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Handle via B YEMAN Approved for R;iease: 20f7/o1i2s C05096389 

Control System CORONA 

21 November 1966 

Dear Dr. Flax: 

During the past year I have been impressed by the efforts of 

your s~aff to increase the effectiveness of photographic satellite 

reconnaissance missions in their coverage of targets essential to 

the fulfillment of the requirements of the intelligence community. 

I have also been pleased with the close collaboration of your staff 

with the COMOR Photo Working Group in your efforts to achieve 

this improved effectiveness. During this same time period you have 

operated the satellite reconnaissance system at a very high rate of 

reliability and have introduced new features such as the new programmer in the CORONA vehicle which have added even more to 

your ability to satisfy the intelligence community's requirements. 

As you know, COMOR has reviewed in detail the results 

achieved by the satellite reconnaissance program in recent months 

and has found that in general you have overfulfilled our requirements. 

At the same time, our analysis demonstrated that it would be desirable for COMOR to review the existing requireme!lts and to make them 

somewhat more realistic in certain respects. 

Under general guidance from the Director of Central Intelligence that he wished the reconna~ssance effort to be conducted at the 

minimum level consistent with the essential security of the United 

States, COMOR has been engaged in reviewing requirements for 

reconnaissance. The first step approved by USIB on 8 November 

1966 was to restate the requirements for search in the Soviet bloc 

and Communist China. The second effort, launched by COMOR 

several weeks ago, is to review and revise so-called Tab A which 

lists the numbers and frequency bf coverage of targets for surveillance purposes. It seems clear that in the circumstance of the 

present high effectiveness of the satelli,~~ reconnais sane e program 

and the guidance from the DCI, our requirements can be satisfied 

with a considerably reduced launch program. The specific number 

of missions required will be influenced to some degree by the 

Dr. Alexander H. Flax 

Assistant Secretary of the Air Force 

for Research and Development 

CORONA 

TOP ::Sl!:CRE ! 

B YE-5664 7-66 

,.copy 5/F iWLHandle via BYEMAN 

Control System 

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'i Handle via B YElA_E~~o_ved for Release: ~0_17f91/2§ _~Q§Q_96389 

Control Syst 1 CORONA 

remainder of the work to be done by CO MOR in reviewing its surveillance requirements and in assessing the effects of the new programmer 

in acquiring search photography by the CORONA system. 

In the meantime, however, pending completion of these tasks, 

I have been directed to inform you that you should use for planning purposes a levei of seven rsμcc~'~ sful sear ch and seven successful high 

resolution (either KH-7 or KH-8) missions per year to satisfy our 

requirements. You of course will have to plan launches on the basis 

of your assessment of expected reliability, but on the basis of reliability figures used by your staff in discussion and correspondence with 

COMOR, I assume that this requirement level would result in a total 

launch program of approximately 13 KH-4 and 13 high resolution missions 

for the 18 months of calendar year 1967 and the first half of 1968. 

I am looking forward to your continued support in the COMOR 

study of these matters and will keep your staff advised of its progress. 

I will advise you immediately if our assessment should indicate a 

further change in the level of successful missions required. 

William A. Tidwell 

Chairman 

Committee on Overhead Reconnais sane e 

2 ~.:. t' 11 B YE-56647-66 

CORONA Handle via BYEMAN 

TOP SE:Cft:E:f' Control .System 

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