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BVEMA~ CONTROL SYSTeM 

(,S}NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE OFFICE 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 ,__ 1400050746D_. _ .. _ 

THE NRO STAFF 15 August 1974 

MEMORANDUM FOR GENERAL KULPA 

SUBJECT: TAGBOARD Status 

At your request I called Gen Marsh, AFSC DCS/Systems, 

on 5 August 74 and gave him an update on TAGBOARD status. 

There are 17 TAGBOARD drones and boosters along with B-52H 

modification kits which went into storage in July 1971. 

Some of the boosters are as much as 18 months older. There 

was no cannibalization and they were configured for long-term 

storage, but there have been no operational checks. The 

nominal timeline for activation would be 9 months for B-52H 

modification and 12 to 18 months for TAGBOARD electronics 

checkout, booster test, and navigation/guidance check-out 

and retrofit. 

ThlS conversation was unclassified, based on a corrrrnon 

understanding, but I also gave him the following nominal 

TAGBOARD performance parameters over the secure phone in 

the AFSC vault: 

Mach 3.3 

85-95,000 ft cruise 

3,000 NM range 

400 lbs payload 

Gen Marsh had discussed his study with Gen Helson 

and had concluded even before my call that TAGBOARD was 

probably not appropriate to his purpose. He was, however, 

interested in any B-52Hs that may have been modified for 

TAGBOARD and tneir present disposition, since they might 

be more quickly adaptable to another drone. The following 

TAGBOARD 

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CLASSIFIED BY BVEMAN· 1 EXEMPT FROM ... 

GENERALDEClASSlflCATIONSCHIODULEOF TOP SECREI EXECUTIVE OPDER 11652 EXEMPTION CATE· 

GORY 582 DECLASSIFY ON IMP OET. 

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day, I was able to give him the following information on 

the two aircraft which had been modified: 

Tail Number 

021 

036 

Assigned To 

SAC \\fright-Pa tterson AFB 

SAC Kelly AFB (in work) 

Cen Marsh appreciated this information and said that 

he would follow it up. He did not need any additional 

TACBOARD information and I did not give Cen Marsh any cost 

data. However, in response to my initial question, the 

program office has made an ROM cost estimate for activation 

of 19 TACBOARDS and two B-52Hs. The average cost over the 

program would be $3.33M per TAGBOARD and $2.5M per B-52H, 

and the first normal availability would be 14-18 months 

after go-ahead. Hith TAGBOARD reliability and payload 

modifications, the total program cost, not including operations and support, would be something like $80M. 

I do not know of any further action required. 

~~ ~~'!J.\-.- HAROLD P. WHEELE~CJ~R. Colonel, USAF 

cc: Llc Alser / I r/ 

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BYEMAN CONTROL SYSTEM 

TOP SECRET CtA.S<;IFIFO BY BYE MAN 1 EXEMPT FROM 

GEIIlEflAL O((.LAS$IFICATlON SCHEDULE OF 

ExECUT1VE OROER 11652 EXfMPllON CAH 

GORY 582 OECLASSI FY ON IMP DE T 

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'i'r.c . c\,.GBOARD drone is a supersonic, high altitude drone designed for 

phowgraphic reconnaissance. The drone cruises at a speed of Mach 3.3 and 

altltudes above 95, 000 feet with a rangc capability of 3000 nautical miles. 

Prior to 30 July 1966, three successful drone launches had been made from the 

M8.ch 3. :2 lVI-21 carrier aircraft. However, due to the costs and problems associated 

with acc ... i.ng ,::. ~hird launch aircraft, a study was made to determine a new launch 

platT::' .:'h(: :~-.ost promising alternat:ive technique is to launch the drone from a 

B-52 ,ylc .. station. On 3 a July, L-le unsuccessful launch of the fourth drone 

and subsequeLl ,.estruction of the carrier aircraft occurred. The prior study and 

the aircraft ac. ~.C:;ent make it desirable to propose a new TAGBOARD program. 

'l'uc; .-;., .'1 p::::,ogram will use the B-52 as the carrier aircraft. The D-21 drone, 

configured to a~·.:ach to the B- 52 wing pylon, will be fitted with a modified Project 

Appollo Comm& .. d Module Escape Rocket. Upon release from the B-52, the rocket, 

which de~iverstbout 30, 000 pounds of thrust for about 7 a seconds, will boost the 

drone from Mach 0.8 at 40, 000 feet to Mach 3. a at 95, 000. The drone ramjet will 

then be ignited for the cruise portion of the rec6nnaissance mission. Recovery of 

the pay~ ane critical subsystems of the drone will be with a C-130 much the 

same as .~r p:cesent satellite systems. 

The ,rima: y drone characteristics are: 

Weight, launch 

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5, 300 pounds 

10, 500 pounds 

9, 530 pounds 

Terr)f:~Q~F • lIJi.l.WJUII· ~ EXCLUDED fRDM AUTOMAT!C REGRADING 

DOD O!RECTIVE 5200.10 DOES NOT APPLY 

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.... po -:\ ~ """~r7,'1 r;x' ........ 

Q to' I "! !' BYEMAN 

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C:.:'uise speed 3.3 Mach 

Cruise altitude 95, 000 feet 

Range 3, 000 nm 

Cmnera 1. 5 feet ground resolution 

28 x 3000 nm 

5600 exposures 

"", 

~::.~;:.:,:tior:. of this program has not been approved. An operational capability 

'N:~:' je <.~v~,-ilabl.e approximately one year from program "go-ahead." 

Cv~TRGL S·, ;,1:1.1 

TAGBOARD 

'il"I1'ii" """Q nIT"l"'"'T Tea I t:tiRfct EXCLUDED FilOM AUTOMATiC REGRADING 

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