PROJECT AQUATONE OPERATIONAL CONCEPT - WINTER/ SPRING 1958

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP62B00844R000200080052-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 2, 2002
• Sequence Number: 52
• Publication Date: January 31, 1958
• Content Type: SUMMARY

Approve -For Release 2003/01/24: CIA-RDP62EW844R000200080052-8
I T0111- SECRET
31 January 1958
OPERATIONAL CONCEPT - WINTER/SPRING 1958
1. Objectives: Primary objective of the proposed operations is to
obtain coverage of extremely high priority targets in the USSR which for
operational planning have been grouped into some 13 areas each having homo-
geneous weather. Three of these have been determined to have to riorit
our areas can best be reached from Turke 25X1
25X1 The secondary objective is
to obtain as much useful coverage as posse e :outside of the primary target
areas without increasing the total number of missions for this purpose or
incurring additional risks.
2. Restrictions:
a. RAINBOW covered aircraft will be employed on all missions
with the exception of two areas in eastern central Siberia where the
range of aircraft thus equipped is insufficient
25X1
b. Missions will be compressed into as short a time period as
feasible after operations have been initiated.
c. Operations will be initiated as soon as RAINBOW equipped
aircraft are available, since it must be assumed that with the
passage of time the risk of interception will increase.
3. Weather: The target areas have been defined on the basis of pre-
vailing climatic patterns in such a way that the same weather may be expected
to prevail over all of the targets in any one area. Thus each area should
be coverable with a single mission. Opportunities may even arise to cover
two areas on the same mission. Broadly speaking, during the first six months
of the calendar year the largest amount of clear weather occurs over the
several target areas at the following times: '
Far East excluding KAMCHATKA -- February and March
KAMCHATKA -- April
TS-164857/A?'w'
Copy No. /
Approved For ,R 2 /2A 03?-$'ersionj
Volx r,a
25X1
 Approvesvr Release 2003/01/24: CIA-RDP6244R000200080052-8
TOP ET
Central Siberia -- February and March
TYURA TAM -- April and May
Western Russia excluding WHITE SEA area -- March, with
May as second choice
WHITE SEA Area -- April through June
4. Equipment: Two aircraft without RAINBOW covering are already
in place in the Far East and three at Adana. One RAINBOW equipped air-
craft can be available in the Far East by 25 February and two thus equipped
in Adana by 15 March. Two additional RAINBOW aircraft will be available
in late March for allocation to either Detachment as required. These numbers
are believed adequate to support the operations outlined below, and it is antici-
pated that, after the delivery dates indicated, weather will be the limiting
factor on the rate of operation.
5. Operational Concept: Operations will be conducted in the four
phases given below. Specific target areas will be selected and missions
planned on the basis of forecast weather, and no mission will be launched if
the weather forecast for the target area is marginal or if the forecast carries
a high degree of uncertainty.
a. A preliminary mission, designed in part to probe Russian
defenses, will be undertaken in the Far East as soon as a RAINBOW
aircraft is available. The target will be selected and the mission
planned in such a way as to involve a relatively shallow (300 to 500
miles) penetration over territory which is for the most part sparsely
inhabited. (The most probable targets are KOMSOMOLSK or
UKRANIA. )
b. Upon the successful completion of this mission and in the
absence of any evidence of an increased Soviet interception capability,
missions will be conducted against the three top priority target areas
referred to in paragraph 1. above. In order to maximize the chance
of securing this essential coverage, no other overflights will be under-
taken (except as provided in paragraph 5. c. below) until these three
missions have been accomplished.
Approved For Rel ea Mi CIA-RDP62B00844R000200080052-8
ArA11"'O'"
 Approve4For Release 2003/01/24: CIA-RDP62844R000200080052-8
d. Missions will be conducted against the remaining target
areas after the completion of the three missions called for in para-
graph S. b. above. It is anticipated that the last missions to be
launched will be those against KAMCHATKA, the WHITE SEA and
a possible third far northern area.
6. Timing: It is believed that the preliminary mission (phase one)
can be carried out in late February, that coverage of the three top priority
areas can probably be completed in March, and that the whole program can
be completed by 20/30 April. The total time span would of course be shorter
but for the determination to wait for the completion of the three top priority
missions before embarking on others
7. Future Planning: Upon the conclusion of the above operations,
the prospects for this activity will be re-examined with particular reference
to: new or outstanding requirements for reconnaissance, intelligence then
available on Russian interception capabilities, and the status of developments
which might reduce the vunerability to interception. On the basis of this
study plans for the future of the activity will be formulated and will be
reviewed with higher authority.
25X1
25X1
Approved Fo'
a ? /24 : CIA-RDP62B00844R00020QD868b238pages
TS-164857/A