C00143 4 0 3 CJ •A PPROVED FOR RELEASE · DATE 16-Jul-2011 HR70-14 APPROVED FOR RELEASE DATI MAR 2002 7 January 1955 PROJECT OUTLINE PROPOSAL • • I • In collaboration with th 2 Air Force to undertake the pr ocurement of a 20 high altitude aircraft b photorecon naissance equipment and c electroni c-r econnaissance e quip ent and to prepare for and conduct extensive overflights of the Soviet Bloc in order to provide photographic a nd secondarily electronic intelligence Project AQUATONE SIT UATION The Lockheed Aircraft Corporation has proposed a veryh igh-a l titude jet-powe red aircraft d esignated CL-282 The Corporation is willing to take full responsibility for the design mock - up building secret testing and field maintenance of this unorthodox vehicle It therefore appears entirely feasible for a CIA task force to undertake a covert overf l ight program based upon the CL-282 which will fly at 70 000 feet wel l out of reach of present Russian interception and high enough to have a good chance of avoiding detection Photographic equip ent can be developed which will enable extraordinary intelligence content to be obtained with pict ures taken from great altitudes A single ission in clear eather can photograph a strip of Russia 200 miles wide and 2200 miles long A spott ing camera will take pictures in which the individuals in a city street can be counted fro n 70 000 feet Cloud cover will reduce completeness but is not a serious obstac le because missions can be scheduled for good eather and alternate routes for clear weather can be selected in flight Analogously it is be lieved that automatic electronic intercept equipment ELINT gear can be developed which will provide from each overflight essential intel ligenc e data as t o locations characteristics capabilities ranges and purp ses of Soviet radar homing identification and missile Quidance sys tems The possibility that otherwise inaccessib l e internal U S S R ultra-high-frequency l inks might be intercepted and recorded for communications intelligence analysis wil l also be explored The opportunity for safe overf l ight with the cest equipme nt tha t can be built at this time will la st only a ye a r or TS-103219 ED 12951 3Albll11 25Yrs • - -------- @ --- -- - - ' _ C0014 34 0 3 I I I I I I I I I I I I • I I I • • T O P so be cause the Soviets will develop radar and interceptors or gu ided missi le s e ffe ct ive for the 70 000-foot region The CL-282 can be developed and produced ext r aordinari l y rap i dly because it is based on a fighter aircraft already in production anc l uses an engine already tested Moreover expe rience with this aircraft will contribute significantly t o the ab i lity o f the United States to ainta in a l ead in the d eve l opment of still h igher altitude air craft and thus to maintain a safe overf l ight capability Therefor e time is of the essence if the ex isting opportuni t y is to be exploited a nd to be extended by cont in uing de velopment OBJ ECTIVES Al though undertaken primarily to col l ect photographic and electronic intelligence this operation will serve a variety of purposes of interes t to various parts of the United States Government The CL-282 will have major utility as a h igh altitude test pl atform The research to be undertaken will include the testing of engine performance pressurization and the functioning of aux iliary equipment of a ll kinds as well as of e l ectronic and photographic equipment at high altitudes It will a lso include a study of the capabilities of personnel to perform missions requ ir ing sustained f light at high a l titudes and of the utility of equipment fur nished to permit personnel to f nction more effectively The aircraft will probably be useful also for high a l titude air sampl ing In the field of intelligence the operation should cont r ibute significant l y to the attainment of the following object ives a Improve estimates of Sovi et ability to deliver nuclear weapons and their capacity to produce them b Appraise Soviet guided missile deve lopme nt through photographs of test ing ranges etc c Assess the Soviet order of battle as an early warning indicator d Provide adequate locations and analyses of Russian targets e Disclose new developments whi ch might otherwise lead to techno l ogical surprise TS - 103219 ED 12958 3Alb 111 25Yrs I I I I I l___ I ' C00 1 4 3 4 03 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • TO f ET Appraise Soviet industrial and economic progr_ess The cos t of pr oc ur ement of materiel by this Agency uncier the oroerarn here prop sed is 2xpected to total approximately virtually all of which will have to be obligated in FY 1'9 i i · It can be broken down as follows ED 12958 3 4lbll1J 25Yrs 20 Air frames together with maintenance a nd testing equipme nt for the testing of the first one to _ be delivered I i 6 complete s e ts of photographic equipment each set consisting of J configurations ' 12 sets of electronic search equip ent to he used on photographic missions together with 3 sets of automatic FERRET equipment £0 12958 3Albllll 25Yrs L_ Additional fie l d maintenance equipment t TOTAL The argin of error in these figures probably does not exceed nd it is be lieved highly unlitely___ iat Jhe total materiel costs cou l d amount to more than r I The estimates assume that the Air Force will furr -_ u11dribution to the project and without cost to the Agency a technical 3S sistance and supervision b a ll equipment regularly furnished a s overnment furnished equipment inc l ud ing especially 40 eng ines and c transportation of materiel and personne l to test s ites e1 In addition to the above certain non - materiel costs will be incurred in the course of preparation for the mounting of t he operation These will be primarily a administrative costs inc l ud ing especially the cost of developing photo intelligence and electronic- intelligence requirements and of mission planning b the cost of pilot r ecruitme nt 3nd tra ining and c so e part or a l l of t he cost of testing initial items of equipment i n the United States It is expected that TS-103219 ED 12958 3A bJl11 25Yrs L J C001 43403 _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ __ I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I ' ' ED 12958 3 AUIJl1J 25Yrs administrative costs can b2 largely absorbed in existing budgets Pl lot r ecr itment and training costs might reach a total of I j of w ich the najor part w0u l d represent the cost of flight ·tr i ining which is provided by the Air Force a nd for hich the Air F'orce is normall y reimbursed If the Air Force is prepared to absorb this item the cost to the Agency of r cruitment and training should not exceed of 1o •hich the major part will fall in FY 1955 The _ u L vL L11e testing program has not yet been estimated I t wil l fall en tirely in FY 1956 EOl 29513 4lbll_U 25Yrs · The above figures contain no allowance for a any major costs that may be incurred in the acquisition or preparation of operat ional bases b the cost of actually mounting the operation including pay and subsistance of personnel tr ansp0rtat ion of personnel and materiel to and between operationa l ases and f ield maintenance and c the cost of processing photograp ic film and e l ectronic tape ORGANIZATION In view of the clandestine c haracter of the proposed opera tibn its nature and the varied resu lts expected to f low from it it is proposed that this undertaking be organ ized 3S a joint CIA Air Force project in which the CIA will undertake procurement as indicated above with the assistance of the Air Force in all ohases and will conduct overflights as a clandestine operation Within the CIA the Special Assistant to the Director for Planning and Coordina tion SA PC DCI will be in charge of the project with Mr Herbert Mil l er as Executive Officer He wi ll be supported by other o f f icers tempor ari l y assigned on a part-time or ful l- time basis ·as appropria t e Sub-projects ill be oreanized forthwith as components of AQUATONE covering the p-- rforman ce of all the following functions 1 2 ED 12958 3Alb 1 25Yrs 3 4 5 6 Airframe procurement Project -·- Procurement of ohoto-reconnaiss nce quipment Project J Development and pro_cLn -ement of electronic equipment Project Assembly and formufation- _ _ _f__photo - intelligence r e quirements Project 1 I Assembly a nd form 1lat1 on ol ·e lectronic-intelligence requirements Pro j ect 1 I Pilot r ecruitment and training Project __ 4 ED 12958 3Alb 1 25Yrs T O P TS-103219 I' I I 1 i I i i' I I I t tI I' I C001 4340 3 I I I f I l • I I I I I I I I I I I I I II I At a l ater stage other component projects will be organ ized as required RECOMMENDATION It i s r ecommended 2 That the project be approved as out l ined above b That the Special Assistant to the Director for Planning and Coordination be designated as the official in c harge of the project and as Approving Officer subject to t he guidance of the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence a nd the Director of Central Int e lligence c That the procurement of the airframes photoreconnaissance equ ip ent and electronic equipment p to the amounts indicated above be authorized subject to the follow ing pr ovis ions 1 Procureme nt and contractual arrangements wtll be those normally employed by the Agency with such exemptions and restrictions designed to achieve maximum securi ty as may be approved by the Approving Officer All contractual and procurement docum2nts and comm itments will be specifically approved in advance by the General Counsel 2 129583 5 ED Albll11 2 Yrsa rrangemen ts 3 All commitments and documents which ob li gate f unds in excess of I -- will be approved by the Director of Centra 1 ·rnce1T1 gence 4 Appropriate documentation will be obtained from the Air Force and from competen t technical advisers in support of procureme nt contracts and the specificat i ons a nd descriptions of materiel to which they refer d That the recruitment and training of pilots and any other ac tion necessary in preparation for the moun ting of overf lights he authorized together with eKpen$ S ncident a 1 thereto initially up to the amount of I_ _ · e That the Comptroller be authorized to expend funds in the manner and to the extent approved by the Approving Off icer within the limitations as to quantity and procedur e set forth above TS - 103219 EO 12958 3A bll11 25Yrs ' f 0014 3403 I I I I I I I I I I I I ' ' - f Thac the Approv ing Officer be a uthorized to a rra nge for the neces sary ga thering and formu l at ion of i nt e lli gen ce requirements and miss i on p l a nning in cooper ation ich the Air Forc e as appropriate g That the Approving Off icer be directed to main tain the closes t poss ible securi ty over a l l phases of AQUATONE Si gned R M BISSELL JR Specia l Assi s tant to the Director f or Planning a nd Coordination CONCUR I sl C P CABELL Depu ty Direc tor of Central I ntell i gence Isl ROBERT AMORY Deputy Director rI n-t -e- 1'1 i_g_e_n_c_e - s RICHARD HEL S for Deputy Director Pla ns s LAWRENCE K WHITE De puty Direc t or Adm i nistra tion s L WRENCE R HOUSTON Gen-z ra Counsel APPROVED 7 10 Jan 1955 Is A W DULLES Dir e ctor of Cen tra l In tel ligence I II II ED 1295B 3 Albll11 25Yrs 6 r o e TS - 103219 ee R Ei T ' I l I