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LS-I NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE OFFICE 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 

THE NRO STAFF March 3, 1970 

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MEMORANDUM FOR DR. McLUCAS 

SUBJECT: Program D Study 

General 

At your request a study has been made of Program D, 

reviewing the tasks performed by the Program Office and the 

management structure to perform them. 

Program D is conducted under a charter to provide for 

support to the Director, CIA Reconnaissance Programs; 

specialized depot activities to support NRP efforts; management of the TAGBOARD development; and U-2 program participation and support. The charter is at Tab 1. The organization and manning of the Program Office is shown at Tab 2. 

Program D is undergoing a transition period with a consequent change in mission emphasis. From an environment of 

participation in new system development and operation, the 

tasks are becoming more oriented toward logistic support. 

There are no new major aircraft or drone systems programmed 

and the study has tried to assess changes in the management 

structure needed to compensate for this changing emphasis. 

Discussion 

The decision was made to transfer the OXCART aircraft 

to the Air Force, and all are now in storage. Program D 

has provided the storage contract and funds through FY 70, 

and is prepared to continue the storage contracting function 

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on a reimbursable basis for the Air Force. Should the Air 

Force identify a need to use the aircraft or spares, effort 

could be needed to sanitize the equipment and data. These 

would be primarily logistics, rather than operations, functions. 

The TAGBOARD development program is nearing completion. 

The ExCom has agreed to reconsider a storage option following 

additional flight tests, or alternately the reduction of 

planned operational flights. This indicates that Program 

Office functions may soon shift from the active role of 

system developer toward an added effort in logistic support. 

The future responsibility for operation of the U-2 fleet 

is uncertain, and consolidation of the NRO and SAC fleets 

could further reduce the workload of the Program Office. 

There are now no funds programmed for additional U-2R 

equipping, and countermeasures R&D effort is to be reduced. 

These factors all tend to reduce the support requirements 

levied on Program D. 

Another major factor in the changing role of Program D 

is the ExCom decision to terminate the SANDY HOOK drone and 

the advanced aircraft programs. This leaves the Program 

Office without a new development program to manage or support. 

There are several activities in process which could have 

an the future workload of the office. Examples 

id -1 

The workloads generated by these and 

similar activities is generally not predictable but must 

be determined on an individual basis. 

Conclusions 

The manning of the Program D Staff appears more than 

adequate to accomplish its mission within present and projected 

workloads. In consideration of the present austere manpower 

environment, a reduction in personnel could be made which, 

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in conjunction with a realignment of functions, could continue 

to provide the support required. 

Recommendations 

1. The Procurement Management Staff Officer (Major, 

vacant) position be deleted. This was one of two spaces 

the Program Director agreed to eliminate -- the other was 

not identified. 

2. One Security Officer (Captain) position should be 

released to the OS1 when the incumbent leaves, about midApril 1970. The remaining Security Officer should be 

assisted administratively, as needed, by one of the present 

secretarial positions. 

3. The functions of a Deputy Director, now performed by 

the Director of Operations, should be eliminated by realignment among other elements of the Program Office staff. With 

the decreasing operational workload the Colonel position, 

Director of Operations, should be deleted. This is also 

supported by the observation that the Director of Materiel 

presently performs the functions of a Deputy in the absence 

of the Program Director and Director of Operations. 

4. When the TAGBOARD development program ends, the position 

of System Program Staff Officer should be deleted. The incumbent serves as both the TAGBOARD project officer and the 

Financial Programs officer. The Financial Programs function 

should be absorbed by the Material and Contracts offices, 

both presently involved in financial programming actions. 

On completion of the TAGBOARD development program, one 

position, primarily involved in tests, may be eliminated 

from the TAGBOARD project office in Burbank. 

Because of the changing role of the Program Office a 

follow-on study in greater depth is recommended. Such a 

study could be started when a major decision is made, such 

as to store the TAGBOARD drones or consolidate the U-2 fleet. 

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Surrrrnary Note 

Recorrrrnended actions could be implemented irrrrnediately or 

when a significant event occurs, as you may choose. 

The further study of the role of Program D, which I have 

recorrrrnended, could best follow a significant decision, such 

as to store the TAGBOARD drones or consolidate the U-2 fleet. 

FREDERICK L. H 

Major, USAF 

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