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IjApril 63

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NRO

initUrraMiTIONSTERM 

1. PROBLEM: To define the organizational arrangements whereby

the Director, NRO may discharge his assigned responsibilities for aircraft

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moverflight reconnaissance of denied areas. .

2. FACTORS BEARING ON THE PROBLEM:

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INS a. The Director, NRO is responsible* to the Secretary of

1111111 Defense for the establishment, resmagement; and conduct of all

amp overflight of denied areas. He is not responsible** for peripheral

ENE nal reconnaissance, except for the responsibility to coordinate the

MIME ime overflight activities of the NRO with peripheral reconnaissance

MIN activities.

031111115 b. Since the overflight activities of the NRO may involve some

EMI conunitment of resources presently or potentially assigned insupport mom

WIWI of Unified and Spocified Commands, there should be appropriate •

MIN

ntss coordination of such NRO activities with the Joint Chiefs of Staff. BIM

1:111111 * DOD-CIA Agreement on NRO, dated 13 March 55.83).

7411iirreement, plus Deputy ElecDef memo dated 14 Zany 1962 -

78-62).

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In accordance with the intent of the reorganisation act of

1958, the Joint Chiefs of Staff should direct the operations of the

Unified and Specified Commands, as necessary to support or carry

out approved NRO overflight missions, rather than these Coramands

responding directly to the Director, NRO.

In order for the Director, NRO to 41i:charge his assigned

responsibilities, it is essential that NRO capability be established to

plan, evaluate, and coordinate all aircraft overflights of denied areas.

This capability must include highly competent personnel with appropriate

operational knowledge and experience. At present, the NRO does not

have such capability.

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS:

it wears that there are only two basic alternatives, although

the details of these could be varied somewhat in regard to method of

operation. They are:

a. The establishment, within the NRO, of a new office having

this capability, obtaining qualified personnel to staff the office from the

Army, Navy, Air Force, and CIA. This office would coordinate

appropriate matters with the Joint Chiefs of Staff through the Joint

Reconnaissance Center, from which all necessary instructions would be

transmitted to Unified and Specified Commands after JCS coordination.

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b. The establishment of an organisational arrangement under •

which the preset Joint Reconnaissance Center would serve both the .

NRO and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The JRC would continue to perform

all of its present functions for the-KS, with the addition of the tasks

of keeping the Joint Chiefs of Staff appropriately informed on NRO

missions, and conveying the recommendations of the Joint Chiefs of

Staff on denied area overflights to the Director, NRO. In addition to

functions performed for the MS, the JRC would serve as the NRO

Aircraft Operations Center (AOC). The Chairman of the JRC would

serve as the Deputy for Operations on the NRO Staff, responsible for

supervision of both the NRO Satellite Operations Center (SOC) and the

AOC. An operating charter agreement would be established between the

Director, NRO and the Joint Chiefs of Staff defining the above concept of

operations. This charter would provide for the JRC personnel, office

space, and other appropriate support to be furnished by the Joint Chiefs

of Staff, with the ICS functions as the MC, and the NRO functions as

the AOC separately stated, as in the attaclunzent hereto. The charter

would also provide for joint NRO-JCS preparation: of the efficiency

reports of the Chairman and his Deputy.

4. DISCUSSION:

It is clear that the capability described in alternative "a" must

be established unless agreement can be reached to establish the .24/fejLas Ce, ct

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arrangement described in alternative "b". It would seem that

alternative "b" could be established without requiring any increase

in the MC manpower beyond requests currently outstanding. However,

alternative "a" Would require additional office space and operationally

skilled manpower to be transferred to the NRO. Although either

alternative undoubtedly could be made to work, the solution of

alternative "b" would provide the smoother working interface between

the NRO and the 7olnt Chiefs of Staff, and be much more economical in

the use of skilled military personnel and critical Pentagon office space.

For these reasons, it would seem that alternative "b" is the preferred

solution.

Atch

Dual (JCS-NRO) Functions

of the joint Reconnaissance

Center
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DUAL (ICS-NRO) FUNCTION'S OF THE

JOINT =COMAlaiANCE CENTER c •

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Director, NRO

Director, NRO Staff

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*Deputy for

Operations,

NRO Staff

Joint Chiefs of Staff

Dir. Joint Staff

Director for

Operations

(7-3)

Satellite

Operations

Center

(SOC)

**Aircraft

Operations

Center

(AOC)

**Joint

Reconnaissance

Center

(IRC)

Chairman, MC also serves as Deputy for Operations, NRO Staff.

** IRC and AOC consist of the same personnel and resources: As the

SRC, they serve the JCS, and as the AOC, they serve the NRO, in

accordance with separately stated functions listed an the following

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JCS Functions (as the IBC of the ICS):

Review proposed peripheral reconnaissance missions, plans,

and programs and transmit to the Joint Chiefs of Staff for their consideration those which do not fall within existing guidance, and those

which are considered sensitive; i.e. under existing conditions, might

serious/4r affect other U. S. operations and programs.

Keep the Joint Chiefs of Staff informed on all proposed

reconnaissance operations of particular interest, the results thereof,

and requirements generated thereby. Designated representatives will

arrange for special presentations to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and other

appropriate government officials. Presentations of NRO activities

will be in accordance; with policy established by the Director, NRO.

Convey decisions of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on peripheral

reconnaissance matters to commanders and Services concerned.

Convey the reconunendations at the Joint Chiefavf Staff on

denied area overflight matters to the Director, NRO.

e. Maintain liaison with the Secretary of Defense and Director,

NSA.

L Perform liaison with the National Reconnaissance Office, the

Department of State or other government departments and agencies on

overflight and peripheral reconnaissance operations to assure that: .
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programs or activities proposed by these agencies .

are considered by the Mat Chiefs of Staff, if appropriate;

the Joint Chiefs of Staff are informed, as required,

on such proposed activities and the results thereo4 and that,

(3) coordination with unified and specified commands,

and other departments and agencies as appropriate, has been carried

out.

g. Perform other related duties as directed.

2. NRO Functions (as the Deputy for Operations, NRO Staff, using

the ► rsometand resources of the (RC as the MO Aircraft . r VIEMIE=.27.4r71; L

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Receive for the Director, NRO all requirements for overflight

reconnaissance of denied areas, analyze these requirements, establish

appropriate mission schedules in response thereto, and assign

responsibility for preparation of mission plans to appropriate Service

elements, unified and specified commands, and/or the CIA in accordance

with assigned responsibilities, and in accordance with basic guidance

from the Director, NRO.

Review all proposed denied-area overflight reconnaissance

miss:tons, plans, and programs, obtaining the recommendations of the

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Joint Chiefs of Station all those which do not fall within existing

guidance, and on those which are considered sensitive said might

affect seriously other U. S. operations and programs.

C. Coordinate the overflight activities of the NO with the

peripheral reconnaissance activities of the unified and specified.

commands.

Obtain approval and/or decisions as required, from the

Director, NRO and assist him, as required, in the obtaining of

appropriate decisions and authorization from higher authority for

conduct of overflight reconnaissance missions. Issue appropriate

instructions to the Commands, Services and Agencies concerned to •

insure executicsi of approved missions.

Monitor all NRO reconnaissance missions, keeping the

Director, NRO and other designated officials informed of the mission

status, progress, and results.

I. Prepare monthly forecast of all NRO missions for submission

to the Special Group. Assist the Director, NRO, as required, in the

presentation of the National Reconnaissance Program to the Special

Group and the President's Foreign intelligence Advisory Board..

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Maintain NRO litdson with the DIA and the ITEM in regard

to all requirements for intelligence, mapping and geode sy collection

by overflight of denied areas.

Specify desired targets to be covered by satellite missions,

desired on-orbit target program options (to the extent that such options

exist within the system capability of individual projects), and make

all on-orbit selection between such options, balled upon weather or

intelligence factors.

1. Perform other related duties as directed.

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