REQUEST FOR APPROVAL TO CONTRACT FOR THE DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF A DUAL FORMAT DATA BLOCK READER WITH FAIRCHILD SPACE & DEFENSE SYSTEMS DIVISION (SANITIZED) FROM FY-1972 R&D FUNDS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79B00873A001800020048-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 30, 2012
• Sequence Number: 48
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/30: CIA-RDP79B00873A001800020048-2
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/30: CIA-RDP79B00873A001800020048-2
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/30: CIA-RDP79B00873A001800020048-2 xl
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MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
THROUGH
SUBJECT
Executive Director-Comptroller
Director, Office of Planning, Programming
Budgeting
Assistant Deputy Director for Intelligence
Request for Approval to Contract for the
Design and Fabrication of a Dual Format
Data Block Reader with Fairchild Space
& Defense Systems Division at a Cost of
from FY-1972 R&D Funds
1. This memorandum requests approval for the commit-
ment of RD funds for an NPIC contract. The specific
request is stated in paragraph nine.
2. The National Photographic Interpretation Center,
through NSCID #8 and the National Tasking Plan, is charged
with providing the most effective, timely, and economic
exploitation of photography and remote sensory products.
The Center is also charged with providing certain additional
support to the intelligence community, such as updating
and maintaining the National Data Base and maintainin
a back-un enhemeris capability. The manual,
October 1
Page g states: "NPIC will maintain a back-up capability
to the Mission Performance Report (MPR). In the event
the MPR cannot be made available, NPIC will develop
ephemeris and frame data based on telemetry tapes provided
from the and actual film
formats. This information will then be made available
to all MPR recipients."
3. While NPIC has been aware of this general "back-
up data" requirement for quite some time, a new responsi-
bility has recently been introduced. Latest reports
indicate that the MPR, which precedes each mission, will
not contain the time data readout required for data reduc-
tion of the Mapping Camera System in the
GROUP 1
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Excluded frern auteniatk:
deClaSSIMI3iiO4
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/30: CIA-RDP79B00873A001800020048-2
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/30: CIA-RDP79B00873A001800020048-2?xl
TOP SECRET
SUB T: Request for Approval to Contract for the Design and
Fabrication of a Dual Format Data Block Reader with
Fairchild Snace & Defense Systems Division at a
Cost from FY-1972? R&D Funds
this information is contained only in the binary data block
recorded on the film. Therefore it will be necessary for
NPIC to read the time data from each frame of Stellar/Terrain
photography after receipt of the film in the Center. This
information will enable NPIC to:
? a. Accurately update the National Data Base.
? b. Provide Center components with precise data
? for positioning targets.
c. Provide the mapping community with data of
the accuracy required in charting and mapping.
In this regard, the main camera system time readout (which
? is included in the NPR) will not suffice for the Mapping
Camera System since the two systems are separately operated,
and it is possible that the conjugate imagery can have as
much as 100%, or as little as 0%, common coverage between
? the terrain camera and the main panoramic cameras.
4. Investigation into the process of manually providing
this readout has shown that, for the 4000 frames of informa-
tion involved, it may be possible (through interpolation) to
provide this data within one working week. However, the
inherent accuracy provided by the attitudinal system (time
readout to 0.1 millisecond) cannot be maintained through
an interpolation of the data. Additionally, approval has
now been granted to replace the 3400 type film with ultra-
thin base film in the fourth stellar/terrain package: this
ill increase the frame count from approximately 4000 frames
to approximately 7000 frames--virtually an impossible task
for manual readout. It is anticipated that Center operations
will require, and make the utmost use of, this refined
accuracy inherent in the Stellar/Terrain system, as it will
furnish target positional information an order of magnitude
more accurate than current systems, Additionally, the
Mapping, Charting and Geodetic (MCG) groups in the intelli-
gence community will use the data for position refinement
in their exploitation.
S. The proposed Dual Format Data Block Reader (DFR)
will provide the capability of rapidly and accurately read-
ing time data from both the stellar and terrain camera formats
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/30: CIA-RDP79B00873A001800020048-2
TOP SE'
SUBJBCT1
quest for Approval
Fabrication of a
Fairemla g nrP 127
Cost
to Contract for
Dual Format Data
Defense Systems
from FY-1972 R&D
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and
with
a
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the Des gn
Block Reader
Division at
Funds
devIce will read
This electromechanical
the data from either of two predetermined formats on nega-
tive, or positive film--while the film is transported at a
rate of 12 inches per second. The DFR will locate, read,
organize, and place the data owmagnetic tape--with appro-
priate recognition patterns--for subsequent processing by
the NPIC central computer. The data from the stellar data
block will be combined with that from the terrain data block
in the NPIC computer and, in turn, integrated with the
existing MPR of the mission. An operator will be able to
select a mode of operations initiate signals, monitor, and
exercise controls through the front panel assembly of the DFR.
. 6. The effort is felt to be fairly straightforward with
a minimum of technical risk involved due to the fact that
the selected contractor has, in the past, built similar
readers for the Center. The first reader was built to accommodate
the K14-4A data bloc* whii fhp qPrnerl hnnd1ei-4 heth the ICH-4B
Investigation
into a modification of the second reader to handle
material revealed that it would be more expensive to modify
the existing equipment than to build a new reader specifically
7. The contractor has offered NPIC two optional approaches.
Under the first option, the contractor will build the reader
and supply both the magnetic tape drive and the printer.
Under the second option, the contractor would supply only the .
reader; the magnetic tape drive and its electronics, and the
printer and associated electronics would be supplied as CFE.
d option is the most desirable. First, it saves
and second, the equipment can readily be supplied
as using components from the previously completed systems.
Only one of these systems is currently being utilized by Npic.
There is no anticipated follow-on to this procurement since
one in$trument ;All handle the anticipated workload.
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/30: CIA-RDP79B00873A001800020048-2
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/30: CIA-RDP79B00873A001800020048-2
TOP SECRET
- SUBJECT: Request for Approval to Contract for the Design an
? Fabrication of a'Dual Format Data Block Reader with
? Fairchild Space & Defense Systems Division at a
Cost from FY-1972 R&D Funds
t is requested that approval be granted o
negotiate a, contract with Fairchild Space and Defense Systems
for the design and fabrication of a Dual Format Data Block
Reader at a cost not to exceed from FY-1972 R&D
funds.
Attachments:
. Proposal
Form 2420
CONCUR:
APPROVED:
THUR C. LUHtWIL
Director
National. Photographic Interpretation en
t.iant. eputy.
? Inge
Weputy ' rector o Contra
Distribution:
Copy 1 - NPIC/SS/SC&P (After
? 2 DDCX
3 ER
4 Exec. Dir-Compt
S?PPR
6 ADDI
/68NPIC/ODir
9 - NPIC/TSG
10 - 4PIC/TSG/RED
roval)
ge ce
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/30: CIA-RDP79B00873A001800020048-2