OPTICS DIVISION

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02605268
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 16
• Document Creation Date: March 9, 2023
• Document Release Date: February 10, 2021
• Case Number: F-2011-01575

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Optics Division
Activity in the Optics area was initiated
prior to the formalization of the. Office of Research
and Development. This occurred due to the request
of Colonel Edward B. Giller, USAF,
Director (Research), that
DDP investigate the state
(IR) scanning systems and
Assistant Deputy
of TSD/
of technology of infrared
prepare recommendations
for research and development in that field. This
work was initiated in October 1962, approximately
reported for duty with
three months before
ORD/DDR.
On 20 May 1963
was appointed Acting
Deputy Assistant Director, ORD. Mr. Robert M. Chapman,
who was recruited to fill this position, was formally
designated as the Deputy Assistant Director on 9 Sep-
tember 1963 and
time to his
During this
from the
was relieved to devote full
assignment as Chief of the Optics Division.
period, two more staff members--
from TSD/DDP and
--were added to
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the roster. The more formalized shape of an organi-
zation did not begin to emerge until after November
1963.
Since the mission of ORD was to provide research
and development capability in technical and scientific
fields for intelligence requirements in general, the
Optics mission was directed toward the search for
better optical collection devices and ancillary activi-
ties and support to the Office of Special Activities
in advanced overhead collection systems.
Subsequent to its formation, Optics Division
experienced a rapid growth more or less in pace with
other divisions of ORD. The added professional per-
sonnel included the following:
Aside from
who was another transferee
from TSD/DDP, all of the added professionals were
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new to the Agency.
Agency from the
Wallace was a military assignee on
transferred to the
and Lt. Colonel
active duty. None
of the others had had prior Government experience.
In June 1965 the growth of the Optics Division
led to the establishment of two branches within the
Division: one, the Electro-Optical Branch under the
.guidance of and the other, the Systems
Branch under The Electro-Optical Branch
provided research and development on materials, sub-
components, and complete devices; the Systems Branch
provided systems studies and operational analyses
and welded components into systems to meet opera-
tional requirements. The boundaries between these
two branches were not highly formalized, however,
and all Division personnel contributed, from time
to time, to the tasks of both branches. In the eN7r1-
(b)(3)
lution of Optics Division, ecame recog-
nized as
Deputy in 1965.
In the spring of 1963
study for
Colonel Giller on infrared scanning systems led to
the funding of the first Optics Division project,
the development of a one-half milliradian infrared
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imaging system for high-altitude use. The contract
resulted in a new state-of-the-art for IR systems
and made possible in 1965 the Collection of certain
reconnaissance data that would not have been possible
in any other way.
(For their
joint efforts in the development of the IR imaging
system, each received the
Intelligence Medal of Merit and a cash award.) The
successful operational demonstration that infrared
imaging systems could contribute to the Agency's
overhead reconnaissance program was followed by the
development of a series of IR imaging devices, one
right after the other, each of which extended the
state-of-the-art.
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For reasons which are no longer known, but
which are possibly the result of unquestioned evolu-
tion, all of the Agency's infrared work through the
end of FY 1966 was funded with conventional CIA funds.
In the spring of 1966, during a review of ORD's tech-
nical program, the Bureau of the Budget representa-
tive responsible for Agency funding suggested that
the ORD projects in support of OSA-type missions be
funded through NRO channels. Therefore, beginning
in 1967, the Optics Division has obtained its budget,
divided almost equally, from two primary sources--
the Agency and the NRO. The mainstay of the Optics/
program entirely under Agency funds. Other
NRO-funded project areas have included high-altitude
crop photography (CHITTER, performed in conjunction
with the Biological Sciences Division and also partly
with Agency funds), research components for an image-
intensifier night camera and for an image-intensifier
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sight for night navigation of the U-2, and the con-
tinuation of the funding at the
for research on large optical devices at the Optical
Sciences Center.
After 1967 the funding for the large IR imaging
systems tapered off. This was caused by a management
decision to reduce manned airborne reconnaissance
over denied territory, due to the demonstrated suc-
cess of surface-to-air missiles against the existing
reconnaissance aircraft.
The following are the major Agency-funded
projects*:
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(b)(1)
(b)(3)
� Project CHIGOE
In 1965, Optics Division work was directed in
part toward When
the Director
requested
as
(b)(3)
of Central Intelligence,
Admiral Raborn,
study and recommendations
a
(b)(1)
to how such a program
might be
accomplished. From
(b)(3)
this request came the
concept, which later
(b)(1)
became known as
(b)(3)
On 16 July 1965 ORD sub-
(b)(1)
mitted the "Report to the Director:
(b)(3)
and Technical
Recommendations for Agency Programs."
Subsequently,
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
the DD/S&T, Dr. Wheelon, and his staff met with Dr.
Harold Brown, then Director of Defense Research and
Engineering, to coordinate Agency and DOD programs
and to prepare a consolidated report for the Bureau
of the Budget. At this meeting it was agreed that
A series
of briefings and coordination meetings were held
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
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with Navy Liaison, CNO, Bureau of Weapons, Joint
Chiefs of Staff, Vietnam Task Force, and elements
of BOB. On 7 September 1965 the first funding for
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Small Airborne Cameras
The development of
as are suitable for
this period, but the
several small cameras, such
was started during
results are not yet generally
available. These include conventional photographic
cameras; cameras that first record on film, develop
the film and read-out the image via a flying-spot
scanner combined with a radio link; and small real-
time and slow-scan TV cameras.
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High-Speed Isodensitracer
In conjunction with NPIC, experience showed
that the photointerpreter's detection and comprehen-
sion of detail could be improved, in some cases, by
expansion of the density range of the original by
means of electronic amplification in an instrument
known as an isodensitracer. In 1965 it required
one day to expand the contrast range of only part
of a photograph. Optics Division undertook the
development of a high-speed isodensitracer to reduce
this time to minutes; final evaluation of the devel-
opment has not been completed.
'Aircraft - Systems
Most of the projects undertaken by Optics
Division have had some relatively clear-cut applica-
tion to the optical world--optical reconnaissance
and vision, data reduction, or at least optical com-
ponents, as in the case of the mercury sniffer. The
Division personnel were so often exposed to aircraft
in the course of their work on other devices (air-
craft to test sensors, use of sensors for guidance
of aircraft, etc.) that some of them began to feel
very much at home with aircraft systems. The Division
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Miscellaneous
Optics Division had a variety of small projects
which were terminated at various points in their
development.
For the most part, Optics Division has been
engaged in applications of research and development
rather than in long-range projects requiring a basic
research phase. This is natural when a newly formed
organization attempts to acquire tools to accomplish
its mission. With the establishment of the Optical
Sciences Laboratory in Optics Division, the trend is
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toward in-house analysis of optical phenomena prior
to external contracting for optical manipulations.
One of the questions often posed to the Optics
Division was "How do you accomplish your developments
so rapidly?" The answer was to use total contracting
for all phases of the work, with the philosophy that
at some point prior to phase completion there would
be sufficient data to render a decision to go ahead.
If the decision were made at that time to proceed
with the next phase, six months to a year could be
saved, depending on the complexity of the system
under development. Also, the philosophy was to de-
sign for an operational prototype, which meant that
the first model would be designed for use operationally,
if necessary. This involved a large risk factor, but
if the project engineer were sufficiently knowledge-
able and close to the development, the risk would not
be as great as it appeared. The first 1/2 mrad IR
scanner produced under this concept was used opera-
tionally.
The major problem which faced the Optics Division
was the top-level decision that R&D on large reconnais-
sance systems would not be undertaken. This somewhat
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reversed the original mission of the Division, and
its role and mission had to. be restructured. Funding
became a problem, and the tendency was to fund those
R&D projects which had the least amount of risk.
While this was understandable in the light of "tight
money," it stifled bold approaches toward the solu-
tion of problems. Certainly fewer state-of-the-art
systems would be developed if this tendency continued.
In the final analysis, however, there were not as
many restrictions placed on the Agency's technical
people as on those of the Department of Defense.
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