Tap SECRET 

~ NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE OFFICE 

V-iASH!NGTON, D.C. 

OFFiCE OF THE J!RECTOR Narch 20, 1970 

, /,) 

L(J) / 

)mi-'10Ri-\l\L)UH FOR Assistant to the President for National 

Security Affairs 

Attorney General 

Deputy Secretary of Defense 

Under Secretary of State (Political Affairs) 

Director of Central Intelligence 

Executive Secretary, 40 Committee 

SUBJECT: TAGBOARD Missions 

Following isa brief S1..Enmary of the November 10, 1969 

operational mission and the February 20, 1970 test mission. 

A summary of all flights to'date is attached. 

TAG BOARD flew its first limited operational mission 

over South China on November 10, 1969. Launch and early 

flight \vere successful as the drone obtained the programmed 

altir~de of 84,000 feet and a cruise mach of 3.27. During 

the terminal phase of the flight the drone was not acquired. 

(visually or electronically) and the payload was not recovered. 

:\'SA reported no SIGINT that could be correlated with . 

the mission. The drone's position was fixed at only 50 miles 

off the Island of Hainan and 80 miles from the China mainland, 

just prior to the drone's telemetry being turned off on the 

inbound track well within range of coastal air defense radars. 

The drone's oDeratin~ altitude seed and small radar cross 

section 

'-----__ -----.JI give it a hiESh proba i ity 01- survival. 

TAG130ARD 

, I 

Investigations laboratory simulations now indicate 

that computational errors in the droners inertial navigation . l4.. 

system (INS) prevente:d the drone from flying the progralmned 

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route. Self destruction probably occurred after fuel exhaustion upon descent at the pre-set altitude of 52,000 feet, 

Software changes hive since been made and tested to correct 

the computational errors, and a nfail safe II feature has been 

incorporated in the INS that will provide positive control of 

the drone's flight path. 

On February 20, 1970, TAGBOARD flew a completely successful test mission to validate the software and "fail safe" 

changes to the INS program. The drone flew a distance of 

2,969 miles in 93 minutes, cruise mach of 3.32 and reached 

an altitude of 95,700 feet. 

The TAG BOARD system is now ready for another operational 

test mission. Drones are located at Beale AFB and are ready 

for flight. 

I Attachment 

Summary of Flights 

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SUI'IJYlAH.Y OF TAGBOARD 13-52 LNJ:\]CHES 

Nove;:nber 6, 1967. Drone {t507. 

Launch and boost were successful. Drone atta~n2d a 

of 3.29 at 82,000 feet. Cruise flight was not s~stained 

due to 10VJ inlet :cecovery; defor::ied inlet cone pri;:;-,ary 

suspect. Drone travelled 134 miles down range and the 

hatch was noc recovered. 

December 2, 1967. Drone 09. P::J'R. 

Launch and boost were s~ccessful. e flight continued 

01:1 course 00 ~iLes. altitude 0= 74,GOO feet (10,000 ";.:' 1 •. .l t terninated orematurelv 

, ./ 

after" Eaj .. lure () f [:-,0:; >;y,~~ ra~.j 1 ic S)75 te::1 arlG subsequent loss 

of control. ~~c hatch was noc recovered. 

January 19, 1968. DrO:10 1/'508. p:.;;;: .. 

Launch and boost VJere successful. e drone travelled 

550 miles dO\m range, then trle fl terr:iir;ated presaturely 

VJhen the drone began a pitch down and roll co the left. 

Telemetry was lost. ~ost probable cause of failure was 

electrical ~alfunction. hatch was ~o~ recovered. 

Apri.l 30, 1968. Drone ~;511. 

La~nch and boost were s~cc~ssf~l. Fol 

ejection, the drone was ~nable co s~s:a~n crGise an~ 

a itude and 5 e co low ~sc £r02 the engine 

lost 

let not started). Drone travelled 150 miles down range 

and was destroyed. 2acch not recovered. 

June 16, 1968. Drone 

Success les 2t 1 test flight. Drone 

a mach of 3.25 and attained an al=itude of 91,800 feee. 

teh was air-recove OJ JC-130 aircra~ . 

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July 1, 1968. Drone #514. PNR. 

During pushover at the top of boost phase, the drone 

became laterally unstable due to insufficient autopilot 

gains. At separation, the booster struck the drone, 

rupturing the drone 1 s fuel tank. The hatch ejected upon 

command and was recovered from the water in good condition. 

August 28, 1968. Drone #516. P::ViR. 

Launch and boost were successful. However, the drone 1s 

engine remained at minimum power and cruise altitude 

\vas not maintained. The hatch ejected at an excessive 

speed on descent and was not recovered. 

December 15, 1968. Drone #515. P~iR. 

Successful test flight. 3059 miles, mach 3.3, maximum 

altitude of 95,000 feet. This was the first mission 

to test the total system with the camera aboard. The 

hatch was air-recovered by JC-130. 

February 11, 1969. Drone #518. P~K. 

Launch and boost successful. Apparent shift in autopilot 

control at excessive mach caused the drone to descend 

resulting in the inlet remaining only partially started 

with attendant loss in thrust. Severe oscillations 

resulted. Drone believed to have structurally destroyed 

itself. Hatch was not recovered. 

Hay 10, 1969. Drone i~5l9. FMR. 

Successful test flight. 

altitude of 96,588 feet. 

2972 miles, mach 3.3, maximum 

Hatch was air recovered by JC-130. 

July 10, 1969. Drone #520. P~lli. 

TAGBOARD 

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Successful test flight. 

altitude of 91,000 feet. 

2937 miles, mach 3.3, maximum 

Hatch was air-recovered by JC-130. 

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November 10, 1969. Drone #517. First operational mission. 

Launch and boost successful. Comoutational errors in the 

drone's Inertial Navigation System prevented drone from 

flying the prograIllilled route. Self-destruct believed to 

have occurred upon descent at 52,000 feet. Hatch. was 

not recovered. 

February 20, 1970. Drone :/;521. p~m. 

TAGBOARD 

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Successful test flight. 2969 miles, mach of 3.32, maximum 

altitude of 95,700 feet. Changes to INS program validated. 

Hatch was air-recovered by JC-130. 

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