AGREEMENT FOR REORGANIZATION OF THE NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE PROGRAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP71B00508R000100020005-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 6, 2002
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: April 26, 1965
• Content Type: CONT

NRO REVIEW CApproEecTFor Release 2002/08/20 CIA-RDP71B00508R000100020005-0
26 April 1965
AGREEMENT FOR REORGANIZATION OF THE
NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE PROGRAM
Set forth below are certain basic assumptions which
determine the organization appropriate for the administration
and direction of the National Reconnaissance Program (NRP).
A. The national character of this essential
intelligence enterprise must be maintained through
a joint endeavor on the part of DoD and CIA.
B The potentialities of U.S technology must
be aggressively and imaginatively exploited to
develop systems for the collection of intelligence
which are fully responsive to intelligence needs
and objectives. In the development of new systems
maximum use must be made of the experience,
resources, facilities and technical competence of
appropriate components of the Defense Department
and CIA.
C. Scheduling and targetting of satellite and
manned aircraft reconnaissance missions over denied
areas shall be the final responsibility of the DCI and
the United States Intelligence Board (USIB).
D A new.organizational framework is required
which, particularly in the field of satellite recon-
naissance operations and systems development, will:
(1) provide a clearly established delineation of the
roles and responsibilities of components of the
Government engaged in these activities, and (2)
ensure effective coordination of these activities
under centralized policy guidance and control.
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II. ORGANIZATIONAL FRAME ,9ORK :
A. THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:
An Executive Committee, consisting of the Deputy
Secretary of Defense and the Director of Central Intelligence,
wi_w be established to formulate, guide, and regulate the
NRP. Specifically the Executive Committee will:
1. Establish an appropriate level of effort for the
NRP in response to reconnaissance requirements provided
by USIB and in the light of technical capabilities
and fiscal limitations.
2. Approve or modify the consolidated NR
program and its budget.
3. Acting through the DNR, allocate responsi-
bility and the corresponding funds to CIA and/or
DOD for research and preliminary design studies
for new systems.
4. Allocate development responsibilties and
the corresponding funds for specific reconnaissance
programs to DOD or CIA, and establish guidelines for
mutual support where appropriate. It shall be free
to use technical advisory groups as necessary.
5. Assign operational responsibilities to
either DoD or CIA for various types of manned over-
flight missions, subject to the concurrence, of
the 303 Committee.
6. Review periodically.the essential features
of the major program elements of the NRP.
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B. ROLE OF THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE:
To insure the coordination of CIA and DOD recon-
naissance activities a Director of National Reconnaissance
Program will be appointed by the Secretary of Defense with the
concurrence of the Director of Central Intelligence.
The D/NR will serve for a four-year term and will be
chosen alternately from CIA and DOD. (Every third term
will be filled by a CIA man.) He will be responsible to
and carry out the directives of the Executive Committee.
He will devote his activities exclusively to the NRP
and will have no other official duties. Specifically he will:
1. Provide a single point of integration
for the planning and budgeting of the National
Reconnaissance Program and will be responsible
to the Executive Committee for the execution of
the program.
2. Be kept fully and completely informed of
all reconnaissance activities in CIA and DOD.
3. Schedule the use of the space launching,
tracking and recovery facilities.
4. Review budget proposals submitted by
appropriate elements of CIA and DOD and prepare
and submit a consolidated budget for examination
and approval by the Executive Committee.
5. Ensure the flow of funds from the NRP
appropriations to CIA and appropriate DOD elements
in lump sum transfers each fiscal year. Incremental
funding from reserve or reprogramming sources will
be used for supplemental programs approved by ExCom.
6. Deal with the operating head of the CIA
or his designated alternate on all matters of policy,
coordination, or guidance. He will not exercise
command control over subordinate elements of CIA or
its personnel, however, the DCI will insure that the
fullest measure of cooperation is afforded the D/NR.
7. Sit with the USIB for the matters affecting
the NRP.
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8. Appear before the 303 Committee to the extent
desired by the DCI or the Deputy Secretary of Defense to
secure approval for overhead reconnaissance missions.
C. MANNING OF THE REORGANIZED NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE
PROGRAM:
To insure that the National Reconnaissance Program
is truly a national entity, it will be manned in a balanced
way by personnel from DOD and CIA. An appropriate plan to
rotate DOD and CIA personnel into key positions of the
NRP will be developed and approved by the ExCom. (Attached
is chart showing key senior positions of NRP.)
III. OTHER FEATURES OF THE NRP:
A. RESEARCH AND PRELIMINARY DESIGN:
1. Research on reconnaissance technology and
preliminary design of new systems will be encouraged and
supported in both CIA and DOD. It will be supported by a
lump sum allocation from NRP budget line items to each group
at a level to be recommended by the DRP and approved by the
Executive Committee. It is intended that these funds and their
products represent the flexible cutting edge of the NRP.
2. A prescribed amount of these resources will be
allocated for support of basic research on reconnaissance
technology to stimulate and assure the future vigor of this
field. The DNR will be kept fully informed of all activities
and developments in this connection for the purpose of ensuring
appropriate coordination and preventing unwitting duplication
as well as encouraging joint exploitation of new techniques.
3. Preliminary design and small technical feasibility
demonstrations of new reconnaissance systems will also be
funded from this innovation resource. Such work can grow out
of requirements originating with USIB, the ExCom or the DNR
for improvements in existing capabilities, or can result from
spontaneous initiative in the CIA and DOD participating
elements. However, it is important that the DNR and ExCom
receive each month a comprehensive report on the initiation,
status, or conclusion of such efforts. In this way, competi-
tive study efforts will be recognized, approved or discouraged,
and synchronized for later decision actions.
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B. SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT:
1. Satellite reconnaissance systems are
characterized primarily by the payload: cameras,
spacecraft, data recovery system. When a new
reconnaissance system concept has been approved
for development by ExCom, with appropriate recommenda-
tions by the D/NR, it will be assigned as a
specific program of the NRP to either CIA or DOD.
This assignment will include the transfer of funds
necessary for the development, production, and
procurement envisioned, in whatever increments
ExCom considers are appropriate to the proper
management of the program.
2. The element of CIA and/or DOD assigned
such development, production and procurement
responsibility for a new system will be
responsible for selecting and supervising
contractors; for establishing such systems engineering
support as they deem necessary; for rendering periodic
reports on program progress to the D/NR and ExCom
and generally for the implementation of the program.
C. SATELLITE OPERATIONAL PHASE:
1. When the satellite payload has been
developed, it becomes a part of the operational
assets of the NRP. The payloads, together
with appropriate boosters, launchers and track-
ing stations, represent the NRP capability to obtain
orbital photography and other intelligence information,
and accordingly represent part of an orderly program
to acquire intelligence in response to USIB require-
ments, target lists and priorities. The D/NR must
play the central role in planning this program. It
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involves far-sighted budgeting for payload production
as well as booster procurement and modification. It
involves judicious scheduling of operational launches
from fixed resources, in addition to development
flight tests. It requires a planning with sufficient
flexibility to respond to changing world situations
and the corresponding intelligence needs. It is a
complex managerial task, over which a single individual
must have coordinating responsibility.
2. The Satellite Requirements Program Center,
formerly known as "Satellite Operations Center,"
shall be responsive to USIB requirements and will
function as the responsibility of CIA. It will provide
mission intelligence guidance, i.e., final orbit choice,
camera programming, etc., to D/NR for over-all coordination.
I). MANNED OVERLFIGHT OPERATION
1. Covert manned overlfights of denied areas
will be the responsibility of the Central Intelligence
Agency. These missions will be planned in the Air
Operations Center of CIA in response to USIB target
coverage requirements with the approval of the 303
Committee. The D/NR will be kept fully informed of
such planning and operations. Within the constraints
established by the 303 group, these missions will be
executed by CIA in the light of target and terminal
weather, negotiations for overseas base use and
defensive tactics necessary for operational survival.
The DOD will continue to support such operations
with airlifts, tankers, and base equipment in
accordance with the basic U-2 and OXCART agreements.
2. Overt manned overflights of denied territory
or overt missions covering friendly territory will
be the responsibility of the DOD. The Joint
Reconnaissance Center of the JCS will plan the
missions in response to USIB and/or field command
target requirements. JRC will be responsible for
executing such missions with the approval of the
303 Committee. The JRC will keep the D/NR fully
informed on all such mission planning and execution.
The CIA will support JRC in negotiations on overseas
bases, providing secure communications, and security
support as requested.
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3. The designation of particular classes of
manned overflight operations as overt or covert will
be the responsibility of the ExCom in consultation
with the 303 Committee, as noted above
E. SECURITY:
The Director of Central Intelligence, in accordance
with his statutory responsibilities for protection of intelli-
gence sources and methods, shall be responsible for the over-
all security policy of the NRP. The D/NR will be responsible
for the coordination of security matters within the respective
elements of the NRP in accordance with the guidelines set
forth by the Executive Committee. Release of public informa-
tion shall be coordinated with the DCI The CIA shall main-
tain a central record of all security clearances related to
the NRP.
F. BUDGETING:
A separate National Reconnaissance Program funding
agreement will be entered into and made a part of this
agreement.
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D/NR
Deputy/NR
(CIA or DoD on
rotational basis)
(DoD or CIA on
rotational basis)
- - - Exec or C/S?
Asst. Deputy Asst. Deputy Asst. Deputy Asst. Deputy
CIA Army Navy Air
The Assistant Deputies would constitute the action
and information channels to their respective parent services.
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