March 30, 1962 •

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MRMORANDOK POI MR. VAICE

General Counsel, DOD

I attach a copy of the proposed CIA vend= of the .

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Agreement between the Department of Defense and the Central •

Intelligence Agency relative to management of the National •• • • •

Reconnaissance Program. As we discussed, this appears to be

different in a fundamental fashion from the draft which •

Secretary Gilpatric forwarded to Mr. McCene on Jarsiaxy 17th.

We should discuss the natter with Secretary Oilpatric when -1• 0

he returns next week to determine what steps should be taken

next.

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Joseph V. Charyk . A:

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IAtt. Cy of Proposed Agreement •• •••••

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MEMORANDUM FOR: Dr. It_

Attached is the revised NRO agreement. we

will await action hers pending your discussions

with Mr. Crilpatric.

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Please have original and second copy signed

in order that both CIA and DOD will have

signed copies.

29 March 1962

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TNIS DOCUMENT REQUIRES SPECIAL HANDLING

RANSLINGPFCCFZURES

nil's. DOCUMENT COMA= INFOLMATION REGARDING A HIGHLY CLASSIFIED

ACTIVI7Y. PERMISSION TO TRANSFER CUSTODY, OR PERMIT ACCESS TO

THIS DOM:War.' W.ET BE OBTAINED FROM THE ORIGINATOR. HAND CARRY

FRO:EDURES WILL BE APPLIED TC ANY TETER-OFFICE OR INTRA-AGENCY

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27 March 1962

AGREEMENT

Management of the National Reconnaissance Program

This paper outlines the agreement between the Department of Defense and

the Central Intelligence Agency for establishing a National Reconnaissance

Program (NRP), and for dealing both with the management and operation of

this program and the handling of the intelligence product of the program on

a covert basis.

The NRP will consist of all denied area overflight and satellite

reconnaissance projects whether overt or covert. It will include all such

efforts as photographic projects for intelligence, geodesy and mapping

purposes, and electronic signal collection projects for electronic signal

intelligence and communications intelligence resulting therefrom.

There will be established on a covert basis a National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) to manage this program. This office shall be

under the direction of a Director and Deputy Director, one being appointed

by the Department of Defense and the other by the Central Intelligence

Agency. The Department of Defense representative shall be the Under

Secretary of the Air Force, and the Deputy Director (Research) (DD/R)

shall act for the Central Intelligence Agency. The NRO will include a

small special staff whose personnel will be drawn from the Department of

Defense and the Central Intelligence Agency and assigned on a full-time

basis to appropriate positions within the office.

3. The NRO will have responsibility for the planning, development,

and monitoring of all elements and phases of the National Reconnaissance

Program. Within this program prime responsibility and authority for the

over-all aspects of each individual project will be specifically assigned to

either the Department of Defense or the Central Intelligence Agency by the

Secretary of Defense and the Director of Central Intelligence acting jointly

upon recommendation of the Director and Deputy Director, NRO. Responsibility for various subtasks will likewise be assigned to a specific agency

on an individual project basis. All advance planning and new projects will

be coordinated with both the Director and Deputy Director of the NRO.

TS-155851

Copy No. /

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TOP-SECIET--

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Decisions of the National Reconnaissance Office will be

implemented and its management of the National Reconnaissance Program

made effective: within the Department of Defense, by the exercise of the

authority delegated to the Under Secretary of the Air Force; within the

Central Intelligence Agency, by the Deputy Director (Research) in the

performance of his presently assigned duties. The Under Secretary of

the Air Force will be designated Special Assistant for Reconnaissance to

the Secretary of Defense and delegated full authority in this area.

Within the Department of Defense, the Department of the Aix

Force will be the operational agency for management and conduct of those

projects assigned by the NRO to the DOD, and will conduct these projects

through the use of streamlined special management procedures involving

direct control from the office of the Under Secretary of the Air Force to

Reconnaissance System Project Directors in the field, without intervening

reviews or approvals.

Within the Central Intelligence Agency the Deputy Director

(Research) will be the operational element responsible for management

and conduct of those projects assigned by the NRO to the CIA. The DD/R

will conduct this program through the use of special Agency procedures and will

utilise whatever elements of the Agency are required for its successful

prosecution.

A Technical Advisory Group for the NRO will be established.

A uniform security control system will be established for the

total program by the NRO. The Central Intelligence Agency shall define

security policy, procedures, and responsibilities for the National •

Reconnaissance Office. Products from the various programs will be

available to all users designated by the United States Intelligence Board.

The NRO will be directly responsive to, and only to, the photographic and electronic signal (Sigint) collection requirements and priorities

established by the United States Intelligence Board and will develop the

over-all reconnaissance program to satisfy these requirements. The

National Security Agency will review USIB electronic signal (COMINT and

ELINT) requirements and will recommend to the NRO those which, in

NSA's opinion, can best be fulfilled by means of overhead reconnaissance.
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10. The National Security Agency will be solely responsible for

the research, development, pluming, and operations for processing of

electronic signal data (COMINT and FLINT) collected from space vehicle

sources, taking into consideration the effective utilisation of all processing resources available to the U. S. Government. The processing will

include technical feedback to the NRO as well as extraction of intelligence

data, but technical feedback from other sources may be provided.

The NRO will develop suitable cover plans and public information plans, in conjunction with the Assistant Secretary of Defense, Public

Affairs, to reduce potential political vulnerability of these programs. In

regard to satellite systems, it will be necessary to apply the revised

public information policy to other non-sensitive satellite projects in order

to insure maximum protection.

The Director and Deputy Director of the NRO will establish

detailed working procedures to insure that the particular talents, experience

and capabilities within the Department of Defense and the Central Intelligence

Agency are fully and most effectively utilized in this program.

Management control of the field operations of various elements

of the program will be exercised directly, in the case of the Department of

Defense, from the Under Secretary of the Air Force to the designated

project officers for each program and, in the case of the Central Intelligence

Agency, from the Deputy Director (Research) to the designated project

officers for each program. Major program elements and operations of

the NRO will be reviewed on a regular basis and as special circumstances

require by the Special Group under NSC 5412.

14. This agreement hereby rescinds 6 September 1961 agreement

entitled "Management of the National Reconnaissance Program", signed

by the Deputy Secretary of Defense and the Acting Director of Central

Intelligence.

JOHN A. McCONE

Director of Central Intelligence

ROSWELL L. GILPATRIC

Deputy Secretary of Defense

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