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BACKGROUND - 8AIDG (72%

General Operational Requirement No. 80 was revised on 26 September
1958, placing additional. requirenents upon the We: System. Two (2)

On 1 December 1958 the ARPA proposed, in a memorandum report, a re-
orientetion of the WS 117L program. This proposal was directed to The
Under Secretary of the Air Force in a memorandum on 5 December 1958.
The reorientation was generated as the result of the ARPA being provided
ta consolidated SAMOS intelligence requirements by the Air Force.
4308/1). ee E

As the result of the reorientation Girectives of early Decenber,
, AFBMD presented a briefing to the ARPA on 15 December which ineluded an
analysis of the ARPA proposed program and an AFEMD counter prcposal.
The results of the briefing snd subsequent negotiations culminated in an
ARPA menorandim to The Und:- Secretary of the Air Force, dated 17 ‘Decem-
ber 1958. The 30 January 2359 Development Plan reflected the instructions
of the 17 December 1958 merorandum with regard to program structure ard
technical objectives. Further, the 30 January plan provided for the
development of a SAMUS Reconnaissance System which posseseri the ‘capability
to satisfy the SAMOS intelli zencs requirements.

By Amendment No. 11 to APPA Order No. 9-58, dated 1h April 1959, the
ARPA announced qualified approval of the 30 January 1959 SAMOS Develop-
ment and Funding Plan.

On 27 April 1959 the ARPA vas briefed at AFEMD on the analysis and
planning for new vork for the SAMOS reoriented program. Ts late May
1959, AFBMD was notified by Headquarters ARDC (TWX RDZGW 26-5-43-E, dated

- 26 May 1959) that the ARPA approval of the 30 January SAMOS Development
Plan did not include approval of the SAMOS recoveratle mapping payload.
In compliance vith this directive instructions were issued to the con-
tractor to terminate all vork related to the development of a SAMOS map-
ping capability.

In late June, instructions were received from the “RPA (TWX 961412,
dated 2) June 1959) to defer work on the SAMS Tecovery program pending
an ARPA program reviev. The reason for the deferral by the ARPA vas
fund Limitations due to the demands of other programs. ‘This deferral
action by the ARPA will possibly delay the SAMOS systen capability needed
to satisfy the vitel intelligence requirements of the Air Force.



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On 4 September 1959 ARPA directed that AFEMD proceed with contract
negotiations that deferred the recovery costs but protected certain long
lead time items, such as the E-5 camera, under a fund ceiling of $143.7

On 9 September 1959 ARPA directed that AFEMD negotiate a Program con-
taining the High Resolution Recovery package and instructed that AFEMD
was to reduce the readout Programs as necessary to accouplish this goal.

A new funding ‘

Planning level N

In a memorandum to the Cha:raan,
Coordination of Satellite and Space Vel
1959A the Secretary of Defense approved specific assignments to the Air
Force of the interim satellite early varning system, MIDAS, and Phase I
of the satellite Teconna‘ssance system, SAMOS. The date of transfer or
these systems from the Advanced Pesearch Projects Agency (ARPA) to the
Air Force would be subject to the approval of the Secretary of Defense.

The Secretary announced that Prior to assuming responsibility for a
specific program, the appropriate military department would submit to the
Secretary for approval dezailed Paans Sor the system including our rela-
tionship with Unified and Specified Commands and other appropriate agencies.

On 23 Cetober 1959, Gezeral LeMay in a letter to General Schriever
Concerning SAMOS end MIDAS, sivised General Schriever that the ARPA fund-

Joint Chief of Staff, subject: .
hicle Operations; dated 18 September

with the instructions of the Secretary of Defense on
Bq USAF (AFDAT) issued instructions and guidance on
ch included the preparation of the necessary plens by
fer of SAMOS to the Air Force. The -
commands were: ‘Research and Development,
3 and Logistic Support Plan, AM. The

In this reclame AFEMD Tequested permission to present the development plans
then in preparation which vere the result of an extensive Planning effort
based cn ell planning guidance except that coutained in the iq USAF asen
sage of 13 November 1959. Tt was noted by AFEMD that the plans proposed
for presentation would not be within ‘the announced funding ceilings.

On 20 November 1959, Hq USAF reaffirmed the 13 November 1959 instrea-
tions and stated that the Development plans to be presented on 16 Decenzcr
1959 would be consistent with funding ceilings; however, AFEMD could vre-
sent as an additional agenda item a reccommended program that exceeded the

sea eg Sis -



ion to DDR&E of 2a eoTSy perored plans

r¢ for this progran
for FY 60 and FY 61

is echedulea for 15 February

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