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

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-&ec:t et rc:iOFORN
and plan missions in view ofpriority and feasibility, to maintain
the operation on a continuing basis, and to carry out the dissem­
ination of rhe resulting information in a manner consistent with
its special security requirementsY
When the U-2's development and testing approached comple­
tion, Land's recommendation was put into effect. Following a mt!et­
ing with Deputy Secretary of Defense Donald Quarles and Trevor
Gardner (who had been promoted from his special assistant post co
become Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Research and
Development), Richard Bissell established an Ad Hoc Requirements
Committee (ARC) on I December 1955. He then named James Q.
Reber to be Intelligence Requirements Officer for the U-2 project and
chairman of the ARC. Reber was already experienced in coordination
with other intelligence agencies, for he had headed the Directorate of
Intelligence DI Office of Intelligence Coordination for four years.
The first full-scale ARC meeting took place on I February 1956 with
representatives from the Army, Navy, and Air Force present.
Attending for the CIA were representatives from the Office of
Research and Reports (ORR) and the Office of Scientific Intelligence
. (QS I). The CIA membership later expanded to include the Office of
Current Intelligence (OCI) and a representative from the Directorate
of Plans. In 1957 the National Security Agency (NSA) also began
sending a representative. The State Department followed suit in 1960.
although it had been receiving reports from the committee all along.'~
AR C's main task was to draw up lists of collection requirements.
primarily for the U-2. but also for other means of collection. These
lists prioritized targets accordi ng to their ability to meet the three ma­
jor national intelligence objectives concerning the Soviet Union in the
mid-1950s: long-range bombers, guided missiles, and nuclear energy.
The committee issued its list of cargets for the use of the entire intelli­
gence community using all available means of collection, not j ust for
the CIA with the U-2.
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" OSA History. chap. I. annex I (TS Codeword).
' ' Minu1es of lh<! Ad Hoc Rcquiremc:n1s Commiuc:e of I February 1956. lmclligence
Communi1y (IC) Staff records. COMIREX. job 33-B-1 21 A. boll I. "ARC Minu1cs.
1956-1957:'" Memorandum for the Joim Study Group from James Q. Reber. "Handling of
Requirements for the U-2:· 15 August 1960. IC Staff records. job 33-T-123A. box 10.
"CHALICE (GeneralJ" (TS Codeword>.
"
t,,lemorandum for lhc Joint S1udy Group from James Q. Rc:bcr. "Handling of
Requirements for 1he U-2:· 15 August 1960. IC Staff records. job 33-T-123A. box I0.
" CHALICE (Gen.:rall" (TS Cod.:worJ>.
Chapter 2
James 0. Reber