EXAMINATION OF DECLASSIFICATION OF CERTAIN ASPECTS OF U-2 PROGRAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90B00170R000200290006-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 2, 2008
• Sequence Number: 6
• Content Type: MEMO

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MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director for Science and Technology
UNC
FROM
SUBJECT Examination of Declassification of Certain
Aspects of U-2 Program
1. OBJECTI,YE
Afy objective has been to examine existing records, histories,
contract files, correspondence and photographs dealing with the entire
U-2 Program, to see if there are elements which might be declassified
without compromising operations or intelligence sources and methods.
To begin with, aside from the very excellent "History of the
Office of Special Activities," the pertinent records on the U-2 Program
are not in one location:
STAT
(a) Some vital documents, estimated at roughly 700 - 900 cubic
feet, are in storage at These STAT
I have reviewed in large part.
(i
(c) USAF- records on their version of the U-2 Program, save for
the Lockheed contract file, are in the hands of RDPJ in
the Pentagon. We do not have a useful estimate of how many
cubic feet of records they may have, though it is probably
a considerable amount, given the fact that they are still
operating U-2 aircraft. In addition, there are undoubtedly
many records at SAC Headquarters in Omaha and at Beale AFB
in California where the U-2s are based.
(d) Kelly Johnson estimated that Lockheed might have as many as
2,000 cubic feet of records in Burbank or at their corporate
records storage area in their facility at Rye Canyon. An
on-site scan of these materials discloses that an amount
far less than that exists today. Because of the closely guard-
ed nature of the program when it was under Agency auspices,
Lockheed, as prime contractor, intentionally minimized the
amount of paper flowing between them and the various sub-
contractors. Much of their business dealings were accomplish-
ed in face-to-face meetings and by telephone instead. Much
of what did remain has been destroyed over the years. Some
records have been microfilmed, and the few technical manuals
on the early aircraft have been microfilmed and stored at
Rye Canyon.
STAT
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It does not appear to be within the scope of this examination to
conduct a complete records inventory on the U-2.
3. DISCUSSION!
.any discussion about declassification of existing material
should, it'seems to me, begin with a retrospective about what the U-2
Program was designed to accomplish. Simply stated, the U-2 Program was
initiated as a clandestine intelligence gathering effort targeted against
the Soviet Union. CIA was designated the executive agent for the Program
(with invaluable support from elements of the U.S.Air Force) because of
its capacity to conduct covert operations, provide compartmented security
and to contract for goods and services outside the mainstream of normal
military and/or government channels.
The public perception of the U-2 Program for what it really was
did not begin until the 1 May 1960 Powers Incident. In the lingua of the
classification business, this was a "disclosure event," and it was follow-
ed almost immediately by "Executive acknowledgement," by the country's
highest political authorities. In the public mind, the U-2 Program was
"blown." However, following 1960, CIA and the Air Force continued to op-
erate the U-2 over foreign territories, with and without permission. No
further disclosures were officially acknowledged (with the exception of
U.2 reconnaissance over Cuba during the'N!issile Crisis in 1962) though
press speculation continues to this day. CIA relinquished control of its
U-2 assets in 1974, while USAF/SAC continues to operate U-2Rs as part of
its strategic reconnaissance force, now including the U-2 derivative, the
TR-1.
In looking back over the U-2 Program with a perspective not
evident when I was an active participant in it, it seems to me that there
is core information that should not be declassified, now or in the future.
In fact, it is almost easier to say what should remain privileged information
than it is to identify those things that might be disclosed without con-
promise.
Central in this core are those things, unique to this Agency,
that made the Program possible. First of all, there was CIA's ability to
contract for the system in its entirety using covert funds without refer-
ence to normal open bid contracting procedures. In many respects, self-
imposed strictures were more rigidly adhered to than might have been the
case under normal, open bids. However, in every instance, contractors
enjoyed wide latitudes in determining how best to meet their target ob-
jectives without unnecessary time-consuming review boards, administrative
procedures and correspondence, yet with an appropriate overview still re-
maining in the Government's hands. This sharing of responsibility for per-
formance with the contractors was unique and extremely productive, as well
as saving time and money for the Government. While it seems unlikely,
short of a major war, that the CIA would again be called upon to conduct
covert air operations on the scale achieved by the U-2, it appears that
all appropriate steps should be taken to preserve undisclosed the manner
in which the Program did its contracting and administrative support bus-
iness.
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Secondly, and closely interwoven with the above, the Agency's
entire U-2 security support mechanism should be shielded from disclosure.
The manner in which security approvals and clearances were granted,
often under the shield of corporate industrial security systems, together
with the criteria employed and the breadth of security concerns should
continue to be indefinitely protected. Under this heading also would come
the degree of close cooperation with USAF security elements, not only
in systems procurement but in protection for the end product and in the
very important element of military personnel procurement.
STAT
All materials dealing with the selection of targets for operational
missions, such as the proceedings of USIB and 25X1
CQMIOR, together with details of specific mission planning, must be pro-
tected indefinitely. i.Iission folders and/or debriefing reports must be
withheld, including all graphic overlays, especially those portraying
hostile missile installations or other mission-threat information based
on codeword sources.
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STAT
Efforts by CIA to dramatically reduce the radar crossection of
the U-2s, conducted in the late 1950s under the code word RAINBOW,
should not be wholly declassified because of possible inferences that
might be drawn from them with regard to ongoing USAF efforts in this
field. This prohibition would include discussion of various substances
applied to the aircraft, special antennas installed, bandwidths against
which these efforts were targeted, location of tests, etc. A passing
allusion to these efforts has already been cleared for publication by
Lockheed.
STAT
STAT
4. CONCLUSIONS:
A. Had their been no requirement for the highest degree of
secrecy possible in the formulation of a project dedicated to the covert
collection of intelligence over the USSR in 1955, it is almost certain
that CIA would not have been involved in the U-2. In fact, it was solely
because CIA could be tasked to do the job without alerting the Russians
that highest authority was persuaded to place the initial responsibility
on this Agency with vital Air Force support.
B. While the 1 May 1960 "disclosure event" ended the conduct of
overflights of the Soviet Union for political and technological reasons,
and while "Executive acknowledgement" rendered the U-2 more visible, it
did not end its career as a collection system, albeit in somewhat less
yulnerable areas.
C. Despite the fact that it has been eight years since CIA has had
any responsibility for operating U-2 assets, some of these same assets
continue as part of the USAF's strategic reconnaissance inventory. Thus,
the U-.2 Program has not ended and certain of its equipment, ranges,
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altitudes and capabilities require safeguarding to this day.
D. Given the Agency's responsibilities to protect sources and
methods of intelligence collection, as well as operational history
and specific subsystem characteristics, capabilities and results, it
would appear that there is little left to consider declassifying,
sage for limited details about the aircraft itself, along with some
of its less critical components.
F. A possible cutoff point for any disclosures about the U-2
might be 1967 and years following, at which time the U-2R, now in
service with USAF, was ordered, produced, tested and first deployed
By:CIA. It is assumed that hardware carried by the original U-2
aircraft in the period between 1955 and 1966 has undergone sufficient
growth or change as to be several generations removed from that now in
service, and in many cases a whole new cast of suppliers and new
systems have taken the stage. Additionally, much of the early sub-
systems have been compromised by capture, either by the Russians or
the Chinese.
4. RECOTME NDATIONS :
A. That you approve declassification of information having
to do with the original CIA U-2 Program during the period from 1
November 1954 (generally agreed as having marked the Program's start-
ing point) to 1 January 1967, or approximately when it was decided
to extend the capability by means of the later model U-2R.
STAT
C, That as a general rule, declassification be confined to
pertinent information relating to the original U-2 aircraft itself:
its appearance in phorographs, information on weights, size, perfor-
mance characteristics, fuels, installed engines, materials employed
in its construction, ranges, speed and general altitude capabilities,
plus airframe and engine modifications, as well as cockpit layouts
and aircraft general arrangement drawings.
D. That as a corollary to the proposed declassification of
the U72 aircraft, an early model U72 be donated to the National Air
and Space Museum, in Washington for public display therein. Such an air-
craft has been located in Palmdale, California and is surplus to Air
Force requirements. It is the same aircraft which made the first flight
over the USSR in July of 1956. Lockheed and Pratt & Whitney have agreed
to bear the cost of refurbishing the aircraft for display and bringing
it to Washington. Air Force agreement has been obtained. It is proposed
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that the aircraft be displayed along with an early model "B" camera,
an early tracker camera, a sextant and a J57-P31 engine, all declared
surplus by the Air Force. Additional related U-.2 items are already in
the hands of the Air and Space Museum, having been donated to them
several years ago by the Agency.
E. That in order to give some coherence to the storage of
those records of the U-2 Program now in the possession of the Agency,
an informal, ad'hoc group be set up under joint DDS&T and OIS aegis,
to establish categories that would permit proper sorting and computer
.tzing of these records, as well as to identify those items that might
properly be destroyed. Since the records of the U-2 Program (IDEALIST)
are colocated with those relating to Project OXCART, it should be
possible to review these at the saint time and to make some preliminary
judgements regarding 'retention of essential material. There is an ever-
dn}inishing group of people in CIA who have first-hand knowledge of
these programs and it would be useful to gather together such a group
gor this purpose while they are still available.
STAT
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