PROJECT AQUATONE - OPERATIONAL CONCEPT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP62B00844R000200080051-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 2, 2002
• Sequence Number: 51
• Publication Date: February 5, 1958
• Content Type: SUMMARY

Approveg For Releas 31t y ? A-RDP62R844R0003O I l S~ , 1958
TAT J
PROJECT AQUATONE - OPERATIONAL CONCEPT
1. Objectives:
a. Primary objective of the proposed operations is to obtain coverage
of 23 extremely high priority targets in the USSR. For operational planning
purposes these targets have been grouped into some 13 areas each having
homogeneous weather. Three areas have been determined to have higher
priority than the other ten.
b. The secondary objective is to obtain as much useful coverage as possi-
ble outside of the primary target areas without increasing the total number of
missions for this purpose or incurring additional risks.
a. Range: Four target areas (including two of the three having top priority)
can best be reached from Turkey; 25X1
25X1
b. Weather: The target areas have been defined on the basis of prevailing
climatic patterns in such a way that the same weather may be expected to prevail
over all of the targets in any one area. Thus each area should be coverable with
a single mission. Opportunities may even arise to cover two areas on the same
mission. Broadly speaking, during the first six months of the calendar year the
largest amount of clear weather occurs over the several target areas at the fol-
lowing times:
Western Russia excluding WHITE SEA AREA -- March, with
May as second choice
Central Siberia -- February and March
Far East excluding KAMCHATKA -- February and March
KAMCHATKA -- April
TYURA TAM -- April and May
WHITE SEA AREA -- April through June
c. Restrictions: RAINBOW covered aircraft will be employed on all
missions with the exception of two areas in eastern central Siberia where the
range of aircraft thus equipped is insufficient
25X1
3. Equipment: Five U-2 aircraft without RAINBOW covering are presently
deployed; two in the Far East and three at Adana. Five aircraft are being equipped
with RAINBOW. One of these can be available by 25 February, two more by 15 March,
and the last two about the end of March.
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TT~c 1164857/ B - Copy No. /
Approved For Release 03 01/24: IA-RDP62B00844R000200080051-9
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 Approved For Release 200.3/,0114 ? CIA-RDP62 44R000200080051-9
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4. Operational Concept: Operations will be conducted in the phases
given below. Specific target areas will be selected and mission plans prepared
on the basis of forecast weather, which will be the limiting factor on the rate of
operations.
a. A preliminary mission, designed in part to probe Russian
defenses, will be undertaken in the Far East as soon as equipment
is available. The target will be selected and the mission planned in
such a way as to involve a relatively shallow (300 to 500 miles) penetra-
tion over territory which is for the most part sparsely inhabited. (The
most probable targets are KOMSOMOLSK or UKRAINA.)
c. Upon successful completion of the preliminary mission, operations
will be conducted from Turkey
25X1 against the three top priority target areas
25X1 Missions will be conducted con-
currently, as weather permits, against three other target areas in Siberia
25X1
d. After coverage of the three top priority areas has been obtained,
missions will be conducted against remaining target areas.
5. Timing: It is believed that the preliminary mission can be carried out
in February, that coverage of the three top priority areas can be completed in
March, and that coverage of the remaining targets in this series can be completed
by the end of April.
6. Future Planning: Upon the conclusion of the above operations, the
prospects for this activity will be re-examined with particular reference to:
new or outstanding requirements for reconnaissance, intelligence then available
on Russian interception capabilities, and the status of developments which might
reduce the vulnerability to interception. On the basis of this study, plans for
the future of the activity will be formulated and will be reviewed with higher
authority.
TS-164857 / B
Total 2 pages
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~ I I't`s 7'17 ry ,
Approved For Relea sed O a1/2~A w CIA-RDP62B00844R000200080051-9