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Memo form DOD to Mr. MoCone,

mean mu. wassimen INICCIPT 111161/111801

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THE DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

WASHINGTON 25.O. C.

Jamary 17, 1962

10EILOAANDUM FOR MR. bicCONE

SUBJECT: National Recoaaaissaace Program

Enclosed herewith is a proposed latter confirm.

iag the CIA-DoD agree:neat for la:Idling the National

Reconnaissance Program. If yes wish. I will be glad

to get together with you to discuss this paper later in

the day, perhaps at your house oa my way hams.

Enclosure

-SPECfkL-HARD/a1/113-

TOP Sa,T.E.-1
1••n•••n•••

ArIMIT:C P2GRADI,G;

r 11 rr1:5 rola APPLY .• .• • .• • • ••

.• t. • . •

Dear Mr. Nemo:

This letter confirms our agreement with respect to the

modification of the agreement of September 6, 1961 between

the Director of Central Intelligence and the Secretary of

Defense with respect to the setting up of a Nativaal Rocco.

naissance Program (MRP) and the arrangements 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.

1. The NIP consists of all satellite and overflight

reconnaissance projects whether overt or covert. It includes

all photographic projects for intelligence geodesy endow

ping purposes, and electronic signal collection projects for

electronic signal intelligence and communications intelligence resulting therefrom.

The Director of Central Intelligence, through • •

the OM, will establish or validate all requirements for • • 4.

the IRP and will establish its broad project and overall

target priorities.

.„ ...:.:1

The Director of Central Intelligence and the •• .....,,

. ...

Secretary of Defame will jointly provide policy and program . *•:•:;:.

guidance and managerial direction for the NIP. The Secretary :'.-...1

of Defense, acting as Executive agent for the Department of • ....•

Defense and

-

entral the C Intelligence Agency, will venom ..- e%,

operate and maintain the security of the MVP in accordance accordance ..

with the joint decisions of the Director of Central Intelligene and the Secretary of Defense.

: .

:

: • ..• . •' ."

. ., •' . , •t

- • ,••

4. There will be established on a covert basis with.

t• • .• ,;•4 .:„...

in the Department of Defense a National Reconnaissance Office

.'

!.:

,.

17

.

• f •.

.- 

to manage and operate the W. This office will be under the • ':1:

direction of the Assistant for Reconnaissance to the Secretary . - , ''.

of Defense (DOD/AR), whose appointment will be subject to the ,-,N

approval of the Director of Central Intelligence, and who will .-.1:

be delegated full authority to act for the Secretary of Defense .:. *..;,;

.. • %

doc=ent •Zen3i3:.:-. or 141 pawls

Coprift. of 000loo
• SPECIALliANDLINGL

in carrying out his responsibilities as 'Marna's Agent for

the managememt and operation of the MP. This office mill

include a mall special stair whose personnel will be dram

from the Department of Defense and the Central Intelligence

Agency. This office mill have direct control over all elements of the total program.

The functions and responsibilities of the Assistant for Reconnaissance to the Secretary of Defense are set

forth in Attachment "A" hereto.

Upon the approval of this agreement by the President, the agreement of September 6, 1961, hereinabove referred to, will be superseded.

If the foregoing is in accord with your imderstanding of

our agreement, I would appreciate it if you would kindly sign

and return the enclosed copy of this letter.

Sincerely,

1 Atch.

Functions and Responsibilities

of the National Reconnaissance

Office-f20-

Honorabli John A. MicCone

Director

Central Intelligence Agency

APPROVED:

Director

Central Intelligence Agency.

•
-.

• •• • • • ••• -

.1 ! •

. .

. . .

•

•

Refers***

(a) Deputy Secretary of Defense TOP SMUT asmorandum,

subject: Specs Vehicle Electronics Intelligence' •

Program, dated October 20, 1961, with attachment.

kisinkusaLL

zato Rational Reconnaissance Office.

MRP - Mitional Reconneissanse Program, to consist.

of all overt and covert satellite and over..*:

flight projects for intelligence, geodesy

and photography and electronic signal

collection.

DOD/AR • Assistant for Recommaissaoce to the Secretor/ -

of Defense.

-T-OP-SECRET--

. SPECIAL PIAlvDLING
AOC • Aircraft Operations Center • Air form opera•

time office within the Pentagon for control

of special aircraft operations.

NOG 4' Inesios Operations Group • • part of the IRO •

in the Pentagon biob plans specific missions, .•:-;

&itemises targets to ba covered by specific

miasions, and exercises IMO operational oar

trol during missions, through tb

: • ..

The following plan outlines basis policy for the establish. • ,

meat of functions and responsibilities within the Rational

Reconnaissance Office to insure that the particular talents,

experience and capabilities within the Department of Defense

and the Central Intelligence Agency

vely utilised in the establishment

the National Reconnaissance Program.

L. Assumea

-:-"•

are fully and Rost effeeti• :

• amassment and conduct of

.

. •

•

a. Thezashalgskammis responsibility for all.

MRP projects (overt and covert) is &aligned to the DOD/AR.

(1) To provide for full use of available cape.

bilities and resources, and to provide for interface with data

.

TOP SECRET •

. • •
esploitatiom equipment dawelopmmst by agonise outside the

MRO, Army, Navy and Air Force representatives will be whelped,

on a fult.timme basis, to appropriate positions within the INO

under the DOD/AR. They will be tethmically qualified in

electronic signal collection work and in napping and geodesy,

respectively, and have 1O project responsibilitiso im those

*VOSS.

(2) • fits liaison cbammal between the IRO and

WSAwill be established as an adjunct to the technical manage.

moat structure of signal collection projects, and the conduct

of such projects carried out in accordance with the ASA weapon..

sioilitiss described in reforanco (a). Manias will encompass

naxima utiliestion of the Navy technical resources to support

the electronic signal collection programs.

b. namglialmaggam

With respect to Asa, the DOD/AR will be

responsible for all projects of the P. Minds will be al/ommtedf.

on an individual project basis

•

With respect to contracts, all 11110 project •

contracts will be the responsibility of MOD/AR, as a necessary:

PEC14. -;f4.:,:
•

- -TOPSEeKT- •

-SPECIAt-HANDLING-

•

corollary to the assignment of technical asmagewmat realm.

sibility to BOWL Iliomover, covert ("blade) oestracts

which provide cover for or enhance the security of specific

projects may be the responsibility of the =when the

DOD/AR and the Director of CIA, or his nominee,. agree that •

such action offers a preferable route. This includes *stab.

11111111111111=111111111e° provide cover for

covert operations, and any other onetractual action which is

necessary for the YARP and which can provided in • preferred

manner by the Agency.

2. &levity

The DOD/AL will be responsible for the overall security

•• •••

policy for the National Reconnaissance Program. Cider this •11)

overall policy, security of the 1lLP will be administered for 

DOD by DOD/A1, through control officers in the JCS, Arny, Air

Force, and Navy staffs, the DIA and the Me and for the CIA

by its Director, or his nominee. For the collection program,

final need-to-knowvalidation authority will be the ragout..

;

bility of DOD/AR.

.0 • Operations 

a. Scheduling. The mission schedule for all MI

TOP SECRET .

-SPEeitt-HANKING-

.

.•
efforts mill be the sole responsibility of DOWA1, includtag

the obtaining of appropriate clesrsmses whore required.

b. Miamian ODer41,0=

(1) A member of the .DOD/AR office will be

designated as chairsmus of a Mission'Operations Croup (NOC)

which will have Tri-Service, NSA and CIA representation on a

full-time basis. The WOG will have available the complete

schedules and technical capabilities of all of the sows ayetoss of all 1NP projects, and accounts of the coop3Ate coverage obtained by all sensor system of these projects, on a

continuous basis. This group will establish the proilanuch

targeting selection for all reconnaissance projects of the

11RP, and will transmit this information to a secure operations

•

• •

. •

. • •• •

control roomMillor satellite missions, and to the 060 : a;!

for aircraft missions. The operations control room, at . . • •

4

"

will control all satellite missions, responding to operational

,. •

decisions from the NOG in Washington, and engiswiering decisions

I ,se

se •

(2) The officer in charge of the operations con.

. r

trol room at 11111111111111 be sole responsible agent to . •

• DOD/AR to assure necessary actions with the mission vehicle as,

TOP SECRET

SPECIAL I !ARUM

5

from the project directors
(3.

.4

well as with the pound environment to astiniae the probation•

ity of envying out then:Lesion In conformence with imstrmstions of the X. Any required inactions relating to

vehicle and payload operation **rift(' adagios, mob as

/-) piggy-backs, orbit or route changes, filters, etc., will be :

the sole responsibility of the officer in charge of ORM

or AOC control rocs.

(3) To provide a basis for the continuous opera.

tion of the MOO, there will be in the Pentagon a conprobemsive..

display so that the MOO can monitor each mission sad sake .

decisions based on all factors involved, ouch as weather,

target coverage, champ in mission situation, political situ p - • '.1!

. •-• : '.1

---. tion, or new Intelligence data. The initial decision as to • • :.!..1,-.4,

..

which targets to cover with each specific mission will be wads

the COD/AR, who will provide the chairman of the )G.

? SECRET

IPEelAfrOANDUNG-
SPECifIL HANDLE.

ith)--SECRET.

c. 1021mattinc

The DOD/AR viii be responsible for the formatting of the collected NAP product as follows:

Photographic formatting will include

the initial chemical processing, titling, production and

delivery to the users as specified by the MIL

Electronic signal data formatting will

include the decommutation, conversion, technical correction

and reconstruction of the collected signal data to yield a

uNable collect-Len product. DOD/AR will deliver the formatted

collection product, together with associated data necessary

for exploitation, to the NSA or other user as specified by

the US U.

. &Apnea= Analysis 

The DOD/AR will be responsible for engineering

analysis of all collectioo systems to correct the problems

that exist on the operating system as well as to provide information for new systems.

4. The primary responsibility for advanced plans (post

CT 1962) for all NRP projects is assigned to the DOD/AR.
•

-Top-sEcRET-

:spEciAL____HANDLiNer

3. In accordance with the requirements and broad project

and overall target priorities established by the Director of

Central Intelligence, the DOD/AR will determine schedules and

targets for particular missions. Target decisions during conduct

of missions viii be made by the IRO brooms of the NOG previously described, using U$ rewirmseets, priorities and

target Lists.

.71,1711q;

•••

f.J1

. . •