AGREEMENT FOR REORGANIZATION OF THE NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE PROGRAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP96B01172R000700110001-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 18
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 18, 2004
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: August 11, 1965
• Content Type: CONT

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Approved ~o~lease 2004/07/09: CIA-RDP96~011~0 00110001-
: TOP SECRET
11 Augus t~ 1965 ,
?NRO review(s) completed.
AGREEMENT rOR REORGANiZA'.CiON OI' THE
NATZON,AL RECONNAi5S~1.itiCl. PROGRAM
A. The National Reconnaissance Pro~ra,~
_ ,
1. The NRP is a single program, national in c'naracter,
to meet the intelligence needs of the Government under a
strong national leadership, for the development, management,
control and operation of all projects, both current and long
range for the collection of intelligence and of mappin,; and
geodetic information obtained through overf_li~hts (exc..ading
. peripheral reconnaissance operations). The potentialities of
U. S, technology and all operational -resources and facilities
must be aggressively and imaginatively exploited to develop
and operate systems for the collection of intelligence which
are fully responsive to the Goverrunent's intelligence needs
and objectives.
2. The National Reconnaissance Program shall be responsive
directly and solely to the intelligence collection requirements
and priorities established by the United States intelligence
Board. Targeting requirements and priorities and desired
frequency of coverage of both satellite and manned aircraft
missions over denied areas shall continue to be the -responsibili~y
of USiB, subject to the operational approval of the 303 Committee.
B. The Secretary of Defense will: -
;;
? 1. Establish the NRO as a separate agency of the DoD and
will have the .ultimate responsibility for the management and ~.
operation o~ the NRO an t e ...,~~;
2. Choose a Director of the NRO who will report to l~im
and be responsive to his instructions;
excluded from automatic regrading; ?
DoD Dir. 5200.10 doffs not apply.
?? . -
.,
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 1. Establish the collection priorities and requirements
for the targeting of NRP operations and the establishment of ,
tYieir frequency of coverage;
The Director of Central Xntelligence will:
2. Review the results obtained by .the NRP and recammend,
if appropriate, steps for improving such results; -
~y Approved lease 2004/~~~95~~-~DP96B0 1~~
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3. Concur in the choice of the Deputy Director of the NRO
who will: report to the DNRO and be responsive to his. instructions;
4. Review and have the final power to approve the NRP budget;
S. Sit with mcmbors of the Executivo Commi.ttoo, whon
necessary, to reach decisions on issues on which committee
agreement could not be coached.
3. Sit as a member of the Executive GonL-nittee;
4. Review and approve t-~e NRP budget each year;
~.
rye"; Provide security policy guidance to maintain a un_ ifornt
system in the whole NRP area. }~~~
D. National Reconnaissance Program Executive Committee
____ w
1. Ari NRP Executive Committee, consisting of the Deputy
Secr~.~ary of Defense, the Director of Central Intelli~encc,
and the Special ASS1stallt to the President for Science and
Technology, is hereby established to guide and participate in
the formulation of the NRP through the DNRO. (The DNRO will
sit with the Executive Committee but will not be a voting member.) ~
Xf the Executive Committee can not agree on an issue the
Secretary of Defense will be requested to. sit with the Corunittee '
in discussing this issue and will arrive at a decision, The NRP
Executive Committee will:, ~
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 Approved FLor~lease 2004/0.7/09: CIA-RDP96BQ117~pQ700110001-3
TOP SECRET
a.' Reconul~end to the Secretary of Defense an appropriate
leve?. of effort for the NRP in response to reconnaissance
requirements provided by USIB and in the light of technical
capabilities and fiscal limitations.
b. Approve or modify the consolidated National
Reconnaissance Program and its budget,
c. Approve the allocation of responsibility and.the
corresponding funds for research and exploratory development.
for new systems. Funds shill be adequate to ensure that a
vigorous research and exploratory__devclopment_effort is_ achieved
and maintained by the Department of Defense and CIA to desi..gn~arid'
~cor~struct new sensors to meet intelligence requirements aimed at
the acquisition of intelligence data. This effort shall be
carried out by both CIA and DoD. '
. d. Approve the allocation of development responsibilities
and the corresponding funds for specific reconnaissance programs
with a vi.~w to ensuring that the development, testing and
production of new systems is accomplished with maximum efficiency
by the component of the Government best equipped with facilities,
experience and L-echnical competence to undertake the assign,-~ent.
vr~-Yt will also establish guidelines for collaboration between
departments and for mutual support where appropriate. Assign-
ment of responsibility for engineering development of sensc~r~
subsystems will be made to either the CIA or DoD components in
accordan_ ce with the above criteria. The engineering development
^of all oL-hcr subsystems, including spacecraft, reentry vehicles,
boosters and booster interface subsystems shall in general be
assigned to an Air Force component, recognizing, however, that
sensors, spacecraft''and reentry vehicles are integral contpone:Zt~
of a system, the development of which musC proceed on a fully
coordinat :d basis, with a view to ensuring optimu.-n sys teat
developm~_t in support of intelligence requirements for overhead
reconnaissance. To optimize the primary objective of systems
development, design`, requirement of the sensors will be given
priority in their integration within the .spacecraft and reentry
vehicles.
e. Assign operational responsibility for variou$ types
of t~:naed overflight missions to CIA or DoD sub3ect- to -thy
concurrence of the 303 Committee.
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 .,,,o _ ~ Approved F;o~elease 2004/07/09 :CIA-RDP96B011~OOb700110001-3
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f. Periodically revic:a the essential features of the
major program elements of fife NRP: '
2. The Executive Committee shall. meet on the call of eitl~e.r
the Deputy Secretary of Defense or th.e Director of Central
Intelligence. All meetings will be attended by the DNRO and such
staff advisors as the DepuL-y Secretary of Defense or the Director
of Central Intelligence consider desirable. ,.
E. National Reconnaissance Office '"
1. To implement the NRP, the Secretary of Defense wi11
establish the NRO as a separate operating agency of the DoD.
It sha11 include the SOC which shall-be jointly manned.
2. The Director of the ~~0 sha11 be?appointed by the
Secretary of Defense. The Director NR0 wills.
a. Subject to direction and control of the Secretary
of Defense and the guidance o~ the Executive Committee as set
forth in Section D above, have the responsibility for_.mana;iizg
thQ NRO and executing the'NRi~';_w,_....~ T._,, _.._... .._.
b. Subject to review by the Executive. Committee, and
the provisions of Section D a~ove, have authority to initiate,
approve, modify, redirect or tei~niilate all research and development
programs in the NRP. Ensure, through appropriate recomricndations
to the Executive Conunittce i'o:- the assignment of research and
development responsibilities and the allocation of funds, that
the full potentialities of agencies of the Government- concerned
c?~ith reconnaissance aa:e realized for the. invention, impro r~:ment
and development of reconnaissa:~ce systems to meet USIB rcuire- ~J
meats.
c. Have authority to -require that he be kept fully and
completely informed by all Agencies and Departments of the
Government of all programs anc activities undertaken as part of '~
the NRP:
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Approved For Release 2004/07/09 :CIA-RDP96B01172R000700110001-3
 d. Maintain and provide
to the nembers of the Executive
Con4~ittee records of the status of all projects, programs and
activities of the N1ZP in the
research, development, producesion {
and/or operational phases.
}r
e. Preparo a comprohensive budget for all aspects of
the.National Reconnaissance Program.
f. Establish a fiscal control and accounting procedure
to ensure ti~aL' all funds expended in support of the National -
Reconnaissance Program are fully accounted for and appropria4ely
utilized by the agencies concerned. In particular, the budge
shall SilOCV separately those funds to Ise applied to research and
exploratory design development, systems development, procurc~.ent;
and operational activities, i~unds expended or obligated under
the authority of the Director of Central Intelligence under
Public Taw 110 shall be adr~linistered ruzd accounted for by CIA.
and will be reported to DNRO in accordance with agreed upon
procedures. ~ .
g. Sit with L-he USI13 for the matters affecting the 1~1tP.
3. The Deputy Director NRO shall be appointed by the DCI
with the concurrence of the Deputy Secretary of Defense and
shall serve full time in a line posita.on directly under the
Director NP.O~ The Deputy Director shall act nor and exercise the
powers of the Director, NRO during his absence or disavility.
4. ~iZe NRO shall be jointly stail:ed in such a fashio:: as
to refl~:ct the best talent appropriatc:iy available from ti,e CiA,
the three military departments and oti~cr Government agencies.
The NRO staff will report to ~t11e DNZO and DDNRO and will rau~ain
no allegiance to the originating agency or Department.
r. Z:2ztial Allocation of Pro~~ram Fes;?onsibilities
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 Approved
lease 2004/07/09 :CIA-RDP96B
TO.P SECIZ~T
1. Responsibility for existing pi?ogra~;~s of the :ARP shall
be allocated as indicated in Annex A attached hereto,
(signed)
Cyrus Vance
Deputy Secretary of Defense
(signed)
W. F. P,aborn
Director of Central Intelligence
AO ~'~OOA 1-3 . ....._..
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..,~.~; ~~ App"roved ~elease 2004/07/09~ CIA-RDP96~i01'~20 -
A~'~T~X A
The follocaing assignments for the development of ner
optical sensor subsystems are made to take full advantage of
technical capability and experience o~' the agencies involved.
1. The CXA.taill develop the improvements in the CORON?.
general search optical sensor: subsystems.
The Director, i~RO will; 111 managing the corresponding ovar-
all systems developments, ensure that:
1. The management of and contracting for the sensors .s
arranged so that the design and e.lgireering capabilities in
tiles various co:ltractol:s are most efficiently utilized.
2. Tile sensor paclcages and oth::-r subsystems are. ir.teg;:ated
in un over-a11 system engineering design for each system, with
L'~::O having responsibility for systems integration of each
over-a11 system.
w.
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Approved For Release 2004/07/09 :CIA-RDP96B01172R000700110001-3
 llNCIASS!
To:'` (Officer designation,,, room number,. and
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;Chief~y'~PhySD_
OFFICFR'S
. INITIALS
47~Apb~~~ ~. SECRf7.
12 October 1977
COMMENTS {Number each comment to show.--from whom
to. whom.-. Drow o line across column after: each comment.)
;yesterday: that
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