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Reconnaissance Planning Group (Reber Group) January 1968 

The Reconnaissance Planning Group was established by agreement 

between the Director of Central Intelligence and the, Director, NRO. 

The terms of reference for the group's activity include the following: 

1. To keep the D/NRO and the DCI advised of emerging problems 

of the NRP, which involve closely related considerations of research 

and development, operations and intelligence requirements. 

2. To review periodically the status of major planning activity 

in the area of overhead reconnaissance under way in the NRO and the 

USIB, and their constituent organizations, and to advise the organization responsible for the study on the adequacy of the scope, the 

desirability of additional participation or the need for consideration 

of additional planning factors. 

3. To recommend to the D/NRO or the DCI the initiation of 

studies necessary to meet the overall planning needs of the intelligence community in the area of overhead reconnaissance. 

4. To make available competent and authoritative representation from collection, exploitation, or requirements organizations, 

as appropriate, to support planning studies initiated in the USIB or 

the NRO. 

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Membership 

Maj Gen Robert Taylor, III 

NIPE Staff 

Dr. Donald H. Steininger 

PSAC 

Mr. Carl Duckett 

DDS&T, CIA 

Mr. Mitford Mathews 

NSA 

Mr. William A. Tidwell 

COMIREX 

Mr. Ernest J. Zellmer 

SORS 

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\- V I Or ~ttirttl L V BYEMAN 

~ NATIONAL.' RECONNAISSANCE OFFICE 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 

OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR 

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.February 6, 1968 

MEMORANDUM FOR: General Taylor, NIPE Staff 

Dr. Steininger, PSAC Staff 

Mr. Duckett, DD/S&T, CIA 

NSA Representative 

SUBJECT: 

Mr. Tidwell, Chairman of COMIREX 

Mr. Zellmer, Chairman of SORS 

Reconnaissance Planning Group 

Attached for your information and records is the 

exchange of correspondence between the Director of Central 

Intelligence, Mr. Helms, and the Director of the National 

Reconnaissance Office, Dr. Flax, with regard to the establishment of the Reconnaissance Planning Group. Attached 

to Mr. Helmsls letter are the approved Terms of Reference 

for the Group. As you will notice from Dr. Flax's letter, 

I am charged to proceed with implementation of these Terms 

of Reference. 

I The first meeting of the Group will be on Monday, 

SA,'~'01i ijFebruary 12, 1968, at 2 p.m. and I look forward to seeing 

SS·"! 

I : you in my office at'that time. In anticipation of that 

" I meeting I am distributing a proposal for the establishment 

\! of target dates b~ which time annually the NRO would receive 

CO!l!P I I' authori tative requirements guidance from the USIB to be 

S.UfL_ 1.1 compatible wi th financial/budget decision timing. It seems 

;;;)

"n I, I' to me this is one of the most pressing problems which needs 

I I sorting out looking toward the improvement of overall NRP 

J!!'-. - ' planning. 

mE I I _1-1 

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BYEMAN 

(0""'0,- 'YInM 

At this first meeting, let us review the Terms of 

Reference and identify the problems to which we should turn 

our attention and their order of priority. Would you give 

COpy 

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this your careful consideration. May I suggest that you 

set your preliminary thoughts to paper prior to this first 

meeting. 

\~I~Q.~ 

O'mes Q. Reber 

C airman 

econnaissance Planning Group 

Attachments 

BYE-4585-67 

BYE-1257l-68 

cc: Mr. John Hughes, DIA Gen~ Russell Berg, D/NRO Staff. 

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!:-l'ANDLE VIA B Y ~~lPAPprove~i f~r"~el:ase: ;0~9/05/02 C05108"4i.~3· ... ~ .. p.~~\~![a CONTROL SYSTO U=Y Ie ;:,nU COpy 

THE DiRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE 

WASHINGTON 2$, D. C. 

8 December 1967 

The Honorable Alexander H. Flax, Director 

National Reconnaissance Office 

Tho Pontagon 

Washington, D. C. 

Dear AI: 

I have given considerable thought to proposals which have been 

the subject of discussion between you and John Bross earlier in the year 

about possible measures to strengthen our procedures for planning in the 

National Reconnaissance Program (NRP) field. It is my impression that 

an increasingly effective relationship has developed over the last year or 

so between the N-RO and USIB. It is possible, however, that we can 

further improve existing arrangements for ensuring that our needs for 

intelligence thro"4gh overhead coverage and the responsiveness of reconnaissance systems to these needs are kept under constant review. 

In this connection, it ha s been sugge sted that it might be helpful to 

establish a small group to identify and arrange for appropriate study of 

problems which appear to involve the interrelationship of intelligence needs 

and systems development. It seems to me that such a planning grQup could 

ensure that the needs of the intelligence community are defined with ·sufficient clarity to be helpful in planning the research and development and. 

production of new systems and the modification of existing systems. It 

. would identify and define the basic problems facing the NRP and keep us. 

both informed of action which is being taken to analyze and study these 

problems. the status of any such studie s and the agencie s or individuals 

responsible for conducting the studies. Such a group might usefully 

recommend the initiation of new studies where desirable. Otherwise its 

purpose would be to monitor and review the status of planning and studies, 

both in the field of intelligence requirements and in that of systems 

development. It would not have decision-making authority. 

WORKING . COpy 

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BYE No. 4585-67 

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As to composition, I think that the group should be small and con~, 

sist of a few senior officials who are qualified to understand the general 

nature of the problems involved in the NRP and who also are representative of sonior echolons of agencies of the Government primarily concerned 

or interested in systems development in the NRP. It would seem to me 

appropriate to have this group function under NRO chairmanship. Your 

Deputy might appropriately serve as Chairman with a view to making sure 

that the activities and deliberations of the group are as useful as possible 

in assisting the D/NRO. As members of the group, I would sugge st that 

the Deputy Director. of NSA or some other appropriate representative of 

NSA be included in the group. The Deputy Director for Science and Technology of CIA would seem to me to be an appropriate member, and I 

would also suggest inclusion of Dr. Steininger in view of Dr. Hornig's 

interest in the systems development aspect of the NRP. I would also 

suggest that a member of the NIPE Staff be included to serve as my representative. I agree with what I understand to be your thought that the 

Chairman of COMIREX and the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Reconnaissance of the SIGINT Committee of USIB should serve on the group. I 

would expect the NIPE Staff member to arrange for such a'ppearances or 

submissions as may seem appropriate or desirable from USIB agencies 

or committees other than COMIREX or the SIGINT Committee. 

Attached are suggested terms of reference for the proposed group. 

I would appreciate your reactions. 

Attachment 

Sincerely, 

Richard Helms 

Director 

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Terms of Reference 

for the 

Reconnais.anco Pla.nning Ol"OUP 

a. To keep the D/NRO and the DCI advised of emerging 

problems of the NRP, which involve closely related considerations 

of research and development, operations and intelligence requirements. 

b. To review periodically the status of major planning 

activity in the area of overhead reconnaissance under way in the 

NRO and the USIB, and their constituent organizations, and to advise. 

the organization re sponsible for the study on the adequacy of the 

scope, the desirability of additional participation or the need for 

consideration of additional planning factors. 

c. To recommend to the D/NRO or the DCI the initiation 

of studies necessary to meet the overall planning needs of the intelligence community in the area of overhead reconnaissance. 

d. To make available competent and authoritative representation from collection, exploitation, or requirements organizations, 

as appropriate, to support planning studies initiated in the USIB or the 

NRO. 

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BYE No. 4585-67 
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BYEMAN 

CO_UO\. lufU. 

I/NATIONAI.. RECONNAISSANCE OFFICE 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 

. . 

OFFICE Of THE DIRECTOR 

BYEMAN 

January 17, 1968 

Dear Dick: 

I am in wholehearted agreement with the arrangements 

for establishment of ~ Reconnaissance Planning Group as 

suggested in your letter of December 8, 1967 (BYE-4585-67). 

I also concur with the terms of reference which you att~ched 

to that letter. 

I believe that this Group can greatly strengthen our 

procedures for coordinating planning for the National Recon'.:-

naissance Program and will provide an important additional ' 

channel for exchange of information and views regarding 

planning studies between the interested and responsible 

elements of the intelligence community. 

I propose to proceed with the organization of this 

Group on the basis of the membership representation you 

have suggested. I understand from Mr. Bross that informal 

discussions have been held with General Carter and 

Dr. Steininger relative to the participation of the NSA 

and the Office of the Special Assistant to the President 

for Science and Technology, respectively. I have asked 

Mr. Reber to serve as Chairman and to complete the necessary tasks related to organization as soon as possible, 

with a view to holding an early meeting of the Group and 

establishing an agenda for specific planning reviews of 

most immediate current concern. 

Alexander H. Flax 

~he Honorable Richard Helms 

Director of Central Intelligence 

Central Intelligence Agency 

Washington, D. C. 20505 

V~ORKiNG COpy 

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