(SANITIZED), TASK OUTLINE, SUBMISSION OF

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-03330A000800060029-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 23, 2014
• Sequence Number: 29
• Publication Date: January 3, 1952
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/04/29: CIA-RDP78-03330A000800060029-2
FF,P
Chief, ering Division, OC
.k.,ONFIDENTIAL
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DOC 4 REV DATE
O 4T-3-eanui17-19901----
MR COMP 35 op, Typ 2_
ORM CLASS PAGES REV CLASS C-
JUST NEXT REV _A4/4 *um, RR 10.2
Task Outline, submission of
EXCLOSURE Subject Outline
1. The subject outline, containing requirements for a'study-survey
and tentative specifications, is: hereby submitted as, a basis for addition-
al research toward acceptable facsimile cyphering equipment.
50X1
2. Part of the study requirements listed in the subject outline
have been lifted from the National Defense Research Committee's Summary -
Technical Reports, Division 13, Vol. 3, Chapter 6, Project C..73. Project
C-73 (Contract OER4r-837, Radio Corp. of America) had as its object a sur-
vey of the general field of facsimile privacy and was conducted between De-
cember 1942 and OctOber 15, 1943. The object of the study requirements in
the subject outline is to search out what has been accomplished in the field
of facsimile privacy since OctOber 15, ;943, and, if possible, adapt some
system, or coMbination of systems to a facsialle secrecy device.
3. Item 5 of the study requirements is suggested by the writer as a
possible approach to the screabling problem. The idea involves reducing
the number ofpicture elements to the actual number of changes in black
and white conditions with time of duration of either condition represented
as proportional amplitude.
4. Item 6 of the study requirements, involving keying devices, is
suggested by the writer as an area requiring considerable emphasis. A
heavy work load on a piece of equipment may make the fabrication of tapes
for keying devices a problem within itself. A rapid means of producing
these tapes should be studied simultaneously with the keying devices, and
should influence to some extent the selection of a type of keying mechanism.
5. The study requirements of the subject outline requires considerable
research in areas such as the Signal Corps, AMA, Navy and other government
or government controlled areas. If the subject task is assigned a commercial
contractor, it maybe more advantageous for the Agency to conduct simultaneous
supplementary research in preference to clearing contractor personnel for
the job.
6. The subject equipment is required specifically for use with the
lexcard facsimile equipment now in operation in the Machine Division, OCD.
However, it is highly desirable to build into the equipment sufficient versatil
ity to satisfy other needs of the Agency. The tentative equipment specifica-
tions are necessarily sketchy. The ideal secrecy device should contain suffic-
ient flexibility of operation to be applicable to voice frequencies as well as
high speed facsimile. The specification contained in item 6 of the product
requirements, concerned with a detachable "heart", is stibmitted as a step
SaCURYINFOEMION
sEAET CONFIDENTIAL
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/04/29: CIA-RDP78-03330A000800060029-2
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved forRelease2014/04/29 : CIA-RDP78-03330A000800060029-2
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tovard the desired flexibility.6f:,
,
7. The pursuance of a study of the subject type necessarily re-
quires continued close liaison between the government, the contractor and
the component supplier. Reference is made to Periods 1 and 2 of the en-
gineering design phase of the subject outline. Unless sufficient ;menu-
tionary measures are effected by the government consistent vith policy and
the design selected, tangential forays may become costly and
This is not to be interpreted as an attempt to throttle initiative, but
to insure good engineering policy and to gate blind alleys.
8. With reference to letting the subject Task to a commercial con-
tractor, it is strongly recommended that the problem be broken into tvo
or more possible contracts, to be run consecutively as dictated by the
success of the preceding contract.
STAT
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SECURITY toiino
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/04/29: CIA-RDP78-03330A000800060029-2