What did the declassified documents reveal?

This is Declassified. Today, we examine a March twelfth, nineteen-fifty-nine, Central Intelligence Agency memorandum titled ELINT Requirements for Collection by [one line redacted under exemption B1]. This document, marked Top Secret Chess and Top Secret Eider, discusses the effectiveness and future needs for electronic intelligence gathering in Asia. You can find this document at archive.org, under the collection "US Intelligence on China CI01342." This document was declassified on August eighteenth, two-thousand-one, under the authority of the Central Intelligence Agency's historical review program. It has been made available to the public through the work of The Black Vault, a leading independent archive of declassified government records. The document reads: "MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director (Plans). SUBJECT: ELINT Requirements for Collection by [one line redacted under exemption B1]. In pursuance of your request at the D-P-D-D-D slash P staff meeting on February twenty-fourth to examine into and report to you on the above subject, I offer the following. Capabilities for ELINT Collection. The United States Intelligence Board, U-S-I-B, has approved its ELINT Committee's, ELCOM's, statement of ELINT objectives and general intelligence requirements for ELINT (Tab A). An examination of that paper suggests that at best the ELINT now being collected by [one line redacted under exemption B1] would [one line redacted under exemption B1] rate as Category D on page four and, in addition, as Category B under Second Priority Objectives on page five. Also, Category D on page six. It is not believed that current operations contribute significantly to the First Priority Objective, [one line redacted under exemption B1] on page five, which reads: [one line redacted under exemption B1]. The above suggests to the undersigned that missions where ELINT collection is the primary objective and reason for [one line redacted under exemption B1] should be confined at most to [two lines redacted under exemption B1] sufficient number to maintain a reasonably current Radar Order of Battle in the [one line redacted under exemption B1] (R-O-B) and air defense posture unless there were a decided worsening [one line redacted under exemption B1]. If, however, other reasons for going justify the missions then it would seem ridiculous not to collect ELINT since that is possible simultaneously with carrying out the non-ELINT objectives. However, it may well be that there are ELINT requirements against the Soviet border areas which would rate a higher position in the priorities. It should be noted that initially [one line redacted under exemption B1] worked with [one line redacted under exemption B1] in securing requirements. Since the Pacific Theatre reorganization, however, the Fifth Air Force has exercised the theatre requirements responsibility for P-A-C-A-T and may be doing so for C-I-N-C-P-A-C (though this we have to check with the Services). If permission were granted and…

Why was this case declassified?

This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked on this page so the citation chain is auditable.

CIA Elint Requirements For Collection By [one Line Redacted Under Exemption B1]

◆ BLUF — The short version

This is Declassified. Today, we examine a March twelfth, nineteen-fifty-nine, Central Intelligence Agency memorandum titled ELINT Requirements for Collection by [one line redacted under exemption B1]. This document, marked Top Secret Chess and Top Secret Eider, discusses the effectiveness and future needs for electronic intelligence gathering in Asia.

Date: SEP 20 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source document

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What was CIA Elint Requirements For Collection By [one Line Redacted Under Exemption B1] about?: This is Declassified. Today, we examine a March twelfth, nineteen-fifty-nine, Central Intelligence Agency memorandum titled ELINT Requirements for Collection by [one line redacted under exemption B1]. This document, marked Top Secret Chess and Top Secret Eider, discusses the effectiveness and future needs for electronic intelligence gathering in Asia.
Why was this case declassified?: This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. Storyflo narrates it directly from the public release.

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CIA Elint Requirements For Collection By [one Line Redacted Under Exemption B1]

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