DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE 

HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES AIR FORCE 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 

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REPLY T 

ATTNOF,

O AFRDC 

SUBJECT: Photographic Readout System for Use in Reconnaissance Aircraft 

to: AFSC 

1. Enclosed is correspondence I received this date from Dr. Flax in 

his capacity of (S) DNRO. The correspondence is largely selfexplanatory, and it is my understanding that Colonel Lowe of your staff 

has participated in the discussions leading to this letter. 

2. As requested by Dr. Flax, I will keep this effort under the special 

security of the BYEMAN security control procedures within this headquarters. I have assigned staff responsibility for this matter to my 

Assistant for Reconnaissance, Colonel Dixon. His staff is prepared to 

assist you in any manner necessary to expedite the development program 

required. 

FOR THE CHIEF OF STAFF 

1 Atch 

BYE 52120-67 

w/1 Atch JOSEPH R. HOLZ PLE 

Lieutenant General, USAF 

Deputy Chief of Staff, 

Research & Developmeat 

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NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE OFFICE 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 

OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR 

February 9, 1967 

MEMORANDUM FOR LIEUTENANT GENERAL HOLZAPPLE, AFRD 

DORIAN 

GAMBIT 

SUBJECT: Photographic Readout System for Use in Reconnaissance 

Aircraft 

A project has been underway for some time within the 

National Reconnaissance Program to develop the technology to 

read out photographic film from a reconnaissance satellite 

to a ground station. This effort has progressed to the point 

that an engineering model of a readout system for use with 

GAMBIT-3 optics has been built and demonstrated in ground 

test. 

The pros and cons of extending this development to flight 

test have been examined in some detail in the light of present 

budget limitations and the capability of existing and proposed 

photographic systems to satisfy the requirements of the intelligence community. As a result of this review, it has been decided 

that further development and flight test of this specific readout system will not be continued at this time. The major contract for this effort is with Columbia Broadcasting System 

Laboratories. This contract will terminate on February 28, 1967; 

final phase-down in project manning is underway. 

In view of the significant advances in readout technology 

which have resulted from this project, it is appropriate to 

examine application to other DoD uses such as aircraft reconnaissance systems. Plans have been formulated in DDR&E to establish 

a Tri-Service Program to apply this technology and equipment to 

reconnaissance aircraft such as the RF-4C, RF-111 or the Navy 

RA-5C. It is anticipated that this Tri-Service Program will 

commence about October 1, 1967. 

CBS has assembled a highly competent engineering staff for 

the GAMBIT-3 effort which should be retained for the planned TriService Program. This can be accomplished by early initiation of 

an interim program at CBS to begin to apply this technology and 

equipment to aircraft and to cover the period from now until the 

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Tri-Service effort commences. I have agreed that the Air Force 

will conduct this program. Accordingly, the purpose of this 

memorandum is to define the objective of the interim program, 

the general security procedures which must be followed, and the 

management responsibilities. 

Program Objective 

The basic objective of the interim program is to preserve the 

technology represented by the CBS photo processor and high resolution laser film scanner and recorder, and to continue the development of these basic subsystems for application to manned and/or 

drone aircraft and other known Air Force requirements. An abbreviated work statement which is designed to accomplish this objective is attached. 

Security 

The need to maintain comprehensive security protection during 

the transition period from an NRO to an Air Force Program and thereafter, cannot be over-emphasized. The fact that a photographic 

readout program was initiated by the NRO, and that some of the technology developed in this program may be utilized in other NRP projects is extremely sensitive and must remain so; such information 

will continue to be protected under the BYEMAN Security Control 

System. Otherwise, the security aspects of the aircraft oriented 

photographic readout program should be handled as SECRET; however, 

the strictest need-to-know must be established for program access. 

It is recommended that special handling procedures similar to those 

used in certain space programs (AFR 205-23) be applied. After the 

transition period, normal Air Force/DOD security criteria should be 

applied. 

Staff Management 

In general, this program must be handled in the Air Staff in 

a manner similar to other sensitive aircraft reconnaissance programs. 

The Air Staff Project Monitor must be appropriately cleared in the 

BYEMAN Security Control System to provide necessary security protection and to coordinate as required with the NRO Staff. 

Field Management 

In view of the need to protect the association of the NRO 

with film readout, to protect future application of this highly 

advanced technology in other programs (such as the MOL), and 

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DORIAN 

GAMBIT 

the necessity for a simplified management arrangement which 

will permit a rapid transition of responsibility to the TriService SPO, the field management responsibility for this 

interim program should rest with AFSC Headquarters. Here 

also, the program should be handled in a manner similar to 

other sensitive reconnaissance programs and the AFSC Program 

Manager must be appropriately cleared in the BYEMAN Security 

Control System. 

Funding 

This program will be programmed and funded as an advanced 

development line under Reconnaissance Strike Capability. 

dollars has been designated to cover the period ending 

September 30, 1967. 

It is requested that the necessary actions be taken to 

establish this interim program. The NRO Staff will assist in 

the security planning, and in coordination of the program plan 

and arrangements which are formulated. 

Alexander H. Flax 

Attachment 
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WORK STATEMENT 

PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM READOUT SYSTEM FOR AIRCRAFT APPLICATIONS, 

COLUMBIA BROADCASTING SYSTEM LABORATORIES' H. 

I. General 

The CBS Laboratories are developing an engineering model 

of several major components of a high resolution photographic 

readout system. The purpose of this contract is to continue 

the development of these major subsystems for use in manned or 

unmanned aircraft, and continued development of components of 

the subsystem which have other Air Force applications. 

These components are: 

(a) Photo Processor. 

(b) High resolution laser film scanner. 

(c) High resolution laser recorder. 

II. Tasks 

1. The contractor shall continue the functional and performance testing of the photographic film readout system referred 

to as the CBS Engineering Model #1 (EM-1). Where feasible, the 

EM-1 shall•be used as a test bed for other requirements.of this 

contract. All test results shall be thoroughly analyzed in 

order to provide, a sound technical base for duture system 

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and sub-system designs. The objectives of the EM-1 testing 

shall be 

(a) To produce positive transparenceS from a variety 

of negatives transparency inputs. 

(b) To obtain system and subsystem reliability and 

maintainability data. 

(c) To establish overall operational compatiblity of 

each subsystem with airplane and drone applications and environments. 

2. The contractor shall evaluate the separate and combined 

use of the major system elements, listed in paragraph 1, in, 

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aircraft and drone applications. Various combinations and 

models of each of the above elements should be evaluated to 

establish a range of performance, cost, weight and size for the 

major components. For example, processor through put time vs. 

exposure index shall be determined for the applicable range of 

camera typo and exposure conditions. Each system element, or 

if applicable, subsystem component, shall be designed so as to 

be usable independently of the rest of the system, for other 

Air Force applications. 

3. A configuration study shall be conducted for specified 

aircraft and/or drones. The characteristics of the vehicles 

(volume, weight, form factor, etc.) shall be provided by the 

Air Force. This study shall provide an initial set of system 

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specifications configuration drawings Aerospace Ground Equipment Studies, interface data and performance tradeoffs related 

to operational parameters and mission profile analysis. This 

study will not consider data link equipment but will state data 

link requirements in terms of performance required. 

4. The contractor shall initiate a program of component 

improvement studies designed to provide options for optimized 

resolution, area scan rate and band width. Tradeoffs shall be 

determined between such factors as-output film resolution, 

transmission time per frame (for 70mm, 5 inch and 9.5 inch film) 

and band width required for the transmission link. Specific 

design data relating.practical engineering considerations to 

overall system utilization will also be provided. Where 

practical, breadboards will be developed or, preferably, modifications to previous breadboard systems will be utilized to 

prove feasibility. 

5. The contractor shall establish the optimum use of the 

recorder subsystem as an airborne recorder for direct or FM 

recording of continuous tone, analog or pulse type information. 

Recorders for the following applications shall be considered: 

a. High Resolution Infrared Sensors 

b. High Resolution Laser Scanner Sensors 

c. High Resolution Coherent Side Looking Radar 

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d. Electronic Warfare Systems 

e. Other appropriate reconnaissance sensors 

The contractor shall also establish the design parameters of 

the recorder for recording the outputs of a data link which 

receives input information from the above sensors. The data 

link receiver may be either at a ground station or aboard an 

aircraft. 

For both airborne direct recording or airborne or ground 

recording through a data link, the recorder engineering 

analysis shall establish a subsystem compatibility with 

individual system characteristics (i.e., amplitude linearity 

and phase continuity requirements, wide V/H range, infrared 

and laser line scan sensor tangential sweep non linearities, 

radar squint angle and slant range corrections, etc.) 

The recorder designs shall be based upon requirements for near 

real time viewing (where appropriate) as well as storage and 

later input-output to data reduction and data processing equip-, 

ment. 

6. The contractor shall establish the manufacturability 

of the various configurations from a schedule, cost, functional 

and environmental compatibility point of view. This effort 

shall establish practical tradeoffs relating the degree of 

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precision achievable (i.e., spinner factor error, mirror 

flatness, lens performance,etc.) within a'range of performance, 

cost and schedule parameters. Specific cost effectiveness 

comparisons shall be established. 

7. The effort described in this work statement will be 

conducted from 1 February to 30 September 1967. A level of 

effort shall be maintained to accomplish as much of the above 

as is possible within this time period. The expected output 

of this effort will be technology in the form of detailed 

engineering reports and breadboard hardware as specified. The 

contractor will make every effort-to maintain a flexible 

posture to changing requirements and goals. 

III. Documentation 

1. Documentation will consist of progress reports and 

detailed engineering reports. Quarterly progress reports will . 

be submitted describing the efforts for each item of the work 

statement. The final progress report summarizing the entire 

effort will be provided at the end of the contract period. 

Engineering reports in accordance with specific customer requirements will be provided at the end of the contract period 

for each major portion of the subsystem as.described above. 

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IV Contract Period 

This contract will be in effect for the period of 1 

February 1967 to 30 October 1967. 

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