What did the declassified documents reveal?

Evaluation of a proposed air mission over the Chinese coast, Central Intelligence Agency memorandum, January nineteenth, nineteen sixty‑eight. This document is notable because it provides a contemporaneous CIA assessment of potential air‑defense reactions to a covert operation during a period of heightened Cold War tension. The record is hosted by The Black Vault. The memorandum was approved for release on March second, two thousand four, under the authority of the Central Intelligence Agency’s declassification program. It was made publicly available through The Black Vault archive, which reproduces the original CIA file in its entirety. The release reflects the agency’s routine declassification of historical intelligence assessments. The memorandum reads as follows. Copy of CIA‑RBP‑74‑B‑0030, dated January nineteenth, nineteen sixty‑eight. Memorandum for: Director of Special Activities, O‑5‑X‑1‑A. Attention: Chief, Intelligence Division. Subject: Evaluation of Proposed Mission, O‑5‑X‑1‑A. Date: January twentieth, nineteen sixty‑eight. Reference: P‑S‑4, twenty‑four October nineteen sixty‑six, O‑5‑X‑1‑A. 1. This memorandum is a review and analysis of Route One‑zero‑six‑two, which lies over the water along the coastal periphery of the South Air Defense District. The evaluation is in support of Mission J scheduled to be flown on January twentieth, nineteen sixty‑eight, and is forwarded in compliance with this Office’s responsibilities as set forth in the reference. 2. Review of the mission route indicates the possibility of at least one M‑I‑G‑21 fighter reaction. The most recent available A‑O‑B information indicates the presence of six M‑I‑G‑21s at Nanning, Wu‑yu airfield, coordinates twenty‑two point three‑six degrees north, one‑zero‑eight point one‑zero degrees east, and a single M‑I‑G‑21 at Lei‑pei airfield, coordinates twenty‑one point two‑four degrees north, one‑ten point one‑two degrees east, as of January seventeenth, nineteen sixty‑eight. 3. There is only a very remote possibility of a S‑A‑M reaction against the mission if Route One‑zero‑six‑two is flown as planned along the periphery twenty to twenty‑five nautical miles from the mainland. Donald F. Chamberlain, Director of Scientific Intelligence. Distribution: Copies one through eight. Office of Scientific Intelligence, D‑S‑D, A‑D‑B, D‑S‑D. January nineteenth, nineteen sixty‑eight. The Black Vault’s description of the file states: “This memorandum evaluates a proposed air route over the coastal periphery of the South Air Defense District in support of a planned covert mission, noting possible fighter and surface‑to‑air missile reactions based on the latest intelligence available at the time.” That statement reflects the agency’s own framing of the document. This is what the public record looks like at its most ordinary. For the full text, visit storyflo.com and the archival URL at archive.org/download/us‑china‑intel‑CI01851/CI01851djvu.txt.

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-692Declassified

Filed AUG 13 · 2026Runtime 1 min

CIA Evaluation Of A Proposed Air Mission Over The Chinese Coast, Central

U.S. public record · FOIAUpdated August 13, 2026

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Evaluation of a proposed air mission over the Chinese coast, Central Intelligence Agency memorandum, January nineteenth, nineteen sixty‑eight. This document is notable because it provides a contemporaneous CIA assessment of potential air‑defense reactions to a covert operation during a period of heightened Cold War tension.

Date: AUG 13 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source document

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What was CIA Evaluation Of A Proposed Air Mission Over The Chinese Coast, Central about?: Evaluation of a proposed air mission over the Chinese coast, Central Intelligence Agency memorandum, January nineteenth, nineteen sixty‑eight. This document is notable because it provides a contemporaneous CIA assessment of potential air‑defense reactions to a covert operation during a period of heightened Cold War tension.
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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