Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Directorate of Science and Technology (S&T) Historical Series: OSI-1, The Office of Scientific Intelligence (OSI), 1949-68, Volumes One, Two and Three including Annexes I through X, 1972. MDR date: 29 May 2009 Release date: 02-March-2022 Posted date: 21-March-2022 Source: Mandatory Declassification Review, Information and Privacy Coordinator, Central Intelligence Agency, Washington, D.C. 20505. PREFACE In preparing this account of OSI's history, full use was made of two earlier compilations. The first covered the period 1949-52 and was prepared by [redacted] who was in OSI at the time of its preparation in 1953. The second was an unofficial document prepared by the O/DCI/Historical Staff that covered the period 1953-60. These reports contain much detail, a good deal of which probably has limited lasting value. It was decided after reading the above documents that the present version, covering the period 1949-68, would be written in somewhat different fashion; i.e., that the main body of the history would attempt to highlight only the significant events, trends and features in the life of OSI while annexes would carry the details. CONTENTS I. Background (Page 1) II. Establishment of OSI and The Machle Period, 1949-50 (Page 8) III. The Chadwell Period, 1950-55 (Page 19) IV. The Scoville Period, 1955-62 (Page 40) V. The Wheelon Period, 1962-63 (Page 59) VI. The Chamberlain Period, 1963-- (Page 62) VOLUME I The Office of Scientific Intelligence, 1949-68 (Basic Text) Annex I - Personnel, Budget, Organization Annex II - OSI and Atomic Energy Intelligence including the Joint Atomic Energy Intelligence Committee Annex III - Collection Support Activities of OSI VOLUME II Annex IV - The Scientific Intelligence Committee and the Scientific Estimates Committee Annex V - OSI and ELINT Annex VI - OSI's Role in Medical Intelligence Annex VII - OSI's Electronics Intelligence Role VOLUME III Annex VIII - OSI Publications Annex IX - OSI's External Assistance Program Annex X - The Interaction Between OSI and the National Security Agency WW II saw the first stirrings of U.S. intelligence interest in the scientific and technical capabilities of foreign countries. Largely under the impetus of German development of radar, missiles and diverse weapons-related technologies, the separate armed services and various committees of the Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD) became customers for scientific and technical intelligence on foreign activities. In these wartime years information on such subjects was most often obtained through combat intelligence and the exploitation of captured materiel, with occasional assists from clandestine and intercept operations. British success in fathoming German secret weapons programs contributed to the awakening of interest in U.S. official circles. In the early 40s, however, no discrete U.S. organization could be labeled an 'office of scientific intelligence'. Scientific and technical intelligence was more an offshoot of the interests of the research and development (R&D) elements than an entity in its own right. In rather distinct contrast, the British had an identifiable unit under Dr. R. V. Jones in the Intelligence Branch, Air Ministry which played a major role in the wartime efforts against German aircraft and secret weapons programs. One exception to this general state of affairs in the U.S. was a foreign intelligence unit, the Foreign Intelligence Branch, in the Manhattan Engineering District (MED), the wartime agency under General Leslie Groves concerned with nuclear weapons development. At the close of the war, assets of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) were transferred in 1946 to an interim agency, the Central Intelligence Group (CIG), under the general surveillance of a National Intelligence Authority. In CIG analytical functions were centered in the Office of Research and Evaluation (ORE). Under urging of the Joint Research and Development Board (JRDB), a small Scientific Branch (SB) was established in late 1946 headed by Dr. Wallace Brode. The Foreign Intelligence Branch of MED was transferred to CIG on 25 February 1947 as the Nuclear Energy Group (NEG), but later reassigned to the Office of Special Operations (OSO) in March 1948. Following the Eberstadt Committee and the Dulles Report (1 January 1949), recommendation was made to centralize scientific intelligence and recombine NEG into a unified office. A major reorganization took place under DCI Admiral Roscoe Hillenkoetter, activating OSI on 1 January 1949. Dr. Wallace Brode departed in late 1948 and Dr. Willard Machle became the first Assistant Director for Scientific Intelligence (AD/SI). Faced with recruiting challenges in post-WWII America, Machle established four staffs (Administrative, Production, Scientific Services, and Collection) and seven divisions (Biology, Physics and Electronics, Chemistry, Medical, Ordnance, Naval, and 'A' Branch for COMINT exploitation). Machle decreed that every OSI staff member should receive COMINT clearance. Tensions escalated regarding collection responsibilities between OSI and OSO (clandestine operations). Following disagreements over collection policy and an unsuccessful bid for OSI to control collection requirements and operations directly, Admiral Hillenkoetter upheld OSO's charter, leading to Machle's resignation in March 1950. In February 1950, Dr. H. Marshall Chadwell took over as AD/SI. The Korean War brought rapid growth and organizational expansion. Conflicts arose between OSI and the Department of Defense (led by JCS/JIC), culminating in the Becker Committee survey and the issuance of DCID 3/4 in August 1952. DCID 3/4 restricted OSI primarily to fundamental/basic research, medical intelligence, and scientific resources, assigning military hardware and applied technical intelligence exclusively to the military services, and replacing the SIC with the Scientific Estimates Committee (SEC). During this period, OSI formed advisory panels including the Boston Scientific Advisory Panel (BSAP) under Dr. James R. Killian, expanded ELINT activities, launched the first Agency ELINT program in May 1954, and initiated systematic intelligence production programming under the Intelligence Production Staff (IPS). Following an Inspector General report in early 1955, Dr. Herbert Scoville, Jr. became AD/SI in August 1955. Reorganization created the Fundamental Sciences Area (led by Dr. Donald F. Chamberlain) and reinforced five technical divisions (Nuclear Energy, Guided Missiles, Medicine, Applied Science, Electronics). OSI campaigned vigorously against the constraints of DCID 3/4, achieving its replacement by DCID 3/5 (New Series) in 1959, which rechartered the SIC and recognized CIA's broader S&T intelligence role. OSI participated in the Technological Capabilities Panel (TCP / Killian Committee), early U-2 vulnerability studies and overhead reconnaissance analysis, response to the Soviet Sputnik launch in October 1957, and preparatory work for the establishment of the Deputy Directorate for Research (DD/R) in 1962, with Scoville appointed as the first DDR. Dr. Albert D. Wheelon became AD/SI in June 1962. Wheelon emphasized rigorous technical competence, recruited physical scientists and engineers, established telemetry analysis training, and assumed the chairmanship of the Guided Missile and Astronautics Intelligence Committee (GMAIC). OSI provided round-the-clock analytical support and photographic/telemetry evaluation during the October 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. In August 1963, Dr. Donald F. Chamberlain became AD/SI (later Director of Scientific Intelligence), while Wheelon became head of the renamed Deputy Directorate for Science and Technology (DDS&T). OSI transferred from the DDI to the DDS&T. The era witnessed the creation of new DDS&T components (such as ORD and FMSAC, the latter formed in 1965 by spinning off OSI's Ballistic Missiles and Space Division). Chamberlain implemented rigorous project reviews, external contract redirection, recruitment of top STEM graduates, publication innovations (including the daily and weekly Surveyor and monthly Scientific Intelligence Digest), and specialized technical support to NRO and reconnaissance programs. Traces atomic energy intelligence from the Manhattan District's Foreign Intelligence Branch (1944-1946), Operation ALSOS, early CIG involvement, creation of the Long Range Detection program (AFOAT-1), and the formation of the Joint Nuclear Energy Intelligence Committee (JNEIC) under NIA Directive No. 9 in 1947. Recounts the detection of the first Soviet atomic test (JOE-1) in August 1949, the restructuring into JAEIC under DCID 3/3, the establishment of the Webster Panel (later Director's Nuclear Intelligence Panel) in 1951, overhead photography integration (GENETRIX and U-2), monitoring of Soviet atmospheric and underground nuclear tests, and intelligence monitoring of the 1963 Limited Test Ban Treaty and non-proliferation (Nth countries). Details OSI's historical involvement in collection requirements, operations support, and technical collection systems development. Tab A outlines CIA/OSI's role in initiating the U.S. Space Program: in 1954-55, OSI and Richard Bissell prepared staff studies and draft Presidential directives recommending an Earth Satellite Vehicle (ESV) program under the International Geophysical Year (IGY 1957-58) to establish the legal concept of 'Freedom of Space' and pave the way for satellite reconnaissance, leading to NSC 5520 approval in May 1955. Also describes early Lockheed CL-282 (U-2) project inception involving Garrison Norton, Philip Strong, Richard Bissell, and the Land Panel. Chronicles the establishment, dissolution, and reconstitution of interagency scientific coordination bodies: the First SIC under DCID 3/3 (1949-1952), replaced by the SEC under DCID 3/4 (1952-1959), and the re-established Second SIC under DCID 3/5 (1959-1968). Includes lists of chairmen, executive secretaries, departmental members (State, Army, Navy, Air Force, AEC, NSA, JCS, OSD, DIA), and specialized subcommittees/working groups (Electronics, BW/CW, Medicine/BMIS, Aircraft, Submarine, Scientific Resources). Annex V & VII: Details OSI's pioneering work in ELINT and Electronics Intelligence, including radar analysis (Token, Hen House, Dog House, B-200/SA-2, SA-5), telemetry analysis, participation in ANEEG, and the creation of the Office of ELINT (OEL). Annex VI: Chronicles Medical and Life Sciences intelligence from the 1948 Hawley Report through the creation of LSD/SI, covering epidemiology, bioastronautics, biocybernetics, and Soviet behavioral research. Annex VIII: Reviews OSI publication series, including the Scientific Intelligence Digest (SID), Scientific and Technical Intelligence Reports (STIR), Daily/Weekly Surveyor, Scientific Intelligence Memoranda (SIM), and contributions to National Intelligence Estimates (NIE) and National Intelligence Surveys (NIS). Annex IX: Documents OSI's external assistance and contracting program, totaling over a third of OSI's budget by the late 1960s, covering technical evaluations, industry/university panels, and future threat forecasting methodologies (e.g., Project PATTERN). Annex X: Explores the close interagency relationship and personnel details between OSI and the National Security Agency (NSA) in exploiting COMINT, telemetry, and missile test data.