MINICARD EQUIPMENT

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP81B00878R000800120032-1
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
S
Document Page Count: 
4
Document Creation Date: 
December 12, 2016
Document Release Date: 
May 14, 2002
Sequence Number: 
32
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
October 17, 1955
Content Type: 
MF
File: 
AttachmentSize
PDF icon CIA-RDP81B00878R000800120032-1.pdf249.33 KB
Body: 
Approved For Release 20021061t3 CIA-RDP81 B00878R000800120032-1 SAPC -2181 Copy of 6 MEMORANDUM FOR : Project Director SUBJECT : Minicard Equipment 1. You will recall that the first time we discussed film 25X1A processing equipment with Eastman Kodak the suggestion was made by that we consider Minicard equipment in order to make the recovery of information at the Photo Interpretation Unit comparable with the system under procurement by OCD. Our decision to proceed along the lines of this suggestion was based upon the philoso hythat through AQUATONE it was hoped to make available a new fund of knowledge which would be more comprehensive in some respects than textual fund of knowledge now in existence in the Agency but nevertheless comple- mentary so that an analyst in seeking information concerning, for ex- ample, a specific locality could, in comparable operations, call for both types of material. Ideally information from AQUATONE would become part of the normal information files of the Agency so that in a single operation an analyst could retrieve all information concerning a particular area of interest. 2. Because of security considerations and the present space situation it did not appear to us to be possible to provide for the ideal type system. Some physical separation between OCD and the Photo Interpretation Unit appears to be dictated by present circumstances. Furthermore, our investigations reveal that the Minicard equipment ordered by OCD would have only a capacity sufficient to handle normal OCD material. As a consequence we decided to procure basic Minicard recording equipment as part of the AQUATONE system. T--he--b asic equip- men)-was-intended to-provide-a- capability to produce' iinicards on each useable photographic frame. The basic card would reproduce the entire frame and would contain initial information on scale, location) etc:, which would be readily available at the time of film processing. The STAT initial quotation wasi o cover one camera, one processor, one cutter, and one basic sorter. 3. Further-consideration of the.,Minicard system and its potential use to suss lem . -the- -pac,ity .cf .. e men) being procured by OCD STAT at a cost o led _to a revision of our Minicard requirements' 2 5X1A which are reflected in a memorandum dated September 21, 1955 by Mr. ese changes include a substitute of two cameras for fOCUPITNT NO. __- faP~j Ba?d. i} E? L-M y1 f i s:.- ^17i r Release 2002/06/1 3 CJA-RDP81 BQQ$- 78 Approved For Release 2002/06/13 : CIA-RDP81 B00878R000800120032-1 the single contact type previously ordered, one Minicard duplicator, one Minicard viewer, and four flexowriters. As a result of this change the AQUATONE capability on Minicard equipment for preparing basic Minicards and in produc, w, rmation wou e comp e e and independent of the 05 -system and could handle a capacity,Qf 1500 frames in an eioht hour day. Information retrieval through the use of a_ ccxnplex sorter was not provided for. The new total cost for AQUATONE Minicard equipment was thus brought to STAT 4. In preparing specifications for the equipment required for the Photo Interpretation Unit it was originally thought advisable to provide an additional set of Minicard equipment which would have the capability of producing basic Minicards on material reaching the Photo Interpretation Unit from sources other than AQUATONE, repro- ducing Minicards upon the introduction of new data, and retrieving desired Minicards through the use of a complex sorter. The cost of a rather extensive Minicard installation contemplated for this unit is set forth in two memorandums dated September 27. 1955 byI- 25X1A and it appears to be in the neighborhood of-I STAT 5. In order to make a determination on the extent of Minicard equipment procurement which should be undertaken at this time it' should be borne in mind that the Minicard system is new and checked out in?simple prototype form. Resolutions for photographic work are not certain, operating capacities in the complex systems are not fully known, and optimum designs for our purposes have not been fully proven. There is no question that the system works and will, over the next several years, become an essential part of the intelligence business. 6. Based upon a consideration of the factors set out above, j ,.L appearg.tWtthe.,Agenc procurement policy on Minicard equipment should be: a. Proceed as rapidly as possible with the procurement of ent for handling textual material at a cost of for information retrieval. b. Proceed with procurement of the AQUATONE equipment de- scribed in the memorandum of September 21, 1955, mentioned above, which will supplement the capacity of the OCD equip- ment to an extent sufficient to accommodate the expected flow of photographic material. c. Install the OCD equipment as presently planned, i. e., at the OCD Information Center. d. Install the AQUATONE equipment initially in R:oalm ster as an adjunct of the AQUATONE film processing plan inLLorder to prove out the effectiveness and designs of the Minicard equipment intended for use for photographic material. Approved For Release 2002/0671'3' RDP81 B00878R000800120032-1 - 2 - Approved For Release 2002106Y 3 CIA-RDP81 B00878R000800120032-1 e. Suspend procurement of Minicard equipment for the Photo Interpretation Unit until the AQUATONE equip- ment has been checked out. f. When the AQUATONE equipment has been proven determine whether the capacity of this set of equipment is sufficient to take care of the needs of the Photo Interpretation Unit and if insufficient procure needed additional equipment. g. Institute a research and development program at an estimated cost of II looking_towad,_,the develop- ment of Minicard Aerial Photo Stereo Viewers, Minicard Aerial Photo Comparison Viewers, a Minicard Collator, and a Minicard Code Printer. h. Pending the check out of the AQUATONE Minicard equipment through operation in Rochetster, information retrieval from the AQUATONE take will be through the use of simple mission plots overlayed on maps. STAT i. Upon check out and approval of AQUATONE Minicard equipment in Roche/ster move the equipment to the location of the Photo Interpretation Unit and add such supplementary equipment as may be required to increase the usefulness of the Minicard mode of presentation and the use of the Minicard system by OCD. This additional equipment in- cludes a document enlarger, a document and graphic index camera, an aerial photo enlarger, a complex selector, and aerial photo viewers. These items have been engineered either in part or in toto and except for the complex selector would not require extensive check out. Even the complex selector should not require a too extensive check out since it would be quite similar to the selector procured by OCD. 7. The steps outlined above appear to have the merit of providing the Agency with a Minicard capacity which could handle the flow of material both to OCD and the Photo Interpretation Unit since ultimately the AQUATONE product should become part of the information files of the Agency and be handled as normal incoming material. The AQUATONE Minicard equipment and the COD Minicard equipment would together define the Agency's capability in this respect and when ultimately installed together would not exhibit unnecessary duplication. Additional equipment, as indicated in 6 i above, might be required for a fully rounded out Minicard prepar- ation and retrieval system. Additional capacity can be provided by later procurement of equipment of the type indicated in paragraph-6 f. Pro- curement of such additional equipment can be started after sxue trial use of the OCD and AQUATONE equipment. Sufficient lead-time should be Approved For Release 2002/06/13 : CIA-RDP81 B00878R000800120032-1 - 3 - Approved For Release 2002/06/13 : CIA-RDP81 B00878R000800120032-1 available especially if one remembers that the flow of AQUATOAE material will probably increase in volume from a rather modest start. In this way we can make maximum use of our experience on volume and equipment capacity to guide us in our procurement program. Your comments on the above and specifically on the steps outlined in paragraph 6 would be appreciated so that the contractor can be advised at the earliest possible date. Approved For Release 2002/06/13 CIA-RDP81 B00878R000800120032-1