What did the declassified documents reveal?

Communist China’s intercontinental ballistic missile flight test program – Central Intelligence Agency, August tenth, nineteen sixty‑seven. This airgram is notable because it outlines U.S. intelligence assessments of China’s emerging ICBM capability and the logistical support the Chinese might seek from foreign ports. The record is hosted at the Black Vault archive. The document was released under a Freedom of Information Act request, identified in the Black Vault as case number CI01822. It was declassified and made publicly available on the Black Vault website on the date indicated in the file’s metadata. The declassification authority is listed as the Central Intelligence Agency. The airgram begins with a handling indicator and distribution list, then reads: A growing body of evidence indicates that Communist China is developing an intercontinental ballistic missile system capable of delivering nuclear payloads to targets within the continental United States. The first five to ten launches, which could begin during the second half of nineteen sixty‑seven, will probably impact within China’s boundaries. Test firings of vehicles with ranges up to six thousand nautical miles will ultimately be required to demonstrate the military feasibility of the system and could begin by nineteen sixty‑nine. The flight test program will probably be conducted from a new launch facility at the existing missile test rangehead at Shuang‑cheng‑tzu in north‑central China, coordinates one degree zero five minutes north, one hundred zero nine fifteen minutes east. There is as yet no firm evidence concerning the directions in which the test firings will be launched, but many potential firing azimuths can be eliminated because of political‑geographical considerations. The most likely direction of fire would be from the Shuang‑cheng‑tzu rangehead to the south and southwest on azimuths from eighteen degrees to two hundred fifteen degrees. The booster stage of missiles launched in this general direction would impact within China’s borders while the upper stage and re‑entry vehicle would pass over South Asia to impact in the Indian Ocean. The upper stage would probably burn up in the earth’s atmosphere after separating from the payload. If the launch azimuth were between two hundred ten degrees and two hundred fifteen degrees, eastern South Asia would be overflown, but there is little likelihood that any part of the launch vehicle would impact in those countries. The Chinese could also conduct test firings along azimuths between ninety degrees and one hundred twenty‑five degrees, with resulting impact areas for the re‑entry vehicle in the Pacific Ocean, although this is considered unlikely. The Chinese might attempt to place a relatively heavy satellite into orbit along such azimuths, particularly due east, at an early stage of the ICBM test program. Land‑based instrumentation and tracking sites are generally preferable when available. Several French islands in the South…

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.

Case File · ARCHIVE-672Declassified

Filed AUG 14 · 2026Runtime 1 min

CIA Communist China’s Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Flight Test Program –

U.S. public record · FOIAUpdated August 14, 2026

intelligence-vault

◆ BLUF — The short version

Communist China’s intercontinental ballistic missile flight test program – Central Intelligence Agency, August tenth, nineteen sixty‑seven. S. intelligence assessments of China’s emerging ICBM capability and the logistical support the Chinese might seek from foreign ports. The record is hosted at the Black Vault archive.

Date: AUG 14 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source document

↯ Dispatch — press play1:00

0:001:00

↯ Share

X in r/

Episode notes

Communist China’s intercontinental ballistic missile flight test program – Central Intelligence Agency, August tenth, nineteen sixty‑seven. This airgram is notable because it outlines U.S. intelligence assessments of China’s emerging ICBM capability and the logistical support the Chinese might seek…

View the primary source document

Questions about this case

What was CIA Communist China’s Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Flight Test Program – about?: Communist China’s intercontinental ballistic missile flight test program – Central Intelligence Agency, August tenth, nineteen sixty‑seven. S. intelligence assessments of China’s emerging ICBM capability and the logistical support the Chinese might seek from foreign ports. The record is hosted at the Black Vault archive.
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.

intelligence-vault

Related cases

✉ Dispatches

A short dispatch when a new file is released — narrated, answer-first, and linked straight to the primary source. No spam; unsubscribe anytime.

↯ Subscribe to the feed

RSS feed Browse all cases

CIA Communist China’s Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Flight Test Program –

Questions about this case

Related cases

Today, We Delve Into A Declassified Central Intelligence Agency Record

CIA Estimated Consequences Of Possible U.s. Courses Of Economic Action With Respect

CIA United States Army Intelligence Brief On The Far East, Focusing

Today, We Examine A Declassified Central Intelligence Agency Record

CIA On January Eighteenth, Nineteen Fifty, The United States Intelligence Community

Questions about this case

Related cases

Today, We Delve Into A Declassified Central Intelligence Agency Record

CIA Estimated Consequences Of Possible U.s. Courses Of Economic Action With Respect

CIA United States Army Intelligence Brief On The Far East, Focusing

Today, We Examine A Declassified Central Intelligence Agency Record

CIA On January Eighteenth, Nineteen Fifty, The United States Intelligence Community

Get the next declassified case in your inbox