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MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

-Mfg-Management of National Reconnaissance Program 

L PURPOSE.

This agreement relates to the establishment of a National

Reconnaissance Program and to the establishment of arrangements

within and between the Department of Defense and the Central

Intelligence Agency for its management and operation in a manner

which will insure that the particular talents, experience and capabilities

within these two organisations will be fully and most effectively utilised.

in this effort.

II. DEFECTIONS. 

NEP - National Reconnaissance Program, consisting of all

overt and covert overflight projects for intelligence, geodesy, and

mapping photography and electronic signal collection.

NR 0 - National Reconnaissance Office, as established

herein for the purpose of managing the NRP.

C. DOD/AR - Assistant for Reconnaissance to the Secretary of

Defense, established by the attached DOD Directive No. •

Director of the National Reconnaissance Office.

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D. DOP/A • Dap* Director (Pim* at Us Cabal Meagan*

Away; IDapay Director at the MO.

X. DIM • Director d Satellite lecasaissaace -Mk the general

officer rapoosible directly to the Director of the /MO Aar all Mid

atamapaseat read aperatiaa at setellite recomaissalla projects. The

Dan is overtiy kaera as the Director of jai Prejudge Mee at the

Secretary of the Mr Forces, b •ased!, nreasa.

F. DM • Director oi Aircraft Receassiessao, a wart math*

b.14 by the paaral °Mar reepaasible directly to the NIRO far all field

ammagencot (esslodbg operatics) at Mann and drams aseriligbt

reccoaaissaace projects. The Director at Aircraft Beecsaaliaaase

have a imitable wart title as regdred by the assay at Ida projects.

0. MPG • Wisdom Nada Grow, a part at the MO widah plan

all specific overnight recoloasace almiar ad determines targets

to be covered by each Ipecac madcap.

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110C • Satellite Operation Central, a part at the NNO

located wIthisrbich ewes IWO operational control at all

satellite reconatheasce aissices.

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1. AOC - Aircraft Operation Cedral, a part of the NRO which

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entrain.' MO operational control of all idreraitovertlight recarudmiance

minim&

M. BASIC POLICY.

Nal:load Recausabmaase PrOWS1111. The National Recemainsanse

Program will eamdat at all satellite imd weedlight reel

projects whether overt or covert. I wIll isclude all photograptde projects

for lotolligermit iioodogir ond wipplag purposes, and all electronic signal

collection projects for electrode skald idelligence sad commaniestioas

intelligence.

National Recomminamee Offt There will be established on co.

a covert bads a National Reconnaissance Offi to name this Program. co

The Director ai the NRO will be the Assistant for Recemaissence to the

Secretary of Defenses ea/overt ($BCRIT) position established by the

attached DCO Directive No. • The Depaty Director at the NRO

will be the Deputy Director (Plans) of the Central intelligence Agency.

The office will include a small special staff whose personnel will be

drawn from the Departmed of Defense and the Central Malone limey.

This office will have direct control of ell elements of the total program.

C. AfterNial la order to awaretht the !motioning of the

NRO and the condoct of the NRP is based upon the ersigement of clear

and specific respandbilities, the total r. r the National

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Itecoonaismeace Propane is hereby delegated by the Secretary at

Defense and the Director of the Central Istelligence Agway to the

Amdahl** for Recconalseance to the Secretary of Defame as =renter

of the National Reconnaissance Office. He will in ban delegate specific

respoesibilities to the Central Intelligence Apncy and elsewhere

required to carry out the terms of this ageintment. bdtial delegation

of responsibilities of projects presently =deriver is specified under

part 1Y of this agreement.

Authority. Decisions of the National Recoonadssance Office

will be implemented and its management at the National Reconnaissance

Program made effective within the Department of Defame by the earcise

of the authority delegated to the Assistant for iteconnaissanct to the

Secretary of Defense, and within the Central latalligence Agency by the

authority delegated to the Deputy Director (Plans).

Operational Agency. Within the Department of Defame, the

Department of the Air Force will be the operational agency for management •

and conduct of the National liecoanaissance Program, and will cadent

this program thrash use of streamlined special snanegememt procedures

involving direct control from the office of the Secretary of the Mr Force

to Reconnaissance Project Directors in the field, 'Mott latervembe •

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reviews or approvals. The management and conduct of individual projects •

or elements thereof requiring special covert arrangements may be

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assigned by the PURO to the Central btalligence Agency as the operational

Meng.

Technical Advisory Group. A illochdcal Advisory Group for

the National Secommissame Office will be established uoder appropriate

secwity.

G. Security. A uniform security control mutes will be established

Ar

A 41, the total program by the National hecommissance Office. Products

from the various programs will be available to all users as desjgnated

by the United States Intelligence Board.

R. Bequirenents. The National Reconnaissance Office will be

directly responsive to, and only to, the photographic and electronic

signal collection requirements sad priorities es established by the

United States Intelligence Board.

L Public Information. Th. National Reconnaissance Office will

develop marble cover plans and public bdormation pleas in conjunction

with the Assistant Secretary of Defame, Public Again, to reduce

potential political vulnerability of these programs and to enhance

security of program operations.

7. Program Review. Major program elements and operatics*

of the National Reconnaissance Officio will be reviewed on a regular

basis and as special circumstances require by the Special Group under

NBC 5412.

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L Technical Ilanaginned. The major portion of technieal

management at NRP projects will be carried oat by the =recta' of

satellite Reconnaissiace ad the Director of Aircraft Recommissance,

reporting directly to the National Reconnaissance Office. Techdcal

management of sped& parts of projects, such as certain payloads

for induce, will be delepted to the Control blielnoe Agency and

carried oat under technical personnel sawed to the CiAlart of the

NRO. To provide for fall use of available capabilities and resources,

and to provide for Medals with data exploitation equipment developed

by agencies outside the NRO, Nay and Arm reprise:datives will be

assigned, on a fuU41me bands, to appropriate positions 'Ri ga the NRO.

They will be technically qualified in electronic signal collection wort

and in mapping and geodesy, respectively, and have NRO project

responsibilities in these areas. A firm liaison channel between the NBO

and NSA will be established as an adjunct to the technical managemag

structure of signal collection projects.

2. Financial lbsugement. The Assistant for Reconnaissance

to the Secretary of Defense will be responsible for funds for all projects

of the NRP. Fends Will be allocated on SS individual project banis sod •

will appear as appropriately classified line Roma in the Air Force budget.

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L. operations. 

Nadas Plimaing. A Mission Planning Group (MPG) will

be established within the NRO to plan all specific missions of this

Program and to determine targets to be covered by each Winks. The

MPG will have Tri-Bervice, NBA AND CU representation on a full-time

basis, and will be chaired by a member of the CU directly responsible

to the DDP/A. The MPG will have available the complete achedules and

technical capabilities of all of the sensor systems 01 111 NRP projects,

and accounts of the complete coverage obtained by all almsor systems

of these projects, on a continuos basis. This Group will establish the

pre-launch tarpting selection for all reconnaissance projects of the

NRP, and will transmit this information to the Satellite Operations

Central (SOC) for satellite missions, and to the Aircraft Operations

Central (AOC) for aircraft Mille011111.

Satellite Operations. A Satellite Ominous Central (IOC)

will be established as a part of the NRO located within the Air Force

SOC will be beaded

by ths Air Force member of the NRO who will have operational control

over all satellite recannaiesance Wantons throughout the conduct Of

such missions. The Read of the SOC will be directly responsible to the

Director at Satellite Recamaissance. The SOC will include appropriate

CIA persona&

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1. Aircraft 011entioeS. As Atrerdt Operation C2111 (ACC)

will be ostablished at sa apposites boles ander aecassary osourity

araingements. 1 AOC will be headed 14/ a CIA marrher Of the NRO

'who will hoe operational antrol over all aircraft and dram overflight

recombinant reissioes threeghout the cost Of such mission& The

Reed of the AOC will be directly reeposible to the DIP/A. The AOC will

include appropriate Air recce persasseL

W. PROINCT RESPONSIBILDUL The Director of the NO is reepossible .

for all aspects of all projects of the IMP. la coiling out this resposis

billy, he will debate specific aspects to the CI mad ebretwire, as

appropriate. la UM regard, the following hdtiel delegation apples to

the major projects pauses* seder way.

A. CORONA/1MM L/ARGON: The Air Pero has primary

responsibility for: (I) beach scheduling and boocidaa (2) orbit ad

recovery operations; (IQ drolopment and procurement of beaten,

orbiting veldclesMill.pi1 hes primary reoposethility for •

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(I) devekpment sad procurement of photographic payloads sad a pse Goose •

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and (2) project securby. la addition, the CIA will provide the ciairmaa

of the MPG which will plea all missions of thew project's, and will have

stembership to the ROC which will be headed by an Air Force Mambo?

of the WRO and which uW have operational control of these adobes

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B. MAIO& The Mr Force has primary respessildlity for IAMB,

with the CIA is a aupportiag role In regard to project security. Is

oddities, the CIA sadthe Air Force hove the same missies Osman

aad operation robs described is A above.

D. OXCART- . The Air Force will assume respoosibility

for the technical mangessort al the oiCeihe r project, with the CIA

remodels* responsible for the recessaisseace payloads, project security,

and conduct at operations. Mask= will be planned by the CIA-chaired

MPG aad conducted by the CIA-headed AOC, releasable directly to the

DDP/A. The Mr Force will establish as office at the Director GI

Aircraft Reconnaissance (DAR) to cosourreatly manage the develqposeat

of Colear sad all variations al this development. The DAB will

be established with care to provide maximum security for this effort

and will be massed with highly qualifted persosad whose experlesce,

aptitude and make them especially well tufted for this tele. Normal.

Air Force and DCD development sad mesageaseat practices will sot •

apply to this project, md the DAB will carry out ids entire respoesbiliffes

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soda special mamemsait premodern appropriate to the adore et this

project mod the security regrind ler its accoo*Mshmento object anly

to approval by the Assistant lour leemmahmene to the bents* et Deters.

Z. CANN& Technicalitamapineet vek"ffist roloomil11117 I this Picdoet

is delegated to the Navy, subject to overall review and approval by the

Director et the N110. Mission plasabig will be accomplished by the

MPG as for all other satellite projects et the NEP.

V. DtPLISONTATINI. This agreement is effective bareediately

within the Deparbomt et Defame and the CM, and supersedes all previous

directives in each agency aa the suldects dined herein. All mach

;.. superseded directives will be revised to undone with O RM provisions

at the earliest date. .

John A. McCaw

Director

CentralIntelligence Agency

Robert S. McNamara

Secretary at Dahmee

1 Atch

1 MO Directive No.

10 *.;

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