A. ROLE OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP71B00508R000100030001-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 28
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 21, 2002
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: November 3, 1965
• Content Type: OUTLINE

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NRO REVIEW COMPLETED
A EL
(11/3/65)
A. ROLE OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE_;
formulate, guide, and regulate e NRP. - 4t_w1_L1 con-
sist of the Deputy Secretary of efense and the
Director of Central inte lligenceA
a dal d ~ ~n `foam for -the-National Reconn-ais-ssa-nce
a~
P ogr 1h ,The Ixg~~~tive Committee
1. Examine the reconnaissance requirements
provided by USIB against technical and fiscal
capabilities, so as to establish an appropriate
level of effort for the NRP.. In this role it
will rely largely on cost effectiveness and
technical feasibility analyses prepared by the
DNR and the component elements of the NR Organiza-
tion.
2. Approve or modify the consolidated NR
Program and its budget as forwarded by the DNR.
3. Initiate and assign responsibility for
research and preliminary design studies in CIA
and/or DOD for new systems through the DNR in
response to USIB requirements.
On & V11
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4. Allocate development responsibility
for specific reconnaissance problems to DOD
or CIA, and establish guidelines for mutual
support where appropriate. It shall be free
to use technical advisory groups as necessary.
5. Assign operational responsibilities to
either DOD or CIA for various types of manned
overflight missions, subject to the concurrence,
as appropriate, of the 303 Committee.
6. Review periodically the essential
features of the major program elements of the
NRP.
B. ROLE OF THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE:
To insure the coordination of CIA and DOD recon-
naissance activities and to provide a single point of
integration for the planning and budgeting of the
National Reconnaissance Program, a Director of National
Reconnaissance will be appointed by the Secretary of
Defense with the concurrence of the Director of Central
Intelligence, who will report to the Executive Committee
on all matters affecting the NRP. Specifically, he will:
1. Be kept fully and completely informed
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of all reconnaissance activities in CIA and
2. Coordinate CIA and DOD use of the
space launching, tracking and recovery
facilities.
3. Coordinate film processing of CIA and
DOD activities so as to make best use of the
primary Eastman-Kodak facility at Rochester,
the backup Air Force capability at Westover,
and field processing centers.
4. Prepare a coordinated and consolidated
NRP budget for examination and approval by
ExCom. This budget will be based on submissions
from appropriate elements of CIA and DOD.
5. Ensure the flow of funds from the NRP
appropriations to CIA and appropriate DOD ele-
ments in lump sum transfers each fiscal year.
Incremental funding from reserve or reprogramming
sources will be used only for supplemental pro-
grams approved by ExCom.
6. Deal with the operating head of the
CIA or his designated alternate on all matters
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of policy, coordination, or guidance. He will
not exercise command control over operating
elements of CIA or its personnel.
7. Assume such command responsibilities
over DOD elements of the NRP as the Secretary
of Defense may designate. He will establish
suitable lines of coordination with those
line components which do not respond directly
to him.
8. Sit with the USIB for the matters
affecting the NRP.
9. Appear before the 303 C ommittee with
appropriate operating elements of CIA or DOD
to secure approval for overhead reconnaissance
missions.
C. RESEARCH AND PRELIMINARY DESIGN:
1. Research on reconnaissance technology
and preliminary design of new systems will be
encouraged and supported in both CIA and DOD.
It will be supported by a, lump sum allocation
from NRP funds to each group in like measure
at a level to be established each year by the
Executive Committee.
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2. A prescribed fraction of these resources--
perhaps 20% to 40%--will be earmarked for support
of basic research on reconnaissance technology*
to stimulate and assure the future vigor of this
field. CIA and DOD will keep each other fully
informed of su .Pr ogkess to avoid unwitting
duplication and encourage joint exploitation of
new techniques.
3. Preliminary design and small technical
feasibility demonstrations of new reconnaissance
systems will also be funded from this innovation
resoi4rce. Such work can grow out of requirements
J"~_ j_ 4..,+,.,.6.4fy? . 6.4-- tom .:-_ ~ t f ( 6: : (; &,A L-, C c 1'''~ " ~. ,,-# f) A' '
g, ---down through the USIB%EXCOM/DNR chain-,
1 P 'lam` s ato~ta,n Lug._nee4s jor im-
provements 16& existing capabilities, or can re-
sult from spontaneous initiative in the CIA and
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DOD participating elements
I
and ExCom receive each month a, comprehensive re-
port on the initiation, status, or conclusion of
such efforts. In this way, competitive study
efforts will be recognized, approved or discouraged,
and synchronized for later decision actions.
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*(i.e., films, lens figuring, readout links,
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However, it is important that the DNR
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4. It is intended that these funds and
their products represent the flexible cutting
edge of the reconnaissance program. They should
not be used to fund actual development or opera-
tional activities.
D. SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT:
1. When a new system concept has been
sufficiently well defined and its technical
feasibility established to the satisfaction of
its proponents, the DNR, the ExCom and its
advisors, it would be included in the inventory
of the NRP. At this point, it should receive
necessary funding from line items in the budget
identified with these systems., These funds
would then be allocated to CIA and/or DOD, to
whom specific developmental responsibility has
been assigned by the ExCom.
2. The operating element of CIA and/or
DOD assigned development responsibility for a
new system will be responsible for selecting
and supervising capable contractors, for estab-
lishing such systems engineering support as they
deem necessary and rendering periodic reports on
program progress to the DNR and ExCom.
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3. Satellite reconnaissance systems are
characterized primarily by the payload /cameras,
spacecraft, data recovery system7 as well as by
their boosters. The interface between the launch
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system and payload isy ft n__crucial and cite
planning for compatible checkout and launch
facilities, boosters, tracking, and recovery
a#Q4s-tro proceed with the payload development.
The DNR will establ-i.. and facilitate lines
o.LU. technical. and programmatic communication
between the group;
and DOD responsible
far payjoac ._ -opment and the satellite sup-
par _elements of the Air Force. The DNR will
be responsible for the success of this interface,
ate. s the comisil~ility and coordination
`-caLt e.
totality ,..o, . payload interfaces with the
.:..Fox_ce. The responsible agency may ca,T1 on
other elements of the NRO for Support (contract-
iU9.;. o. arI_ty:,,, te.c.hni ea.l,..e.t.c. j _,-&e- v ded but
wVnl---carry the respor_s. ;, ; Y.., ,d , lathority for
the, succe~ the .;gt lu.Mth..~_phase.
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4. A normal phase of satellite development
programs is the initial flight testing in orbit
and engineering proof of the completed payload
system. These flight tests will be the primary
responsibility of the payload developing group
in CIA or DODO - ec.t-a.n1X.~ o_ the compati ility
L- eh oper.atians__mith_ the operational missions
aid dyer .#l.i.ght. tests coordinated by the DNR.
F-pEifi~erms;.-his me,ns.._tir~d,_tlze test
ptYahring, mission profile and engfing super-
~rs'l o mot mange safety7`
f the f-light would
developersr The,~r would be expected
to include as many intelligence targets as ~e
consistent with the primary development so that
a.ny film recovered would have intelligence value.
IFe' rvrr-~- t -f;1 : n g and control of such flights--
,.once scheduled by t.he_-DNR--would -fall primarily to
tbe- devIng .group. When a system ha.d been
successfully demonstrated and declared opera-
tionally reliable, it would enter the operational
phase .
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E. ROUTINE OPERATIONAL PHASE:
1. When the satellite payload has been
successfully developed, it becomes a part of
the oper ational assets of the NRP. The payloads
together with appropriate boosters, launchers
and tracking stations represent the NRP capability
to obtain orbital photography, and accordingly
represent part of an orderly program to acquire
such intelligence in response to USIB require-
ments, target lists and priorities. The DNR;
must play the central role in planning this pro-
gram. It involves :Ear-sighted budgeting for
payload production as well a.s booster procurement
and. modification. It involves judicious scheduling
of operational launches from-fixed resources, in
addition to development flight tests. It rewires
a plan with sufficient flexibility to respond to
changing world situations and the corresponding
intelligence needs. It is a complex managerial
task for which a single individual must in the
last analysis be responsible.
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2. Both the long range requirements for
satellite missions and the shifting targets
for specific flights come properly from the
intelligence community in which all elements
~--
of the Government have voice. The community
has named COMOR as the staff to provide these
requirements in an orderly wa.y, subject to
approval by USIB.
3. The Ba.tellite Operations Center is the
next step in that sequence of events. Its
function is to plan specific mission coverage
in light of COMOR target requirements. It
does so by first studying the spectrum of
orbital choices a.va;ilable. These are supplied
by various groups o:n the West Coast and represent.
specific launch vehicle propulsion capabilities,
current range safety restrictions, etc. These
feasible orbits are then computer analyzed in
Washington to optimize target coverage in light
of sun angle, predicted weather conditions and
target priorities. An orbit is selected and
camera programs established for this mission.
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 This is basi~Cally an int
lligence function.
Thy process wb ks som what differently for
CCp~*vntfil
spotting searchs payloads. In the
~ri~, central r o 1 e~ ~~"~te--c-at~ s
a~ +r ~ ::i?~-te'+d ate. #,fie-~~s.~1]h~x..i.~.tegra~~on
~5X1A case of CORONA coverage, the SOC-has pla ed a
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by~?~A.,urhex's the -cameras,.. film, spacecra~t~,.,~;,,d,=
reentry veYHCle are mated .an.d.:~~rxog ammed. The
a~~embled Npayload is th~,n_ taken to,~=~andenburg,
an,c~...~.af-ter further checl~out,? launched into- -orbit
by the Air Eorce and-its contr-actors.~ Until
the spring of 1963, the Satellite Operations
Center v~-as--?.inv~.lved solely in CORONA and ARGON
a~ was located at CIA Headquarters next to ?.~
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 Approved For Release 2003/03/10 :CIA-RDP71B00508R000100030001-3
PREP I DE NT
i'1DVISORY
DIRECTOR
CIA
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CIA ASSETS FoR:
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'`COVERT CONTRACTING
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CORONA PAYIAAD
ExECUTI VE
COMIM ITTEE
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SEC_ DEFENSE
DEPl1TY 'SEG.
DEFENSE
DOD ASSETS FoR:
SATELLITE ~ MANNED
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COMMAND ..f ~._ COORpIN~-YION
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