LOW-LEVEL RECONNAISSANCE OF CUBA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP92B01090R002600090018-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 17, 2000
• Sequence Number: 18
• Publication Date: April 25, 1963
• Content Type: MEMO

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
WASHINGTON 25. ID. C.
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR
25 April 1963
MEMORANDUM FOR: Special Group
SUBJECT : Low-Level Reconnaissance of Cuba
REFERENCE : (a) USIB-D-41. 14/35, dated 20
April 1963, subject: Priority
Requirements for Low-Level
Reconnaissance of Cuba
(b) Memorandum for Special Group,
dated 23 April 1963, subject:
Reconnaissance over Cuba
(OCI No. 1428/63)
(c)
Memorandum for Special Group,
dated 23 April 1963, from DNRO,
subject: Request for Approval of
Low Level Reconnaissance of Cuba
1. Since mid-March the United States Intelligence Board
has stated a priority intelligence requirement for low-level
reconnaissance of Cuba based on specific targets developed
by its Committee on Overhead Reconnaissance. The request
for highest level approval of these flights has been deferred
since that time in order to avoid any possible interference with
the Donovan mission. This mission has now been completed.
2. On 23 April 1963, the request to obtain approval
for low-level reconnaissance of Cuba was reconsidered by
the Special Group. The basis for this reconsideration was a
re-analysis of the requirements by COMOR (reference a) and
a CIA study summarizing the intelligence from reconnaissance
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of Cuba during the past six weeks (reference b). To satisfy
the COMOR requirements the DNRO requested approval (reference
c) for 6 low-level sorties involving 12 aircraft to cover the
priority targets. Action on this request was deferred. The
presence of Governor Harriman's mission in Moscow was one
reason for deferring action.
3. In addition to the six sorties to cover the 10 priority
targets mentioned in paragraph 2 above, there are about 15
installations, facilities or activities which have been identified
through high-level photography or collateral intelligence - the
exact nature of which cannot be determined. Therefore, it
is to be expected that following the successful completion of
the six low-level flights. and read-out of the product, requests
will be made for authority to cover by low-level photography
the remaining targets of interest. For this reason the specific
priority within the total list of targets of interest (which has
been questioned in USIB and elsewhere) is not considered
pertinent by the Director of Central Intelligence since it is
considered that all such targets should be covered by low-level
photography within a reasonably short period of time. After
this operation is completed, additional low-level photography
,will be requested when and if high-level photography and/or
collateral intelligence indicate that situations exist which demand
exploration by low-level flights.
4. At its meeting on 24 April 1963, USIB reconsidered
this problem and unanimously reaffirmed the priority intelligence
requirements for low-level reconnaissance as expressed in
reference (a). In view of these facts, I should like to strongly
recommend that approval be given to carry out required low-
level reconnaissance of Cuba. Without such reconnaissance
the intelligence community cannot exercise its responsibility
for providing the desired assurance to higher authority that
activities are not occurring in Cuba which could have serious
consequences to the securi2pMlAthe United States.
HN A. McCONE
United States Intelligence Board
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