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' -:·. ·°' . SUBJECT·: 

. ' ,•· ' ' . 

. ,• PRESENT:' 

,·• 

,. 

. . J . . . .. 

Hinutes of the Hecting of the 303 Committee, 

23 September 1969 · .... · · ··, ,· . 

Hr. Kissinger, Hr. Mitchell, Mr. Packard, Mr. George C. 

'benney,· J;. and. Lt. G?nera~ Robert E. C~shman, JL 

Genera 1 Ralph D. Steakley was present for Items 2 - 5. 

Colonel Alex~nder Haig was present for.Items 2· 6. 

Nr. Wymberlcy DeR. Coerr was present for the 

entire meeting. 

1. . National Reconnaissance Program (NRP) Annex to the Space Task 

Group Report (BYE 13098-69) 

. . . 

. a. The Comm:i.ttee discussed the pros and cons of making copies 

of this highly sensitive· NRO Annex available to the full membership 

·,• .... 

f the Space Task Group. It was concluded that because of its scnsiitivity and lack of general applicability to the basic Space Task 

Group Report it should not be further distributed. 

b. It was agreed that possible future applications of NRO 

a~tivities in support of NASA, SALT, etc. could be handled on a case 

by case basis. In this connectiqn, Hr. Packard noted that CIA is 

working on~ paper which will ease the present resolution restrictions 

on cameras u~ed by NASA in its space vehicles. The Chairman asked · 

that this paper be submitted to the Committee when completed . .cl. ..• • ·.:. 

c: The Chairman stated that he would forward the NRO Annex to 

the President with the Committee's endorsement of the recommendation 

· :. ' ... · .. on ·page 21 and would inform the Vice President that the Anhe:x: wi 11 ·. 

! _- ·. :: · .'. : , .. \=:not· be distributed to the full Space Task Group. -- -~•.•• ,._,, .• :,lo_'•-~••••' " - ~ • •• • --•-••., _._.w.,_ • ~ • - •• ~• - -• _., -• 

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r ,JLE VIA BYf}1Atl . , i• n . ·: . toUTROL S.YSTE/J 

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Intelligence Evaluation of the Phot~hic Reconnaissance Drone 

Program over South China 

a~ Mi. Packard and General Steakley strongly supported the JRC 

nd NRO proposals for four 1Lf7 H/T drones to be flown over South China 

· n October. They cited the urgent need for updating the base- line 

, riority tactical intelligence on Communist Chinese activities in the 

· ~reas bordering North Vietnam, Laos and B~rma and n~ted that satellite 

~-.photography had failed to fill t~ese requirements because of normal 

· .. heavy cloud ~over in the area. 

,j 

b. General Cushman supported the need for priority tactical 

intelligence in the border areas ·and the use of drones as a good 

. vehicle for obtaining this type of information. He obser\ted, however I • 

that not a great deal of infonnation could be expected from these 

missions which.would satisfy strategic int:elligen~e requirements. . . ' . 

. . 

, .·· .. · -·. ; _;-". (2) The norma 1 heavy cloud cover in the area which precludes 

f ·--·... · · ·•. -·· .· obtaining much successful sat el lite photography also L __ -· .. :·: · .-, mitigates against prochictive photographic drone missions 

l: \?:2:'. .··. fj .·· • .. (3). ::::::::::~, t~~ed::~::i:::.:::: :::•r:::~~:::y i;u::;~_:y l; _'_-_';:;"_-··· · ~--· ···_: <· expressed its ~esire -for more friendly relationships 

1 ·.,-;· · · ··· · · -''.·· · • · .. :· .··· : · with CoJ1rnunist China and has taken steps. to e~se trade 

.'

• •-,-~•,••• • r • --•~• • •• •_, ,l.- -. .- • • • , .. ; .: . . _.:. •.' :. . .. __ .. .··· l , • ·-:. ~ . . . • .• .·:- ..... ;· ... . . .. 

· IlANDiIVlA BYth~/}~·:_;. . :·.-:·: ·--·: ,: ;• .• l>.YE 106 ,26~-6~ 

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and travel restrictions. Resumption of overflights 

after ·an 18 month stand-down and following the expressions of desire.'for better relations might be inter- 1 

prctcd by the Chinese ai a sudden harsh reversal in 

thc,U,S. ·attitude toward them. 

/ d. The Chairman and Nr. Mitchell supported the Defense and CIA · ,;,, 

view that the drone overflight missions ~hould be·flown. They pointed 

out that the U.S. has continued to fly U-2 and other peripheral intelligence collection flights along Communist Ghina coastal areas during the 

drone stand-down period. They expressed the belief that the Chinese 

would recognize the drone overflights as an extension of this activity 

designed to collect border area tactical intelligence and would not be 

seriously concerned, as they would be in the ~ase of overflights of 

their strategic installations in other areas. 

e. The Chairman stated he would have a memorandum prepared for 

decision by higher authority expressing-the divergent views of the 

members. He said this would be circulated to each member before it 

was sent to higher authority in order to assure that each member's 

vie~s were fairly pr~sented. 

4. • Proposal for Use of New Type Drone (BYE 78308-69) 

a. In supporting the prop~sal for an operational test over 

~outh China of the new high-altitude TAGBOARD drone, Hr. Packard 

stated that it is essentially designed to collect photography of 

strategic intelligence interest. It has the same capability as the 

~R-71 in obtaining broac:C area- coverage in one flight and thC advantage 

I

I • .--: of be:~g u:n:::~ey observed that the State Dcpa:{ment 's objections 

to the use of 147 H/T drones over South China, as recorded above, are 

also applicable to.TAGBOARD. He expressed the view that TAGBOARD 

should undergo further non-operational testing befor·e it is used 

open,' )Dally, and if_ it must. be tested operationally, then he would 

prefe~ to see this done over North Vietnam rather than Communist· China. 

c. Messrs~ Mitchell and Packar~ noted that the cost of any 

TAGBOARD test is great· and that a successful ope :::ional test would 

provide an intelligence return. 

d. The Chairman stated that this proposal would also have to b~ 

referred to higher authority for decision. Before doing so, he requested 

that General· Steakley prepare a specific· proposed T~GBOARD mission list·.:. 

ing specific USIE-approved intelligence targets which the Committee could 

. ~xamine and ·send ~o.n,ard· to. higher authority with .an appropriate 

· ·memorandum. -· · · · - · · 

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SAFSS Foicca~~ for·septcmb~r 1969·. 

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A~though not a sche~uled _agenda item, the proposal for two SR-71 

miss;i.ons over North Korea c·ontained in the SAFSS forecast for September 

was discussed briefly (sec special minute dated 9 September 1969, 

:"BYE 106,26lf•·69) •. It was agreed that these missions would not be· flown • J • . • 

11t this· t'ime in view of negotiations going on in an effort to ef feet 

'.;J::elease o·f the· captured 1-icl.icopt~r crew now in North Ko.re.a. - ~.·:::. --· ... ·- ·- • ""-1.o ••• •• • ... : ••• -. • .. • •• --· ••• ..... • ••• • • •• -- ~ 

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: • <"::~ ',, The SAFSS paper dated 9 September • - • e 

1969 settin~i forth the proposed 

/ · :;,· · · .: plan·:for ..:.r·U-2R ·dc·p1oyrn·e"rit· ·exercise to~---------" 

r·: \;: .. -:_._·_,...·-:':Ah·- :Force· Base• ·ca lif o.rnia, received telephonic approva 1 by members of 

from Edwards 

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~ . .. . . ... . . • .. , -. '. 

· .. · Frank H. Chapin 

. -_.·_:··t·:< 

' .. ',, 

.. · .... 

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9 ScpL~mbcr 1969 t1~,,.,1' .. ,~·· "-·-,··-~""; t: ~ ~ ~ . ; ,: ; 

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·co01Tr·~OL 

Tclepi1onic Approvals by the 303 Comraittee 

For Information: 

Dr. McLucas ----- Dr. Naka •, ------ ·col. Allen 

Please return to Dr. N a k a's : office for ·file. 

2. S~FSS Forecbst for September 1969 

, ... , ' 

,', i,' 

'i~".e SAYSS forecast· for Septer.i"bcr 1969 ,,ias te lephonica lly approved 

0:1. 30 Au:;;ust with the following restrictions·: 

n. All overflights of the Chin~ ~ainland continued to 

_be stood down, but the propo~e:~ Photo and ELINT 

lDE .. \LIST /TACKLE missio~is w2::c ~,:i?:-ovc·cl with the 

understanding that th~::e be nu ~;prc~ch closer 

than 2b n.m. to the China~- in1~~~-

b. App:-ov.:~1. ~-

over So' .. ~::·: 

the in-::.e: I 

b~/ ~1;:c =-;.~ 

3YS 1C6 :1 

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in vie,-: e- .' :;.::c s::atus of :.:1:2 c.:.1::itur\'d hs:; licoptcr c.;.·t.~'., ;::,r:.d 

~ossiblc 0~~2r considcratio~s. 

• -~ .I- -~ -

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Dist.::- _'_-:..,ution 

···- ::'.itch ell 

~-:;:-. I'ackard 

i',i'. Johnson 

111':c.; Ile lr~1s 

\-- ~ " ___ -<--.;- , 1,) 1'> .,,_.,A..~-" 

!:'rank M. 

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