REF ID:A43670 

SECRET 

e NATIONAL SECURITY AGENC,, 

FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, MARYLAND 

/ ... ... ~ · ...... 

Major General Millard Lewis 

Commander, U.S. Air Force Security Service 

San Antonio, Texas 

Dear Millard: 

Serial: N 1315 

17 APR 1961 

Reference is made to your letter, File CCG, Subject: USAlSS 

Magnetic Tape Program, dated 3 April 1961. 

I agree that magnetic tape is rapidly becoming a major element 

in cryptologic costs and that this area needs careful stu~. With 

this in mind, I have directed a management review of e.11 the factors 

determining tape requirements along the lines ct' the attached outline. Successful completion of this review will require the cooperation of all the Service Cryptologic Agencies although I do not feel 

that a formal inter-agency committee would be helpful at this time. 

I understand that the budget estimates attached to your letter 

are based on the following and possibly other factors: 

a. Installation of new or modified intercept systems 

involving the increased utilization of expensive tapes. 

b. The need during FY-62 and 63 to fill tape supply 

pipelines. 

c. The assumption that virtually all recordings will be 

forwarded to NSA for processing. 

d. That no tapes involved will be returned for re-use. 

e. That com.sumption estimates were based on the limited 

information and experience available to you including estimates 

ma.de by contractors. 

If other factors influenced the estimates, will you please 

indicate them so that they can be available for use in the management review referred to above. 

eclassified and approved for release by NSA on 10-09-2013 pursuant to E.O. 

3526 

SECRET 
SB0R!ff Serial: N 

Everything possible will be done to minimize the number of 

tapes which must be forwarded to NSA for permanent retention. We 

assure you that we a.re taking a "hard look" a.t the entire problem 

as you suggest. 

Incl: 

a/s 

~ L. H. fifdH' 

Vice Admiral, USN 

Director 

1315 
Hagnetic Tape Bud.Beta.ry Requirements • a.."1d 

Pipeline Problems 

(Project Outline) 

A. Problem: 

The rapid deYelopment of collection tech.."liques and hardware using 

some form of magnetic tape as a recording medium have ma.de it essential to 

reevaluate the budgetary, logistic, and technical requirements and trends 

in this at"ea. It is necessary to work out continuing procedures to keep 

abreast of' this problem as it develops as well as to deal with the current 

situation. 

B. Present Status: 

1. A great deal of work has been done on some of the specific areas 

listed below (par D. ) even though f'u1ly satisfactory answers have not been 

found or have not been accepted and implemented. For example, adequate data 

on current receipts, releases, and inventories is available "across the 

board" rather than in the fragmentary form ·which existed previously. 

2. Analytic Offices w.i. th the assistance of MPRO and R/D, are ma.'\.\.ing 

progress in developing machine programs and procedures which Will make it 

possible to process a..l'ld erase many tapes now in storage. They have also 

developed estimates of future tape consumption. 

3. COSA and R/D have done a great deal. of work in developing equipment, 

procedures and standards "11hich will improve quality control on both new tape 

and used tape being re·t;urned to the pipeline. 

4. Progc-ess has been made in developing more efficient recording methods 

to increase the qua.nti ty of intercept which can be put on a tape . Unfortunately, from a budgetary standpoint, increases in storage capacity mey be 

achieved only by adopting much more expensive tape (higher quality, wider, 

etc.,) new a.nd more expensive equipment, and expenditure of considerable 

machine tine and manpower. 

5. A good deal of effort has been spent on tape standardization which 

is closely related to the more general problem of' equipment standardization, 

but it is not clear hO't-T much actual progress has been made as yet. 

6. Extended planning was done in an effort to centralize tape procurement in the interest of better quality control, economy in tape procurement, etc., but these efforts have not been success:f'u.l.. 

c. Method of Attack: 

1. Determine and/or ccmpile data already available in r;sA on the above 

areas, and what information is needed from the Cryptologic Services or o'l:;her 

sources. 

2. Obtain necessary information on tape problems from the Cryptologic 

Agencies. 

Incl 
• J 

REF ID:A43670 

e 3. Work out 

tape requirements 

with the Cryptologic Services better methodsfor estimating 

to be used in budgetin;g for ·Gape. 

4. Determine whether tape costs can be reduced through a greater degree 

of standardization in tape specifications or through changes in procurement 

procedures . 

D. Areas of Investigation 

1. Present tape usage by type of ·tape (Federal Stock Number, Size and 

other specifications): 

a. Tape receipts by Service, 

b. Tapes returned to Services for reuse, 

c. Tapes rejected as unsuitable for reuse, 

d. Tapes retained by MSA, 

e. Tape retention policy. 

2. Future collection programs for FY-62 through FY-66 using :magnetic tape. 

a. Effect of expected changes in intercept capabilities and assignments for systems now· in being on tape constmiption. 

b. Planning and programming for installation of in·tercept systems 

now under development or testing and their probable effect on tape requirements. 

3. Present and planned flow of' magnetic tape through 11 lipeline" from 

source to intercept station to processing center, etc., with estimated volu-rnes 

of tape at each stage of the system. 

4. Expected tape processing capabilities and retention policies. 

5. Technical requirements governing tape specifications, quality controls, reuse of tapes, etc. 

6. Tape procurement and costs. 

7. Methods of est1mating budge·tary requirements f'or tape procurement. 

8. The effect of unprogt"ammed requirements resulting from: 

a. New signaJ.s, 

b. Unpredictable expansions in target activity, and 

c. Breakdmms in normal tape supply. 

9. Tape storage problems and practices with particular er.iphasis on the 

effects of storage conditions on tape life and reuse. 
REF ID:A43670 

.. .rial: N 1315 

1·1/R: In a letter dated 3 April 1961, :Maj. General lewis, Commander US.L\FSS, 

comme~ted on the significant increase in IrJa.Bnetic tape dollar volume. Also 

mentioned was the fact that while NSA has esl;a.blished a return rate for t 

inch tape, no return rate has been established for the i inch tapes which 

account for the increased dollar volwne. Since numerous inter-related factors have a bearing on tape dollar volume 1 a management review has been 

initiated to accomplish the 11 hard look11 suggested in the .AFSS letter. Coordinated with COSA (:Mr. Pearson), PROD-04 ( Cdr. McGinnis) and reviewed by 

A/Dm PROD. 

cc: 

H. D. WAG01iERfuf.-023200/24 Apr 61/eh 

., .... D:J!R:-:---:'-----=-~: ___ ... "' 

AG 

Reading File 

D/Dm 

D/PROD 

PROD-02 

PROD-03 

PROD-04 

IJJVA (2) 

ACOM 

AI.iIJJ 

COSA (4) 

GENS (7) 

MPRO 

IDG 

COMP 

R/D 

Added M/R: Letter retyped in AG-103 in order to reference incoming letter 

and delete date of 10 April 1961 in 2nd paragraph. Coordinated with Mr. 

H. D. Wagoner, PROD-02. --;/. d~ 

H. Wurster/ AG-J.03/25 kpr 61/3624 

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