2. Background:
a. At a meeting on 4 September 1957, the Guided Missile
Intelligence Committee (GMIC) issued Reference which contained the
following statement:
"5. We consider a technical. assessment by a group of
selected, highly qualified US guided missile developmental
and test personnel to be essential to fully exploit this
AQUATONE data. We, therefore, recommend that the IAC
approve the establishment of such a group under the guidance
of GMIC, and authorize the preparation of suitably sanitized
working data for consideration of this panel."
b. The above GAMIC recommendation was not specifically considered
by the TAC, but was approved in principle by General Cabell, Acting
Director of Central Intelligence, who asked that the community explore
means of early implementation. It was later ascertained also that
consultants brought in should be on a fully cleared basis rather
than use the sanitized data approach.
USAF review(s)
completed.
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c. Although an attempt was made about the middle of September
to secure GMIC guidance to HTAUTOMAT regarding the exploitation of
AQUATONE data, the USAF delayed Committee consideration, stating that
they had not arrived at a position. As a result, an exploitation
guidance paper to HTAUTOPIAT was forwarded by CIA, Army, and Navy on
20 September 1957. This HTAUTOMAT guidance was further augmented on
25 September. GMIC has not, as yet, given guidance to HTAUTOMAT.
3. At a GMIC meeting on 30 September 1957, the USAF made the follow-
ing proposal: That:
a. The USAF would be happy and willing to sponsor a special
engineering assessment group to produce intelligence on Kapustin Yar
and Tyura Tam range areas from AQUATONE data. This group would
function at ATIC, but it was stated that this group would make
frequent reports to GMIC.
b. The USAF PI work now in progress be completed (estimated to
take about two weeks) and that this work be forwarded to ATIC, Wright
Field, Ohio.
c. The engineering group would consist of about I Foeople and 25X1
should be cleared for AQUATONE and preferably for special intelligence.
This group would be formed by community nomination and would be
augmented by USAF cleared PI specialists. (The USAF nominated
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d. The engineering assessment at ATIC (estimated to take about
four weeks) would have four objectives:
(1) To outline Soviet test objectives;
(2) To categorize the launching support facilities;
(3) To determine probable state of missile development; and
(4) To derive missile and missile performance characteristics.
e. The USAF would furnish intelligence back-up and technical
(US test range data, including photography, details of launching area
and support facilities, etc.) back-up.
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f. A small panel of high level, community selected scientists
be formed and fully cleared--including special--to provide a senior
review of the engineering report prior to its submission to GMIC and
the (The USAF nominated
li. Discussion: We agree with the concept and scope of the USAF
proposal. There are reasons, however, for recommending a different place-
ment and subordination of the study group. If the engineering group is
located at ATIC:
a. The facilities and personnel at HTAUTOMAT will not receive
optimum use. This is the most highly skilled PI group and is a joint
CIA-Army-Navy effort.
b. Close community liaison with the progress of the study will
be much more difficult to affect because of the distance between ATIC
and Washington, and the guidance to the project will therefore be
essentially unilateral.
c. Significant items which might be detected during the progress
of the study will be difficult for the community to ascertain, and
the taking of timely action thereby delayed.
d. A relatively uninformed community would be quite slow to
react to a comprehensive, detailed study of two test ranges.
5. It appears that an alternative placement and subordination of the
study group may alleviate several of the objections listed above, although
it is anticipated that the USAF may enter objections. It is proposed that:
a. A community selected group of highly competent test range and
missile engineers be organized to make an engineering assessment, of
the Kapustin Yar and Tyura Tam AQUATONE data. This group should be
cleared for AQUATONE data and also for special intelligence, if the
time delay in doing the latter is not excessive.
b. The engineering panel should work in the facilities of
HTAUTOMAT, and under the sponsorship and terms of reference supplied
by (}MTC.
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c. The Army, Navy, USAF, and CIA should each assign one competent
scientific intelligence officer to work with the engineering panel.
These officers will additionally act in liaison with their services to
assure adequate panel back-up of US technical guided missile data or
other services the panel might require.
d. An additional panel of about five high level scientists
knowledgeable in the guided missile field be cleared for special
intelligence and AQUATONE to review the engineering study in conjunc-
tion with the GNIC review. The functioning of this panel would be
essentially as proposed by the USAF.
HERBERT SCOVILLE, JR.
Assistant Director
Scientific Intelligence
Distribution:
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