The Central Intelligence Agency and Overhead Reconnaissance; The U-2 and OXCART Programs, 1954-1974

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Secret NOFOfUd
Chapter 4
Japanese Government, faced with growing anti-American sentiment
and complaints in the press about the presence of "spyplanes" on
Japanese territory, asked the United States to remove the U-2s. The
very next day the CIA closed Detachment C; its U-2s were disman­
tled and returned to the United States aboard C-124s. 37
[n the midst of the furor in Japan. on l July 1960, just six weeks
after the Paris Summit, Soviet fighter aircraft shot down an Air Force
RB-47 on an electronic intelligence collection mission over interna­
tional waters near the Soviet Union's Kola Peninsula. Two survivors
were captured. The Soviet Union claimed that the aircraft had vio­
lated its airspace, while the United States denounced the Soviets for
downing the plane over international waters. The acrimony exacer­
bated an already tense international atmosphere. 3"
One additional blow to the U-2 program came in the summer of
I960. NASA, concerned about the damage to its reputation from its
involvement in the U-2 affair and hoping to obtain international coop­
eration for its space program. decided to end its support of the cover
story that U-2s were conducting weather research under its auspices.'''
These developments resulted in a complete halt to all U-2 opera­
tions from overseas bases for more than six months. Pilots and air­
craft from Detachments B and C were consolidated into Detachment
G at Edwards Air Force Base, California. the unit formed after the
C[A had vacated the Nevada testing site in 1957 as a result of AEC
nuclear testing. Detachment G now comprised eight pilots from
Detachment B and three pilots from Detachment C. Because Powers'
capture had compromised Project CHALICE, the Agency assigned a
new cryptonym to the U-2 effort; henceforth, it was called Project
IDEALIST.""
" OSA Chronology. p. 28 (TS Codeword).
" "Mystery of the RB--+7," Newsweek. 25 July 1960. pp. 36-37: .. Nikita and the RB--+7."'
Time. 25 July I 960. pp. 30-31.
,., At a meeting of high-levt:1 CIA. NASA. and State Department ofticials on 31 May 1960,
NASA was willing to continue its association with U-2 flights for the time being. but the
Administrator of NASA. Dr. Keith Glennan. believed that his agency "would be well ad­
vised to disengage from the U-2 program as rapidly as possible." James A. Cunningham.
Memorandum for the Record. ··Tdephont: Conversation with Dr. Hugh Dryden, Deputy
Director, NASA," I June 1960. DPD chrono tile #.+553-60. OSA records (S).
"' OSA Hisrorv, chap. !2. pp. -H--+9; chap. 16. p. 10 (TS Codeword).
Se&Fet