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IDEALIST/TACKLE 

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY 

WASHINGTON 25, 0. C. 

BYE 8685/69 

·Copy l 

3 0 DEC1969 

MEMORANDUM FOR: Director, National Reconnaissance Office 

SUBJECT: IDEALIST/TACKLE Mission Planning and 

Alerting Procedures 

REFERENCE: A. 16 December 1969 conversation 

concerning IDEALIST/TACKLE 

missions between Brigadier General 

Ross of OSA and Colonel Yost of 

your Staff. 

B. Memo from NRO to General Ross dated 

16 December 1969; Subject: Aircraft/ 

Drone Overflight Missions (BYE 13447-69) 

1. During the subject conversation Colonel Yost 

proposed that specific IDEALIST/TACKLE overflight routes 

be provided the 303 Committee for approval. This would 

be a change from our current practice of seeking 303 

approvals for a bank of four unspecified China Mainland 

overflights, in addition to the four peripheral flights 

20 miles off the China Mainland. These flights are based 

on current USIB and COMIREX target requirements. 

2. In view of the possibility of the resumption of 

China overflights and the operational considerations 

concerning our present mission planning, it is considered 

appropriate to review for your information the current 

procedures used by the Office of Special Activities in 

developing and designing IDEALIST/TACKLE flight routes. 

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3. Detailed flight routes are prepared considering 

the ChiCom air defense system, the COMIREX priority target 

list for China, the U-2R collection capability (photography 

and Sigint), weather factors for the area, and flight 

characteristics and defensive systems of the U-2. Analysis 

of these factors influences target approach headings, turn 

points, offset distances from known SAM sites, and on-off 

times for the collection sensors. After being approved 

internally and by the GRC, details concerning the specific 

flight route are constantly monitored to insure route 

updating with the latest available intelligence information. 

Toward this end, the ChiCom air defense order-of-battle is 

reviewed daily for changes as are the periodic COMIREX 

target lists to insure updating for optimum routing where 

necessary. Thus a specific route can be modified several 

times prior to its actual use. Situations such as changing 

weather, SA-2 site study along proposed route, or a late 

US or GRC collection requirement occasionally require minor 

routing changes after the mission is alerted 24 hours prior 

to launch. 

4. It is significant to note that there is seldom 

a problem of redundant target coverage from the GRC standpoint. The U. s. Government has not shared the results of 

all satellite and aircraft/drone missions with the GRC. 

The GRC U-2 operations over the mainland and along the China 

coast have continued to be one of the prime sources of 

electronic and photographic intelligence for the GRC. These 

missions are flown under the sponsorship of the GRC and in 

recent cases the routes reflect the personal interest of 

the Generalissimo. 

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5. For the above reasons, we would like to continue 

our procedure of requesting 303 Committee approval for a 

given number of overflights each month without reference 

to specific flight tracks. We are looking forward to a 

return as soon as possible to the system which was in 

effect prior to seizure of the Pueblo wherein the 303 

Committee granted approval of these overflights each 

month. Such a method of operation allows us the flexibility 

we require to capitalize on short weather breaks and to 

make maximum use of the GRC willingness to accept responsibility for these missions. 

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Director, CIA Reconnaissance Programs 

IDEALIST/TACKLE 

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