EXPLOITATION OF AQUATONE INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP62B00844R000200030006-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 12, 2001
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: November 1, 1955
• Content Type: MEMO

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
WASHINGTON 25, D. C.
OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR (INTELLIGENCE)
1 November 1955
MEMORA U FOR: Director of Intelligence, USAF
UBJECT
Exploitation of AQUATONE Intelligence Information
PROBLEM
To set forth the basic requirements for establishing and operating
a new office in the Central Intelligence Agency under the Deputy Director
(Intelligence) to process intelligence information derived from Project
AQUATONE.
FACTS ABOUT THE PROBLEM
FLOW. The flow of photography froa Project AQUATONE is expected
to begin in April 1956, The volume of intelligence items will at first
be small, but it ie expected that the volume will rise sharply in a
short period of time reaching a peak in October of 1956.
ORGANIZATION. The mission of the new office will be to screen,
interpret, index and systematically file the flow of information from
AQUATONE. The high quality of aerial photography anticipated will cover
areas of the USSR that have hitherto proven inaccessible, In order to
justify the vast sums expended for its collection, it seams essential
that the Agency develop a capability for utilizing the photography to
its maximum in fulfilling intelligence requirements. As planned, the
new office will be created with the present Photo Intelligence Division
of the Office of Research and Reports (ORR) serving as its nucleus.
Supporting it will be a new Office of Central Reference (OCR) Register
to manage the files and provide machine indexing and reference facilitiee.
PHOTO INTERPHETATION. As a service of comon concesathe office will
prepare coverage plots for the photography. This is an important and
essential first step because future location and use of the photography
will rely heavily on its accuracy. All plots will be reproduced and
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distributed to the participating agencies of the ZAC. After plotting,
the next step will consist of rapid scanning of all incoming photography.
This examination, and its tabulation and spot, critical intelligence
reports, will provide general information on the area covered together
with a brief index of the subjects contained in the peotograPhy (e.g.,
factories rail yards, airfields, etc.). The disseminated reports will
permit evaluation of coverage of existing Agency targets, identify targets
requiring additional coverage and serve as an announcement of new cov-
erage. Finally, the office 411 prepare, on a request basis within the
Aeency, detailed photo-interpretation reports ana studies to meet specific
research and operational demands.
suPPon FUNCTIONS. The OCe Register will keep files of the original
negatives, positive prints, and of all reports an studies generated by
the photo-interpretation process. It will control the distribution of
incoming material to the Photo Interpretation analysts, and arrange for
the reproduction and distribution of reports. Its primary function, how-
ever, will be to provide a rapid reference retrieval system. And, it
plans to do this so that photography can be f011nd One of three eves
(1) by its baste flight data, (2) by the area covered, or (3) by subject
according to the USAF Bombing Encyclopedia target code. The Register
will also serve as a focal point for coordinating exploitation with the
participating agencies, for makine new information available to CIA
research and operating personnel, and for relating the resources of the
other OCR Registers and the CIA Library to are given request problem.
MINICARD. It is obvious that ACAJATONE photography will be of con-
siderable bUlk. CIA experience has proven that large file collections
grow unwieldy, require constant additions of space and equipment, demand
more and more manpawer? and fail to meet service deadlines. Consequently,
euch attention has been given to the possible application of Eastman
Kodak MINICARD *qui t to reduce the bulk and provide a high-speed means
of finding indexed data; the Agency has already Approved the eurrhase of
a net of MINICARD equipment for its intelligence document collection.
After careful study of the application of MIN/CARD to the problem
of handling aerial photographs, it was concluded that it was premature
to bey a largeeecale MINICARD installation at this time. MINIUM is
still untested, delivery schedules of equipment are very fluid, and the
use of the system in April was not at all certain; in theory, however,
the application makes good sense.
Every effort will therefore be made to move forward to a complete
eIeICARD installation as soon as practicable. As a start, however, it
is recommended that a minim= facility be established to test and operate.
The Eastman Kodak Co. has indicated a willingness to furnish technical
guidance, through contract personnel to assist in getting an installation
of this type underway.
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FINQ REV 1r ch 6 to June 19 6). Although
it is one may required
ultimately to handle acquate1y the anticipated peekworkload, it is
propoaed to initially staff the activity on a pilot-scale basis during
the period 1 Itarch through l June 1956 at the rate of aboutilliper month.
The requirements will then be reviewed in June, 1956 based on operating
experience to data to determine the minimum additional staff required to
process the peak load anticipated by 1 September. The initial staff
requirement of additional ceiling positions is based on an expected
vorkload of approximately items per day by the close of FY 3,956
requiring the followings
Subject to a
that military
office.
JND U
Additional
Present Personnel
CeilinG Required T
with the appropriate eervicas, it is co 03
el would be welcome as inte4rated members o
S - 6 (1 areh 1956 to 30
e].956
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SPACE RWIREME. 84 It is estimated that approximately
square feet wfll be required by I March 1956 to house the pilligge
operation through 30 June 1956. This includes provision for the staff
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il
expansion of the potes4le operation during the summer months to
handle the anticipated peak workload In September will require approx-
25X1A imateliiiiiirditional square feet making a total requirenent of
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AECOMIERDATIONS
The following recommendations have been submitted to the Director
of Central Intelligence.
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1. That the Deputy Director (Intelligence) be authorised to
establish a facility to process intelligence to be received from
certain special projects *doh should begin to yield a flow of
information beginning about 1 June 1956.
2. That the facility initially be on the minimum scale likely
to be required during the first few months of its operation, taking
account of the possibility of subsequent expansion if and when a
lar-er requirement materializes.
3. That funds estimated at approximately be authorized
for the facility for the renainder of the current fiscal year with the
understanding that the Deputy Director (Intelligence) will absorb costs
to the greatest extent possible within the current allocation to the
Deputy Director (Intelligence) area.
4. That requirements be revieved at the close of the current
fiscal year based on operatizr experience trends to determine addi-
tional minimum staff requirements to process the peak load anticipated
by the fell of 1956.
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Vithout asking you to pass in detail on the forigoing proposal,
It is he Director's desire that we have your views as to the appro-
priateness of CIA's undertaking the work envisaged in this proposal.
It should be emphasized that this organisation will not engage in
target analysis or detailed military evaluation but will direct its
efforts, over and above initial plotting, scanning and indexing, to
fields in which the Agency now has a community-recognized responsibility
such as economic, geographic and basic scientific intelligence,
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