HIGHEST PRIORITY REQUIREMENTS FOR TALENT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP61S00750A000500040029-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 27, 2013
• Sequence Number: 29
• Publication Date: February 5, 1959
• Content Type: REQ

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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/28: CIA-RDP61500750A000500040029-0 50X1
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5 February 1959
HIGHEST PRIORITY REQUIREMENTS FOR TALENT
1. Basic to the requirement for early warning of the imminence
of a Soviet nuclear attack on the United States is the requirement for
reliable information on the present and future Soviet capabilities for such
an attack. such information is also critical to our national defense policy
and planning. During the past three years limited TALENT coverage has
been by far the most lucrative source of reliable information on which we
have based our estimates of the Soviet capabilities for nuclear attack.
At the present time there is an urgent need for TALENT coverage of
certain objectives and areas known to be or suspected to be associated
with the three major elements (ballistic missile, aircraft, and nuclear
capability)of the nuclear threatt
tas
2. The mos/eritical intelligence problem at this time is the
etatus of the Soviet Le-Rie program, an inherent threat of overriding
magnitude. Studies over the past two years by the US Intelligence
Community have concluded that TALENT provides the only available
means offering reasonable assurance of obtaining on iynmediate basis
the required intelligence on the deployment of Soviet BMs, Certain
rail lines which lend themselves to rail launch or logistic support for
fixed sites and test sites are prime search areas for this information.
Also, teat sites will provide data on the Soviet space program. Increased
urgency has been lent to the deployment question by recent evidence of
ICBM series production. Coverage of the most suspect pr!)duction facilities
may help to confirm this.
3. Other requirements (not in order of priority) for TALENT
coverage which are also critical to national security are set forth in the
following paragraphs.
4. A part of the Soviet ballistic missile capability, it is recognized,
may be that of launch from submarines, nuclear powered or conventional.
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Our need is to determine the possible modification of existing craft,
construction of new ballistic missile submarines, and employment of
both. TALENT coverage offers the best available means of answering
the questions on production, characteristics, and employment of sub-
marines capable of launching ballistic missiles.
5. The existence of a Soviet IRBM capability is recognized as
a fact although this capability is less critical to the United States than
the ICBM. It constitutes an immediate and continuing threat to the West.
TALENT coverage offers the best known means to answer the question
of what is the deployment concept and should assist with information on
the capability of these weapons as well as their production.
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8. Photographic objectives (targets) to fulfill the needs outlined
above are set forth in the attachment. In keeping with the concept of this
paper, the targets bearing on the ICBM are listed as MOST CRITICAL
and the others as CRITICAL within Highest Priority Requirements.
Attachment
Tab A
OACSI (cy 2)
ONI (cy 3)
AFCIN (cys 4&5)
AFCIN-Z (cy 6)
NSA (cy 7)
State (cy 8)
JCS (cy
JAMES Q. REBER
Chairman
Ad Hoc Requirements Committee
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