Ti'unctions: NRO Prog D 

Approved for Release: 2018/11/16 C05114890 HM,DeE ViA 

11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111III 1400031517D 

CONTROL SYSTEM 

--.. ~_ ....... , -_ .. ,....- 1-\.....::. ........... '-'.\. .. \. ~-..."..::.. :":';",L-",. '\. '-...:. -.._,.--.-,-

"-J.- .- • '-- ..:.. 

WAS,,:,\GiO:\, D,C, 

iHE NRO STAFF 

HA~.D:""E VIA 

SVBJECT: TAGBCARD 

..J...-J->--..i.J.v'-...A- D~~~ 

2 Xs.:rch 1967 

1. Aside fren'l sate2.lites, r,~AC;3CAl=t:::::; is p:.~ebab2.y the best 

po-;:er..tial aircraft ove::ilig'l'l'c sys-ce:::n. t:--..c;:~ we nave on the drawing 

boards today. r:..'he i's.ct 'Jeat i-e is -:':;'"~::-L8.~'l::;.ed mc::.kes it somewhat 

~~--'~-:::c't'~ve ("''''C> i--,':;-,~" '0 -~010\r.r\ .o_~~.~,~ " -~el:"'0,~1 "'~"na'YDo:nt D"Y'ino' dL.L. ...... 04.,.l ....,\...,.c .... L.'-..- ..... -'o..L v) f.Jc..... \ I ~..L v ................. 0.. ... J __ ......... \...,.LA, ................ 0. J.. .1..... Lt...!. J....J. b 

1

'-'-", .ell'o"n- on' "''''e ,'00 00UU" -{'",at' @- ,~, '<)' : .. '", '-·~\TUL,~Y',,'0'C> ''-0 pre-'ently L...... 1 b L.. ..lao...! \ v ) U ..... l:::........ u .. V .............."-' J.....u. ..i.. ... .Lc: ..... c.. ..... -........ " ;:; 

know ai::.~ defe:::lse systems. Ce~'lVe::.~s2~y, :::~ is partic-:.:;.larly vulnerable during the pre-lau{l2.1 p:l.aS2 ~\\'L:e sL~l aboard the B-52H). 

T'he entire payload recov2ry op2r8.LG~-:' is c:.lso v...-:.lnerable. Necessary pre -positiotli".g of recovery Io:cc2s (2sse:::ltially same as used 

for satellite recove:;'~y) pinpoi:::l'~s recove:cy &:r'ea fo::.~ anyone interested 

in preventing :;:ecove:;:y. 

2. T i-\GBOA::2,:J is r:o'~ y2.JC 2:-1 c~J2r2..tiG:-.. 2 ..l ;~~ograffi: Of fi'\'v2 

~al:r.:.chirlgs-, using .I~h2 A-i:2 jlr.u.o~~::er s~~i~)j'-, a ~Jayload Vias rlever recov€red; launc:l f:~o:;:".:.~he 3-52 ~s yet '~o be de::no:1strated - the 

system must be rec,-L:alified vvi-:h t:-:'e 3-52 ~aunch aircraft. Thus, 

it will be some tirne befo:;:e tl:'.e sys'~2:;:"n ca~~ be considered operations 

ready. 

3. If T AG30iL2D co~:d be J::iac..e :~ec:.c.y tomol.~:;:ow, there is 

serious doubt t{-~a'c 'c{-,;,e 3C3 would c:.-":-~:ic:;:ize its er~~ployment. First, 

the sonic boom effect of "sl-:.is sll;::;e:rsc~l.ic v2~-.icle on things and 

people on the grollr,d is y2'c to;:;e G2'~er"~lLied. ':::' AGBOARD is a 

large airplane - it ir:co~~l::;orc:.tes &~l. ex;::;10siv2 ctarge designed to 

destroy the airplane shonly a:El:er -~~-_e paylcc:.d is ejected. Under 

not-too-far-fetcned cO:ldiLcJ::s, a L~3.1fu,i.icLen could cause TAGBOARD 

to go ballistic and i:::npact on Pei;:Jir.g, ~::'::o~l.g Kong, etc. With these 

probabilities in rilind (albeit rer.:"ote> the S-~ate Department and 303 

Committee would probably be m"willi~l.g to aufG.orize employment of 

TAGBOARD. 

CON7RQL :";0 

~\.?:~-" ~ - "\ ~ 

COPY ___ O' ___ COP.ES 

.....) ..... ...:. ....... -.... ~ 

CONTKOL SYSTEM P"Gt: ___ o, ___ ?AGiCS 

. ;";- ,"TI\'; • " 

Approved for Release: 2018/11/16 C05114890 
Approved for Release: 2018/11/16 C05114890 

.. ...v_ v--.. _______ .. 

4. The 303 ~-:2.s 02e~-1 2.S:(~:'1g ::;2Le-Cr2.T:;.r-~::!: Cliestions about 

t:-le luture of this system - 1.'-1 ':i.~AG30A drones (remaining 

fro:::1.1 the firslbuy) are Ils".:ac~(ec:. li~(e corc:.-wooc~il at Lockheed. 

Additional systems are oeil'-,g pl~ocur2c:.. r::~~le systems are 

expensive (about $ 3 :~iLio:'1 es.ch) a~;.c:. al~e expended in a single 

flight. 

5. When TA230AfLJ oeco:;:'.:."::.es eperational, it is 'co be 

operated by SAC. In t:.-~e eV2~;':C ths.t i-~ is to be used for overflights, the requests fo::- aut}:-~olo~za'cien, (:cc. could be processed 

from SAC to the ':;-CS (J~=('C) f:.ence to the 3 J3 - by way of the 

XRO - as are the 3:"ue S~y.ci:;:,.:;'s/Wi:c:. .c'(,lce -cype l'.'1issions. 

6. 

a. HiS 

b. c':'assified line item as are 

the 147 drones. 

Cur,TRe.;.. SYST[M 

c. D::-. :?':'2..X has s&ic, t}:-... 2..t, i: he is pl'essure d to reduce the 

number of prograJ:'Ds in the N::t?, ''::'~i'~GBO).':'=('D wOlild be the first to 

go. 

d. ':i:' AGBOr\:2,D code. ":;1e:::-:' Oe t:c2..:::-:.s:erred to the Air Staff 

and handled as are the Ryan ls,7 type d::-o{:es. 

Summary: 

a. TAG:'3CA:2,:;J nas a Ie::}::!: W&y to go before its operational 

ready. 

b. There a::.'"'e l">easo~--:s v/hy ~.iAG:30AR=> flights might not be 

authorized by the 303, 

c. sys'cern could be 

assumed by the Ai::- Staff 2..nd it S~1C ___ :':'e. , 

De SAC for operation. 

d. In my opinio::l ':' AG30;'\RS :;:'{,.2.::'i2..ge:--:-.ent responsibility 

should not be moved from .L-:.?R:::::;':'~-? :0 Jcr.e NRO Staff. 

2:::CEi\::::\,D S. QUIGGINS 

Colonel, USAF HA:~~:"E VIA CONTROL NO _______ _ 

COpy ____ O, ____ COPIi:5 

-' . ~ .... ' ... CONLKOL. SYSTEM PAGE ____ O' ___ PAGES 

Approved for Release: 2018/11/16 C05114890