300143402 HR70-14 1 APPROVED FOR I RELEASE DATE 15-Jul-2311 CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY I Washington D C ffice of the Director I 21 November 1956 MEMORANDUM SUBJECT Reconnaissance You are familiar with the large gaps in our Intelligence coverage of the Soviet Union which pre- vent us from obtaining adequate knowledge of Soviet intentions and in important respects of Seviet capa bilities and in particular with respect to their capabilities and intentions to launch nuclear attacks on the United StatES You are familiar too with the current and growing difficulties in the way of filling those gaps by the more classic means In my considered judgment as well as that of the other members of the Intelligence Community there is not the prospect of gaining this vital Intelligence without the conduct of systematic and repeated air re connaissance over the Soviet Union itself Even this does not assure adequacy but will certainly provide a much closer approach to adequacy The members of the Doolittle Committee in their report expressed their belief that every known technique should be used and new ones deveIOped to increase Our Intelligence by high altitude photographic reconnaissance and other means and that no price would be too high to pay for the knowledge to be derived therefrom Thus there is a definite and urgent National requirement for photograph ic and electronic reconnaissance overflights of the Soviet Bloc while we have been considering the problem for a long time you may recall a discussion I had with you some months ago concerning overflights Dr James R Killian Jr and members of Project 3 Technological Capabilities Panel Office of Defense Mobilization E H Land James G Baker Joseph W Kennedy Edward M Purcell and John W Tukey have independently arrived I 012958 11% C00143402 at essentially the same conclusion I have also discussed it with Secretary Talbott and with General Twining We are all agreed that the requirement is an urgent one and that with suitable direction and support it is feasible of accomplishment with mini- mum risk An existing air Force aircraft type the Canberra is considered capable of modification to give it a ceiling of around 65 000 feet at such an altitude now the expectation that it would be detected is very low indeed and the possibility that it would be inter cepted and shot down is practically nil The possi- bility of forced landing in enemy territory exists but the chances of that are low The repercussions of its falling into enemy hands can be mitigated if the air craft should be manned by non-official 0 5 personnel To the extent practicable we would try to man the air craft with Poles or other non-0 5 nationals The aircraft itself if not completely destroyed would bear no markings that would clearly identify its origin The Canberra itself is nearly identical with its Brit- ish prototype As a follow-on to the Canberra we would simul taneously proceed with the procurement of specially designed reconnaissance aircraft with more advanced per- formance characteristics that would take it to around feet In addition to this high altitude day reconnaissance we would resort to very low altitude reconnaissance at night with appropriate aircraft Whereas the night re- connaissance would not provide a substitute for the high altitude day photography nevertheless it would give an opportunity for supplementary reconnaissance exploiting such technical developments as infrared photography and certain electronics techniques Of course not even the 70 000 foot opportunity will be of indefinite duration Our problem will be one of keeping ahead and creating new opportunities as the old disappear We are all agreed also that in order to attain a status of readiness to launch these flights as early as El 1355' 2 0 all rill El 1295' desired and then to conduct them extraordinary procedures would have to be adopted for aircraft crew and equipment procurement testing training and for operations This would require the greatest possible collaboration between the Air Force and the Central In- telligence Agency I rec0mmend that you a Approve the existence of a National re- quirement for the above reconnaissance overflights b By approval of this document direct the Secretary of the Air Force and the Director of Central Intelligence to establish as a matter of urgency a col laborative project for the procurement and testing of the necessary aircraft and equipment and for the pro curement and trainine oF the necessary crews such crews to be- to the extent practicable The Direcror or Lentrai ntelli ence is also hereby authorized to obligate in Fisca Year 1955 an amount not E u n mm 'sto exceed from the for aircraft procurement and-it L5 eXpected as the project develops additional authority will be sought by him for funds for maintenance training operations etc c By approval of this document direct the Secretary of the Air Force and the Director of Central Intelligence subject to appropriate policy guidance as directed to conduct at the earliest possible date the reconnaissance ovarflights and to do so in such a way as to reduce the risk of involvement of the U S to the minimum practicable Signed ALLEN W DULLES Director HI 11955 3 4 This document is from the holdings of The National Security Archive Suite 701 Gelman Library The George Washington University 2130 H Street NW Washington D C 20037 Phone 202 994-7000 Fax 202 994-7005 nsarchiv@gwu edu