COMMITTEE ON IMAGERY REQUIREMENTS AND EXPLOITATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79B01709A000800040006-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 19
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 18, 2004
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: May 8, 1969
• Content Type: MIN

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COMIREX-M-71
8 May 1969
COMMITTEE ON IMAGERY REQUIREMENTS AND EXPLOITATION -7 )
NRO REVIEW COMPLETED COMLREX-hl-71
8 May 1969
The following is an index of the Minutes of the 8 May 1969
C..%OMIR EX meeting:
Section I (Briefings and Reports on Operations)
Page 4 Operational Briefing- -Satellite
4 Report on Aircraft Activities--Far East
7 Report on Aircraft Activities -- Cuba
Section II (NPIC Report)
Page 8 Report on Potentially Important Activity in Israel
Section. III (Subcommittee and Working Group Reports)
:Page 9 Report from Data Base Working Group
Page 9 Report from Exploitation Research and Development
Subcommittee
Page 9 Report from Mapping, Charting, and Geodesy
Working Group
Section IV (Action Items)
Page 10 Report on Progress in Program for Basic Support
Exploitation Requirements for FY 1970
Page 11 Report on Need for Accelerated Processing of First
Bucket of 1051
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Section V (Status of Recent COMIREX Papers)
Page 12 Release of Targeting Data Derived from TALENT-
KEYHOLE to SEATO for SEAP-34 (COMIREX-D-2. 11/20)
Page 12 Release of Information Concerning
Page 13
(COMIREX-D-2. 11 /21)
Page 14 Planning Factors for the Exploitation of Reconnaissance
Imagery: National Reconnaissance Program, FY 1970-1974
(COMIREX-D-31.1 /3A, renumbered COMIREX-D-31. 5/2A)
Section VI (Other Business)
Page 15 Satellite Imagery Reconnaissance in Terms of: Flexibility;
Compatability of Requirements and NRO Schedule for Next
Five Years; Need for Near Real-time Readout; Employment
of Air-breathing Reconnaissance Systems
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Film Distribution Requirements
Requirement for Photographic Coverage of Cuba
Review of Middle East Coverage
Information for Preparation of Quarterly Report
Page 20 Tab A - Surveillance Coverage of Lines of Communications
for 1-7 May 1969
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for 24-30 April 1969
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Coverage of North Vietnam
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Section I (Briefings and Reports on Operations)
Operational Briefing- -Satellite
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1. reported satellite operations and scheduling
as of 7 May ass own on page 6.
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2. The NRO consultant reported that recovery of the
first bucket of Mission 1051 is scheduled for 1100 local time tonight.
He pointed out that they expect high quality coverage during the
first ten days of this mission but that it will drop off after that
Overall it is expected that we have gotten some pretty good coverage 25X1A
on the first bucket.
Report on Aircraft Activities--Far East
3. I Ireported nine successful BUMPY ACTION
flights mostly in the Haiphong area during the period 2-8 May. There
was one loss and one malfunction. Details are given on the following
page.
4. There was no FOOD FAIR or GIANT SCALE
coverage during the period 2-8 May.
mission, using an oblique camera, along the coast of China on 7 May.
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8 May 1969
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Report on Aircraft Activities--Cuba
priority South China/North Vietnam requirements as follows:
a. Surveillance Coverage of Lines of
Communications (LOC) pertinent to the introduction of
Chinese forces into North Vietnam (see COMOR-D-25/207,
4 March 1966) was reported on one priority target for
the period 1-7 May. The specific target is identified by
underlining in Tab A. The number of LOC priority targets
in South China and North Vietnam remains at 352.
b. Coverage of North Vietnam to detect the
possible introduction or deployment of offensive missile
systems (see COMOR-D-25/200, 23 May 1967, and
COM:EREX-D-25. 3/2, 20 November 1967) is shown on
the grid map at Tab B for the period 24-30 April 1969.
Five BUMPY ACTION missions flown during this time
period and reported as successful have not been included.
No SSM activity was observed.
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7. reported that the standdown on
GLASS LAMP is still in effect.
beginning 13 March 1969 eight GLASS LAMP missions were flown
over Cuba and provided 75. 4 percent coverage of the area. During
this period 144 of the 175 targets in Cuba were covered completely
on cloud-free photography.
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Section III (Subcommittee and Working Group Reports)
Report from :Data Base Working Group
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1. The Chairman, DBWG, reported that his Working
Group has provided guidance relative to a standard report numbering
system for all basic reports.
Report from Exploitation Research and Development Subcommittee
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2. emphasized the need for the R&D
people to know as soon as possible what will be needed in the way
of new equipment for exploitation imagery.
Report from Mapping, Charting, and Geodesy Working Group
3. The Chairman, MCGWG, reported that his Working
Group had been advised by the NRO consultant that the Doppler
previously scheduled for the March launch of the KH-4B will most
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likely be delayed until the May launch. advised that 25X1A
while this delay may be tolerated it is not in the interests of optimum
planning and that any additional slippage would seriously interfere
with plans for using the data to be collected with the Doppler. The
NRO consultant advised that the slippage was a fact and reassured
the Committee that, based on the availability of the Doppler, he sees
no slippage beyond the May launch. The Chairman, MCGWG, then
added that he has heard two different reports on the reason for the
slippage: mechanical problems; funding. If the latter is the real
reason, he would like to know it and consult with the mapping community.
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Section IV (Action Items)
COMIREX-M-71 25X1A
8 May 1969
Report on pro ress in Program for Basic Support Exploitation
Requirements for FY 1970
1. The Acting Chairman reminded members that a
meaningful program for basic support exploitation during FY 1970
could not be prepared unless the agencies submit their requirements
to EXSUBCOM. A poll taken of COMIREX members representing
agencies likely to have such requirements resulted in the following
reports:
a. DIA: Will provide requirements to
EXSUBCOM very soon.
b, CIA: Submitted requirements on one
category on 5 May, will have another group of categories
ready by 14 May and the last group by 29 May.
c. Army: Is currently working on breaking
requirements down into functional areas. Expect to be
able to have requirements in to EXSUBCOM in about three
weeks.
d. Air Force: FTD will have its first quarter
requirements in by 16 May and requirements for the second
quarter of FY 1970 by 2 June.
e. Navy: Can have first quarter requirements to
EXSUBCOM 20-23 May.
2. The Chairman, EXSUBCOM, explained the coordination
cycle following the receipt of requirements from the various agencies.
Preparation of a consolidated draft by the EXSUBCOM Staff will require
approximately one week; coordination at the Subcommittee level takes
about three weeks (the aid of COMIREX members in expediting this
phase of coordination was solicited); another week of staff work is
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required to consolidate the comments and come up with a revised
set of requirements to be sent out for final coordination; then ready
for COMIREX approval after the agencies have had a week for their
final okay. Thus, it is expected that nearly six weeks will be required
from the receipt of the initial drafts to the time when the exploitation
components concerned can expect to receive the COMIREX-approved
exploitation requirements for FY 1970.
3. I Istressed the fact that, although
his Subcommittee needs exploitation requirements for all of FY 1970,
it would be helpful if the agencies would concentrate first on require-
ments for the first quarter. He also emphasized that receipt of
requirements incrementally would help to speed things up as staff
work can be started on requirements as received.
4. The Acting Chairman requested that all agencies have
their first quarter requirements to by 23 May. He 25X1A
felt that a target date of no later than 1 July should be set for requirements
for the last three quarters. but said that a final target date would be
established at the next COMIREX meeting. I urged that in the 25X1A
meantime, prior to 23 May and between then and the final deadline,
requirements be forwarded to EXSUBCOM in increments as ready.
Report on Need for Accelerated Processing of First Bucket of 1051
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I Ireported that he had consulted with
on the benefits to be gained from sending an NPIC
team to EK Or taking other measures for crash exploitation of the first
bucket of 10.51. The Acting Chairman, ICRS, stated that after
considering all aspects of the suggestion there had been mutual agree-
ment to proceed with the normal exploitation schedule and to task the
second bucket of 1051 to continue to cover the 14 "Extraordinary"
targets on that same priority basis.
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Section V (Status of Recent COMIREX Papers)
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Release of Targeting Data Derived from TALENT-KEYHOLE
to SEATO for SEAP-34 (COMIREX-D-2. 11/20)
1. The Acting Chairman reviewed briefly the history of
this request up to the point of USIB's tabling its consideration
pending decision by the NDPC as to the propriety of releasing SECRET
information to certain countries in SEATO. NDPC has ruled that
SEATO can receive SECRET information.
2. The Acting CIA member, noting that CIA has been
the lone dissenter throughout consideration of this release,
recommended that the memorandum prepared in July 1968 (COMIREX-
D-2. 11/17) should be resubmitted to the Board, with the present CIA
footnote. He felt that new information, such as the results of the
NDPC deliberations, could be set forth in a covering memorandum.
3. Although the Executive Secretary pointed out that the
CIA footnote to COMIREX-D-2. 11 / 17 was not in accord with the
policy guidelines for the Sanitization Manual (COMOR-D-7/44), since
it placed emphasis on the possibility of revealing the existence of a
satellite program rather than on protection of information on the quantity
and quality of its product, the Acting CIA member averred that CIA
would like its footnote to stand unchanged.
4. The Acting Chairman charged the Executive Secretary
with responsibility for preparing a covering memorandum to the Board
reflecting the views of members as expressed at this meeting.
Release of Information Concernin
COMIREX-D-2. 11/21)
5. The Acting CIA member expressed the opinion that
the recommendation for release of information concerning
was too general and that COMIREX
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should decide what specific information is to be released and state
that in the recommendation. This observation appeared reasonable
and it was agreed that the specific items to be released at this time
would be the Camera Manual and the pertinent Tab of the Program
for Planning Exploitation, FY 1970-1975..--the same material selected
for release within the U. S. community.
6. The Executive Secretary was directed by the Acting
Chairman to revise the proposed memorandum to the DCI to cover
the specific items to be released, to insure it is clear that release
includes both intelligence and mapping components, and to include
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Planning Factors for the Exploitation of Reconnaissance Imagery:
National Reconnaissance Program, FY 1970-1974
(COMIREX-I)-31.1 /3A, renumbered COMIREX-D-31. 5/2A)
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11, asked why there continued to be a delay
in the publication of te planning factors for exploitation at the
TALENT-KEYHOLE level. He expressed concern that although
COMIREX had originally approved the document on 20 March in the
I land that the security people, working with the NRO,
a provic e us with an approved T-KH version not long thereafter,
it was still unpublished. I replied that the new tab 25X1A
approved for T-KH dissemination included some changes which had
nothing to do with the chap e from I o T-KH and needed to 25X1A
be checked. confirmed that he had noted some of these
same discrepancies and considered that, whereas some of them might
be updates of information the others had to be inaccuracies in either
the first or the second paper, and these must be checked and corrected.
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he had attended a meeting at the Pentagon in the absence of
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I emphasized that whereas those present
were fully qualified to agree on the elements of information which
could be released at the T-KH level they would not necessarily have
equal expertise on technical details. The Acting Chairman concluded
further discussion with the request that get together 25X1A
with the NRO consultant to iron out the problems and prepare the
information in question for publication at the T-KH level.
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Section VI (Other Business)
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Satellite Imagery Reconnaissance in Terms of: Flexibility; Compatability
of Requirements and NRO Schedule for Next Five Years; Need for Near
Real-time Readout; Employment of Air-breathing Reconnaissance Systems
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1. The Acting Chairman advised that he wished again to
discuss the estion of the flexibility of satellite reconnaissance
systems as qu feels that the time has come for COMIREX
to advise the United States Intelligence Board as to the realities of
the problem and how flexibility relates to requirements that have been
approved by the Board. suggested that one simple approach
to a report on flexibility would be to transmit to the Board the memorandum
sent to COM:EREX by (attached to COMIREX-D-13. 6/1)
with a covering memorandum. Further discussion, while agreeing with
this as a partial answer to the problem, developed other dimensions
and problems which were sufficiently closely related to suggest that they
be handled simultaneously or at least that an inter-relation be identified
to USIB.
that this memorandum had been prepared in anticipation of the need for
USIB to state: its requirements so that NRO may develop its financial
program. In. its present form, the memorandum reviews requirements
and the NRO launch schedule in rather general terms and concludes with
the recommendation that NRO be advised that the tentative schedule
of launches appears satisfactory and, as changes would seem to be
necessary, another memorandum would be addressed to USIB. It is
apparent that this approach represents a long-term view of requirements
and makes no provision for the sort of emergency situation which
occurred after the short-lived 1050 had discovered 25X1D
To make a review of requirements realistic, any COMIREX reports to
the Board would obviously make it necessary to include information on
the type of operational restrictions outlined byl and to 25X1A
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Satellite Launch Schedule, KH-4, for FY 70-74'' and 25X1D
2. As a start, the Executive Secretary reminded COMIREX
that in January it had reviewed a draft memorandum to the Board, ''NRO
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4. COMIREX also concluded that it could not supply
USIB with a thorough rationale on launch schedules, static require-
ments, and crisis situations in various degrees of urgency without
commenting on the value of near real-time imagery. Because of the
categories of intelligence and varying time urgency implications
requiring different emphasis according to the situation--warning/
indications, crisis, current intelligence production--it was agreed
that an in depth, separate, and longer-term review should be under-
taken and that there would not be adequate time to examine this
problem in depth prior to submission of the COMIREX memorandum on
the NRO schedule or to a discussion of flexibility in general.
5. It was generally agreed that while COMIREX should
review its requirements and report to the Board in terms of present
reconnaissance capabilities to meet them, further consideration must
be given as to the best staff approach. It was noted that a procedure
entailing preparation of several studies addressing each facet of our
requirement tied to a request to provide guidance to NRO for its five-
year budget planning could not be decided upon until such guidance has
been requested. This should come out of the RPG meeting to be held
the week of 12 May. The Acting Chairman, while agreeing to the need
for further discussion and recognizing the need to advise USIB on the
question of flexibility, suggested that such advice should be handled
in the context of information available in memorandum 25X1A
and in light of current problems encountered and concern expressed by
members of the Board. requested that whatever action was
decided upon include the cancellation of any requirements which have
been superseded by new requirements or changing situations.
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(Film Distribution Requirements
6. reported that his Subcommittee is
working on the establishment of community film requirements.
Each organization has been requested to submit any questions or
needs for specific data relative to characteristics of the film that has
not already been released in the Manual or byl in his
memorandum (reference COMIREX-D-34. 3/1). A consolidated list
of questions will be developed by the Chairman, EXSUBCOM, and
discussed with and the film processors during the first
week of June. In addition, NPLC, which has gone through a very extensive
review of its requirements for film, has agreed to share its findings
with other members of the community so they will be able to take
advantage of what NPIC has learned.
7. The Air Force member raised the suggestion made
by that a seminar might be held on this matter.
pointed out that it was generally felt that a seminar
at this time would be unproductive but that the possibility of having
one next month after problem areas have been identified was left
open.
Requirement for Photographic Coverage of Cuba
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8. The Acting Chairman indicated that the Chairman
felt that COIv[IREX should be aware of the fact that there has not
been any photographic coverage of Cuba since and that a 25X1
standdown is in effect pending the outcome of deliberation on the
platform to be used if coverage is to be continued. I 25X1A
agreed to provide a report on the time-phasing or planning wit
regard to reconnaissance over the island at the next COMIREX meeting.
9. It was agreed that, since COMIREX must report to
USIB on the 56-day requirement for coverage of Cuba, we should
state in our report that COMIREX is looking into the matter of the
standdown and the seriousness of its effect on our intelligence needs.
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10. The Executive Secretary remarked on the timeliness
of today's briefing byl and said that
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suggested that COMIREX should look at coverage of the Middle
East and go on record as having reviewed requirements and the
adequacy of coverage.
11. reported that in general the Middle
East area we are concerne with has been a priority one requirement
for KH-4 search and that we are getting coverage of all of it at least
once within a quarter. Specific priority targets
12. The Chairman, ICRS, also reported that his Subcommittee
had been asked some time ago to conduct a formal review of Middle East
requirements and that this is under way.
13. The NRO representative called attention to the fact
that the special Army priorities on the Middle East block
F have not been taken on the current mission, because their
priority is not high enough, but indicated that there would still be an
opportunity to cover them if the priority were raised. No one suggested
raising the priority.
14. The Acting DIA member reported that the JCS is currently
running studies on reconnaissance missions all over the world, including
and peripheral flights. While local commanders,
CINCPAC for instance, are coming in with urgent requests for reconnais-
sance, the vulnerability problem may result in rather drastic curtailment
of activity.
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15. reported that he has not received resource
information reports from DIA or NPIC. I I said that 25X1A
NPIC's report had been completed on 5 May but he had held it pending
resolution of some questions internally. He said, however, that the
NPIC input would be in hands shortly.
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.Executive Secretary
Committee on Imagery Requirements and Exploitation
Attachments
Tabs A & B
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