LETTER TO ADMIRAL GEORGE W. ANDERSON FROM RICHARD HELMS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79M00096A000300070004-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 6, 2005
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: December 7, 1970
• Content Type: LETTER

Approved For Release 2005/07/13 CIA-RDP79M0Q096A000300070004-0
7 DEC 1970
Admiral George W. Anderson, USN (Ret.)
Chairman, p'resident's Foreign Intelligence
Advisory Board
Room 300
Executive Office Building
Dear George:
We are making some adjustments in the COINS
network which are reflected in the. attached papers. As you
know, Dr. Bill Baker has had an active interest in the COINS
experiment since its inception and if he should desire further
information, I would be, glad to have someone see him at his
convenience.
Sincerely,
HiRl rd Helms
Richard Halm a
Attachments:.
Memo from D/DCI/NIPE to DGi
Letter from DCI to D/NSA
NIPE:RTaylor:eh (25 Nov 70)
Distribution:
- addressee w/attn
I .- DCI
1 - DDCI
1 - Ex Dir
1 - PPB
NIPE:
1-ER
Approved For Release '20Q5/ 7
CIA-RDP79 M 00096AO00300070004-0
 u
Approved Fol elease 200516'6 j: CIA-RDP79M00051 000300070004-0
25 November 1970
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence
? UBJECT: CIA Participation in COINS
1. The Executive Director has informed me of the proposed
CIA decision to adjust the level of CIA participation in COINS and has
furnished to me the information which formed the basis for this
decision. I have examined this proposal carefully from a community
point of view and on the basis of this examination recommend that you
sign the attached letter to Admiral Gayler. The reasons for this
recommendation follow.
2. As you know, the COINS Experiment project has been under
way since September 1965 following a recommendation from the PFLA.B.
The first communications link between computers at NSA and DIA was
installed and successfully tested in February, 1967 and CIA and NPIC
joined the network some eighteen months later. Development work
continued on the technical aspects of COINS and in April 1968 the Director,
National Security Agency became the Executive Agent for COINS and
took over responsibility for the experiment under general guidance from
USIB and with participation of the member agencies. This work continues
today.
3. While it was evident by April, 1969, that COINS was technically
feasible there was very limited agreement among the agencies involved
in the experiment as to what substantive intelligence material required
handling by an on-line system such as COINS. The question of the possible
uses for COINS has been present from the beginning. The PFIAB in
their original recommendation had named biographics as probably
requiring community-wide on-line access. After extensive and exhaustive
study by a USIB committee and by the COINS working group, it was
deter:nnined that biographics was not a suitable COINS file. In order to