History of the Office of Special Activities from Inception to 1969 (1969)

CIA's Office of Special Activities (OSA) History: Area 51, High Altitude Reconnaissance U2, A-12, SR-71

History of the Office of Special Activities from Inception to 1969 (1969)

CIA's Office of Special Activities (OSA) History: Area 51, High Altitude Reconnaissance U2, A-12, SR-71

2,629 pages in 16 volumes of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) official history of the Directorate of Science & Technology's Office of Special Activities. Written by CIA historians Helen Kleyla and Robert Hern, in 1969.  Titled, "History of the Office of Special Activities."

The Office of Special Activities (OSA) was created to conceive, develop, produce, and operate integrated covert photographic and electronic intelligence collection systems through the use of manned and unmanned aircraft and space vehicles. 

This internal CIA history begins with events in 1954, with the creation of Project AQUATONE, the cryptonym for the CIA' s high altitude reconnaissance aircraft, the Lockheed U-2. The spy plane nicknamed "Dragon Lady" operated from the 1950s by the United States Air Force (USAF) and the CIA.

OSA began in 1954 as a small project group of about six people lead by Richard M. Bissell Jr.  At the time Bissell was Special Assistant for Policy Coordination, Office of the DCI (SAPC/DCI).  He was working on the covert development and operation of the U-2 aircraft in conjunction with the USAF, known as Project AQUATONE. A formal agreement with Air Force was signed by Director of Central Intelligence John Foster Dulles and Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General Nathan Twining, delineating areas of responsibility for both parties to the pact.

This history covers high-altitude reconnaissance developed at and launched from Area 51, also known as Groom Lake and Watertown Strip, and activities there in support of the U2, OXCART A-12, SR-71, CORONOA, and other high-altitude reconnaissance projects.

Included in this history are of the projects and sub-projects:

Acquisition of Watertown Airstrip later known as Area 51

Development and procurement for the U-2

Test programs at Watertown (Area 51)

Chinese (Taiwanese) participation in the U-2 program

British participation in the U-2 program

The May Day 1960 Incident

Intelligence acquired from U-2 program and its effect on U.S. National Policy

Lockheed D-21 (Project Tagboard)

Operation SOFT TOUCH

Operation GRAND SLAM