C00143402 I APPROVED FOR RELEASE DATE 16-Jul-2011 T OP I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I ET HR 0-14 CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY Washington D C Office of the Director APPROVED FOR RELEASE DATE MAR 2802 24 November 195 MEMORANDCM SURJECT Reconna i s san-- e You are familiar with the large gaps in o r Intelligence coverage of the Soviet Unio which pre vent us from obtainin6 adequate knowledge of Soviet intentions and in important respects of Soviet capa bi lities ani in p3rticular with respect to their capabi lities and intentions to launch nuclear attacks on the United States You are familiar too with the cur r ent and growing difficulties in the way of filling those gaps by the more classic means ·· In ny considered judgment as well as t hat of the other me nbers of the Intelligence Co munity there is not the prospect of gaining this vital Intelligence without the conduct of systematic and repeated air reconnaissance over the s viet Union i tself Even this does not assure adequacy but will certainl y provide a much closer a pproach to adequacy The members of the Doolittle Committee in their report expressed their be lief that every known technique should be used and new ones developed to in rease our Intelligence by high a ltitude photographic reconnaissance and other means a nd that no pr ice would be too high to pay for the knowledge co be derived therefrom Thus there is a definite and urgent National requirement for photographic and electronic reconnaissance overf l ights of the Soviet Bloc While w ha ve b2en considering the problem for a long time you may recal l a discussion I ha d with you so 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 Kenn dy Edward M Purcell and John W Tukey have independently arrived ED 12958 3A b l1 25Vrs TOP RET @ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ED 129513J1 b IU 25Vrs C00 1 434 02 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I TO✓-ET at essentially the same conclusion I have also discussed it with Secretary Talbott and with General Twining We are a ll agreed that the requirement is a n urgent on e and that with su i table direction and support it is feasible of accomplishment with inimum risk An exis ting Air Force aircraft type the Canberr a i s considered capab l e of modification to give it a ce iling of aro nd 65 000 f ee t At such an altitude no the expectation that it would be d tected is very low indeed and the possibility that it would be intercepted and shot down is practically nil The possibili ty 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 t he aircraft should be manned by non-official U S personnel To the extent practica ble we would try to man the air craft with Poles or other non- U S nationals The a ircraft its e lf if not completel y destroyed would be ar no markings that would clearly identify its origin The Canberra itself is nearly identical with its British prototype As a follow -on to the Canberra we would simultaneously proceed with the procurement of specially designed reconnaissance aircraft with more advanced performance characteristics that would take it to around 70 0 ' feec In addition to this high altitude day reconnaissance we would resort to v ry low altitude reconnaissance at night with appropriate aircraft Whereas the night reconnaissance wou l d not provide a substitute for the high altitude day photography nevertheless it would give an opportunity for supplementary reconnaissance exploiting such technical develop ents as infrared photography and certain electronics te hniques Of cours e not even the 70 000 foot opportunity will be of indefinite d ration 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 EO 12951 3Albll11 25Yrs - • C00 1 43 4 0 2 I I I I I I I I I I I I I ' ' ' desired and then to conduct them extraordinary procedures would have to be adopted for aircraft crew and equip ent procurement testing training and for oper a tions This would require the greatest possible co l l a boration between the Air Force and the Central Intelligence Agency ED 1295I3A b CU 25Yrs I reco ine nd that you a Approve the existence of a National requirement for the above reconnaissance overflights b By ap roval of th i s document direct t he 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 equip ent and for the pro cure Tient anQ __t r ainine_ of I the necessary crews such crews to be I _ lto th7 extent practica bl e The Di recc or or cen-craT Intelligence is a l so hereby author i zed to o_b __li ate i n Fisca l Year _19 5 5 1n amount not ED129583Albll11 25Yrst o __ exceed lfrom the __ for aircraft procur emerl'-- cruu-· 1 L 1 ex pectea--as c ne pr oject deve l ops additiona l authority will be sought by him for funds for ma intenance training operations etc c By appr oval of this document direct the Secretary of the Air Force and the Director of Central Intelligence subject to appropr iate po l icy guidance as directed to conduct at the earl i est possib l e date the reconnaiss a nce overflights and to do so in such a way as to reduce the risk of involvement of the U S to the minimum practicable Signed £0 12958 3AlblCU 25Yrs ALLEN W DULLES Director I ED 12958 3Alb 1J 25YrS 3 II T 0 - 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