STUDY OF OPTIONS FOR CONTINUING OPERATION OF THE OXCART AIRCRAFT IN FISCAL YEAR 1969

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP74B00283R000100090001-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 26, 2005
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: March 7, 1960
• Content Type: MF

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NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE ? OFFICE
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:'NORANDU.2 FOR THE DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
of the OXCART Aircraft in Fiscal Year 1969
SU13JECT: Study of Options for Continuing Operation
aircraft beyond the currently programmed phaseout date of
June 30, 1968 has been completed. Althougha number of
alternatives have been studied, I believe the following,
options are significant'for your consideration:
bility and cost of continuing operation of the OXCART
In accordance with your request, a study of the feasi-
Option 1. The OXCART aircraft would,be transferred,
.to the Strategic Air Command (SAC) by October 31, 1968. ?
..SAC-operation of seven of these aircraft (six operation-
ally configured plus one trainer) at current rates would ?
begin by about January 1, 1969, with substitution of-?.
;.;.Air Force for contractor'support wherever possible.
.The eighth (test) aircraft would be sent-to Palmdale
for continuing contractor test operation.
Option 2. The OXCART aircraft would be transferred
to SAC as in Option 1 and the SAC SR-71 inventory would'
be reduced by eight SR-71's to be stored at-Palmdale,..,
starting September 1, 1968. Flying at current OXCART
rates would begin by November 1,'1968._
Option 3. The OXCART aircraft would be retained
under CIA operational control and management'. ? ..25X1
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would be transferred from F 7to Beale Air Force 25h
base by October 31, 1968. u Us 2tution of some Air
Force maintenance and other support for,. contractor
support is assumed.'.- Present OXCART flying rates ~?,
would be resumed.by January.l, 1969.
.r,
.,.USAF review(s) completed.
NRO review(s) completed.
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Option 4. Current OXCART operations would be '
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ont
nue
, at This is a bac:n line option
against which the costs o'other options may be
measured.
. 1.nk pi.ementac 1.on ox any of these options. One factor affecting
...,..be worked out on the basis of more complete planning for
..operating arrangements and contractor support would need to.
These costs were necessarily estimates, since details of
aid 1969 on the basis of the best culrontly available data.
` The costs of the options studied were derived for F? 1963
estimat'on, it was assumed that the demountable units at
trailers and headquarters building. For purposes of cost
otc&4"- ft .LA. ru.Ce ease, 1nCiucing aircraft shelters, hangars,-
could be moved to Beale Air Force Base and costs
were included for site preparation, foundations and utilities;.
or additional military personnel at Beale would also pose a
b
required to accommodate these buildings.' On-base. housing
pro
lem in the long run, but this could not be resolved
Phaseover options.
Housing trailers from could help
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,:The costs .of the,options.are as follows:
Option 1
Option 2
Option 3'
option 4
FY 1969
These costs include consideration of N ? costs for operation
.:USAF25X1of the OXCART by the CIA, costs for operation'of
USAF 25X1the OXCART (as appropriate in each option), CIA andi
direct support costs for each option, costs of closeout o-
.25x1; _ for Options i, 2 and.3 and costs of construction
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 (including
Beale Air Force
closeout of
event in FY 1969 u
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for additional military housing) at
e for Options1 and 3. The cost for
will be incurred as an NRP cost in any
der the current plan for phaseout of
after June 30, 1968. The OXCART associated
(SAC operation of the OXCART offset by
? the OXCART prog
costs in Optio: J
?'' ~ rcrnoyal c f ni r4 SR_7l l $ f'rnni t`he' i, ventr.., y) hav L _ _ _- __ ,. - _ ,
Table I. It should be noted that the FY 1969 costs for ' '?
closing F ____]and for new construction at Beale Air Force Base are on me.l costs; however, costs for ..ears
corresponding to a full year of operation without one-time
costs included; an estimate for FY 1970 costs i c include
e a Cached 1aDle 11. In summary, the FY 1970 costs
y: .
subsequent to Y Y 1969 cannot be derived by subtracting
these one-time costs from the totals; since Options 1, 2
degrees during` the, period June 30. 1968 to^.7anua --~, l , 969
::;i?;.;ti:, In order to provide comparative costs for these options
The Air Force has reviewed the feasibility of options.
calling for operation of the OXCART aircraft by SAC, from
the standpoint of training, maintenance, facilities at
concluded that the options and schedules described above
are feasible. However, there are substantial; differences
the areas of cockpit, instruments, sensors, engines ^and~
airframe. If commonality in subsystems were to be sought
between the two aircraft, considerable expenditure of time
and money would be required for modification. Therefore,
the options considered contemplate only the operation of
the OXCART aircraft in their present configurations. This'.
would *require formation of specialized units within SAC
4-,'capable of maintaining and operating the OXCART aircraft 25X1
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c,s is- Conversion of as much of the maintenance from
uA.u vy
required until the SAC unit were manned and trained
contractor to military personnel will require substantial
improvements in the techni[!.11 ri^t-n ~~rnti l ~1~1 .F..,. r1. . nvnAnM ,..
utilized for the SR-71. These factors were taken into
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account :.n estimating option costs.
Continuation of the OXCART program into FY 1969 under
any ok the options discussed herein will not only require'-
.additional procurement of spares, AGE and other equipment:.'.
Z,.. I ..? since up to I lof such items common to the SR-71 and
;'.;..; .. OXCART programs have not been procured for the SR-71 in
FY 1968, on the. assumption that OXCART assets would become
available in FY 1969. However, adoption of any of the
options for the continued operation of the OXCART will c
..,..for adjustments of the allocation of assets and fund re-
.~` imbursement between the OXCART and SR-71 programs.. Our
::..;, current assessment indicates that if such transfers of
;'assets and outstanding reimbursement liabilities between
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Security would, require special attention under all of ~:".'' .
the options calling for transfer of the OXCART aircraft to
%Beale Air Force Base. The most difficult problems would
arise in connection with Option 3, in which the CIA would
present cost estimates, in the interest of maintaining security
separation, between the OXCART and the SR-71 programs at.'
Beale'Air Force Base. Options 1 to 3, however, all call
for develop-men-6'6f a plausible explanation for the surfacing..
of- these additional. aircraft, differing..in configuration
implemented, might require additional buildings and other
facilities at Beale Air Force Base, not included in the
phis option has not been reviewed with the CIA, and if
~?? continue to operate the aircraft at Beale Air Force Base.
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?programs are made, the net costs for FY 1968 and FY 1969
for 'any of the a Lions may be reduced by between
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problems have not been addressed in the current St'udv ?hiit-
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o Options ~. tnrougn 3 were contemplated
would require detailed attention if i-mplementation - of a?nv
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