PROCUREMENT OF C TRIPLE PRIME CAMERA SYSTEMS FOR PROJECT IDEALIST

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP63-00313A000500140080-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 26, 2004
• Sequence Number: 80
• Publication Date: October 19, 1963
• Content Type: MF

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19 October 1963
MEMORANDUM FOR Deputy Director (Science and Technology)
SUBJECT : Procurement of C Triple Prime Camera Systems for
Project IDEALIST
1. Now that a certain amount of the dust has settled on the confusion
of the past week with regard to the status of, and procurement intentions for,
the C Triple Prime system, I think we should tell you briefly where we stand
and what course we are pursuing.
2. As you know, the prototype camera installed in vehicle No. 34Z
gives us a swath width of some 17. 3 nautical flee. It does not, however,
offer stereo convergence, which is es y the photo interpreter to be an
invaluable tool in maximizing the yield from the photography. This single
prototype installation remains a "Flying Breadboard" in the sense that we do
not at the moment have spare parts back-up and support equipment to sustain
an operational camera program. It can, however, be used with moderation,
although its installation in an aircraft other than No. 342 does require a cer-
tain amount of rewiring, bracket installation, etc., taking several days and
costing in the neighborhood offer change-over to another aircraft.
3. Our intention all along has been that once the resolution limits of
the camera were established through flight tests and operation, we would move
toward a dual camera configuration which we hoped would provide convergent
stereo in a much broader swath width. Up until late this week we had hoped
to be able to nearly double the 17. 3NM figure. It turns out, however, that this
not
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achieving our goal is the size of the equipment bay on the aircraft, which does
not permit tilting of the camera to such a manner as to achieve the optimum w
had anticipated. This is not to say that it could not be done ultimately, but I
am told that this would require a new development program with considerable
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NRO and USAF review(s) completed.
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investment of time and money to achieve. Such a program va uld also have one
disadvantage, and that is that the system ultimately developed would not be
susceptible to retrofitting into any system we can buy today.
4. What we come up with then is the following proposal:
a. We are proposing to procure a total of four dual
camera systems furnishing 17. 3NM swath width with 30 degrees
convergent stereo, 70 degrees lateral coverage, two to one con-
treat, target specifications calling for better than 10 inches
ground resolution with 3, 000 plus NM linear coverage. The
delivery of the first system is targeted for four months after an
equipment bay mock up meeting with Lockheed which we will
press for within the next week.
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b. The cost of this proposal if as a budget
figure. Contract negotiation may well be able to come below
this target, since we will argue that having paid for the basic
R&D on the camera, under the CORONA Program, we should
achieve a price break not only on this item, but on the ground
s ort es ui me t involved. The first camera sstem will call
This
include* two sets of USE, which when combined with four carnera
systems should enable us to deploy an operational capability to
two theaters of operation at once. This, of course, is the basic
premise of our staging concept.
c. If we simply wanted carbon copies of the prototype
system now in Article 342, these could be procuredi
each with delivery in three months. We are not recommending
this move.
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5. 1 have not yet been able to determine the extent of independent
USAF`-SAC negotiations with Itek to procure the C Triple Prime system. I 25X
did learn 18 October, however, that of Colonel Geary's NRO
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office, AF'ICO?S, has been in touch wIth tee k requesting an unspecified
number of these systems for SAC U-2'a. In this regard he may simply be
jumping the gun, since I had planned to formally advise D/NRO of our
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procurement plans and to invite USAF-SAC through him to participate with us
in whatever procurement he and the JRC regarded as appropriate. This
might, of course, give us a modest price break with Item beyond our present
expectations. Despite the reported action by Air Force, I will press to
see if we cannot engineer joint procurement during the next few days. I should
mention finally that our aim remains to avoid limiting ourselves to the C
Triple Prime as a result of this procurement. The aircraft will be capable of
flying with the B configuration on one day and C Triple Prime a day or two
later. This requirement for interchangeability is what necessitates an equip-
ment bay mock up session, among other thins, with Lockheed.
JAMES A. CUNNINGHAM, R?
Acting Assistant Director
(Special Activities)
Distribution:
I - DD/S&T
2 - DAD / QSA
3 - AD/QSA
4 - D/TECH/QSA
5 - D/FA/OSA
6 - QD/QSA
7 - B&F/QSA
- PS / OSA
9 - RB/OSA
AAD/OSAJACunningham, 3
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