Central Intelligence Agency

The Secret History of the U-2 — and Area 51

Briefing book · written 1992 · released 15 August 2013

Why this matters

The CIA's internal history of the U-2 and OXCART overhead reconnaissance programs (1954–1974), released through a FOIA request with far fewer redactions than before. It contained the U.S. government's first official acknowledgment of 'Area 51' and its origins as a test site. A primary source for the real history behind a mythic place.

Read the original

https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB434/

Hosted by National Security Archive (GWU)

Tags

Cite

Central Intelligence Agency. "The Secret History of the U-2 — and Area 51." 1992. Released 15 August 2013. https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB434/ (accessed via The Quiet Archive, QA-0051).

Shelved nearby

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  3. 1995 QA-0003
    CIA · Memo

    Senate Appropriations Committee Congressionally Directed Action, STAR GATE

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  4. 1960 QA-0024
    Eisenhower Library · Collection

    U-2 Spy Plane Incident (Eisenhower Library online documents)

    Declassified memos, cover-story drafts and meeting notes from May 1960, when the Soviets shot down Francis Gary Powers' U-2 and exposed the cover story that it was a NASA weather plane.

    Written May 1960 Released Unknown Declassified United States Live