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DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE 

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY 

MEl\tORANDliM 

29 Dec 1969 

MEMORANDUM FOR GENERAL ALLEN 

Attached is the latest "final" draft of the ~--~ 

~--~ 

ELINT Resources paper. I believe this 

version contains the corrections you desired 

(previous draft and your notes also attached). 

This draft is presently being reviewed by 

Adm. Showers, DIA for Plans and General Morrison, 

NSA Director for Production. 

If you approve, a final copy will be forwarded 

to Dr. McLucas for signature. 

Would appreciate a response by 7 January. 

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COMPARTMENTATION 

1. TASK. To respond to the following question posed by the 

Principal Deputy Director, Defense Research and Engineering. 

Address the matter of classification of satellite raw data and 

the constraints this classification places on its effective 

use in fusion with COMINT information or with non-codeword 

sources where required. 

2. DISCUSSION, 

a. ELINT and telemetry collected by satellites is essential 

for the production of intelligence on foreign country weapons 

systems. The military services are both a consumer and producter of this form of finished intelligence, however, in this 

dual role they are severely handicapped. 

b. In the past there has been an insufficient amount of 

data available on overhead SIGINT collection systems to provide 

optimal planning for and utilization of the resulting products. 

This was primarily due to the fact that the vital sensor 

information and processing procedures were primarily available 

only in the BYEMAN system, while the user community was TALENTKEYHOLE indoctrinated. The NRO has agreed to prepare TALENTKEYHOLE mission descriptions which are now being distributed 

to the user community to enable maximum exploitation of the 

product and insure adequate information for planning of exploitation and utilization of future missions. NSA has insured 

that similar information is available concerning processing 

procedures. 

c. The present system of decompartmentalizing overhead 

collected SIGINT product data is cumbersome and not responsive 

to the needs of the consumer community to insure dissemination 

of significant intelligence data at no higher than the SECRET 

level. It is imperative that a meaningful and responsive 

APPENDIX D 

1 

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sanitization and decontrol procedure be established by SORS 

for this purpose, if overhead sources product are to be 

effectively fused with COMINT or non-codeword product information. 

2 

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= ,~,,,rur,nt_c.J'lJ-i\.t. YHUU:.-COlVllNT 

<'.:ONTROL SYSTEMS JOINTLY 

Replace Enclosure 1, Page 3, Para llA with: 

"In full recognition of the requirement for protection of 

information concerning the unique facets of U.S. Satellite 

capabilities which must be afforded continuous stringent 

protection, it is recommended that SORS establish meaningful 

and effective methodology and procedures for decompartmentation of overhead SIGINT product to permit maximum 

consumer distribution in a timely manner at no higher than 

the SECRET level." 

H/\i'IDC2'. VL5~ 

·;;,\";::\\-i,tJ•-l .. "T/-~LEi'lT-KEYHOLE-COf1,~fN'T 

CONTROL SYSTEMS JOINTLY 

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DIA believes it will be necessary in the future that 

additional detail on the capabilities of overhead collection 

systems be made available in order that the planning for and 

utilization of the resulting products can be effectively 

accomplished and the shortcomings of such collection be 

recognized. The NRO is in the process of preparing TKH 

mission descriptions which will provide all information 

essential to meeting this objective. 

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'ir1 I 

Replace Enclosure 1, Page 3, Para llA with: 

·KEV:H/OLE ,CONJ:;;\J .r 

:O!\ffflOL, SYSTEMS JOINTLY 

"In full recognition of the requirement for protection of 

information concerning the unique facets of U.S. Satellite 

capabilities which must be afforded continuous stringent 

protection, it is recommended that SORS establish meaningful 

and effective methodology and procedures for decompartmentation of overhead SIGINT product to permit maximum 

consumer distribution in a timely manner at no higher than 

the SECRET level." 

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DRAFT 

(->fJYj[:Jv·;~,) f-1· t .. r.f:f..([: {} ~~('/1,:>d< /J ·

1<·.1:' __ ;·' 

DIA believes that the ~~~~information QVailable within the DoD 

cannot be ad~quately utilized due to the limited number of people who are 

i!tiJthoX"ized BYE~N access. If present and future SIGHi!T planning involving 

conventional and overhead resource allocation by DoD ia to be reallstic 1 then 

§"},~ £1t?~-' 

it ls_ important that lncreaaed numbers of people have access to~ SIGIN~ 

information. Hopefully. a net increase in the numbers of people authorized 

~ 

,31,,;JN)~ 

information will enhance planning and utilizat7on of SIGINT overhead 

collection vehicles as well as enhance tasking to !D!!et DoD SlGINT requirements, 

DRAFT 

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DRAFT 

1. By 31 August 1910, NRO will have published within the n\LENT KEYHOLE 

system, detailed SIGINT mission descriptions for at least the Poppy, mans 710X; 

Tiviolit msns 7mt; Strawman. msns 716X 

and 723X, The SIGINT sensor manuals will provide at a mi~imum: 

a. Design characteristics (RF coverage, etc.) 

b, Purpose of mission 

d. System sensitivity, including vehicle antenna gain estimates if possible 

e, Receiver bandwidth(s) 

f. Receiver mode during intercept (scanning, lock tuned, automatic 

recognition characteristics. etc.) 

g. Magnetic recording bandwidths(s) and recording duration 

h. Signal parameter accuracies 

i. Date-time intercept accuracy 

j. Location accuracy (of emitter, if possible~ or vehicle) 

2, With the release of the information on all NRO SIGINT collection systems 

within the TALENT KEYHOLE co!lllllllunity, 80% of which is in DoD. there may no 

longer be an information problem within the DoD intelligence eol'.llmunity either 

for planning resource use or intelligence production. 

3. Any apecific cases requiring additioru.l iniforllll!ltion not included in TI 

data would require B~N access. N!ru) and DIA will jointly review access 

procedures to resolve any BYEMAN access requirements. 

Dl!AlFT 

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