What did the declassified documents reveal?

Resume of Mission C168C – United States Air Force memorandum, November first, nineteen sixty‑eight. This memorandum is notable because it provides a detailed operational report on a reconnaissance sortie flown off the coast of China during a period of heightened Cold War tension. The record is hosted by The Black Vault, which released the document to the public under a Freedom of Information Act request. The Black Vault entry for this file was posted on the archive website, with the release date listed as the date of upload. The declassification authority is identified as the United States Air Force, and the document was approved for release under the standard classification markings for historical records. The memorandum reads as follows. “MEMORANDUM FOR: See Distribution SUBJECT: Resume of Mission C168C 1. General: Mission C168C was alerted on eighteenth October, nineteen sixty‑eight. This was a round‑robin mission flown out of RM twenty‑five‑X‑one‑D designed to remain twenty miles off‑shore. Launch and take‑off were made on twentieth October, nineteen sixty‑eight. Pilot was Major [redacted]. This was his first operational twenty‑five‑X‑one‑D twenty‑five‑X‑one‑C mission. Preplanned Mission Data: Distance one thousand five hundred fifty‑three nautical miles; Time to landing four point two zero hours; Take‑off fuel one thousand twenty gallons; Fuel reserve at high cone two hundred fifteen gallons. Targets: This mission was designed for use of the “H” Camera Configuration to obtain photo coverage of thirty‑three C‑O‑M‑I‑R‑E‑X targets and six nautical mile route for twenty‑five‑X‑ten. This sortie was planned to obtain photo coverage from approximately sixty nautical miles east of Hong Kong along the coast of China to a point southeast of Shanghai. 2. Actual Mission Data: Take‑off was at zero one three zero two Zulu and landing at zero five five zero Zulu for a mission duration of four thousand four hundred twenty hours. a. Target Coverage: (1) Of the thirty‑three programmed C‑O‑M‑I‑R‑E‑X targets, none were covered due to pilot’s missetting of the camera angle. (2) There were three bonus C‑O‑M‑I‑R‑E‑X targets covered. (3) Thirty‑one bonus non‑C‑O‑M‑I‑R‑E‑X targets were also photographed. b. Weather: The weather was as forecast. Category I, zero to one‑eighth cloud cover, was over the China mainland and coastal area. All flight lines were clear with the exception of the last, which was Category III, three‑eighths to four‑eighths cloud cover. 3. Air Defense Reaction (CHICOM): a. Radar Tracking: CHICOM tracking was continuous from zero one three six Zulu until zero four five four Zulu for a total time of four thousand four hundred nine hours. b. Fighter Reaction: Twice during the mission the pilot reported seeing M‑I‑G contrails to the left and below his flight path and altitude. These contrail sightings occurred in the vicinity of Lung‑tien and Nan Jih‑Tao Airfields, both air strips across from Taiwan. The four M‑I‑G aircraft never climbed above the…

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.

Resume Of Mission C168c – United States Air Force Memorandum, November First

◆ BLUF — The short version

Resume of Mission C168C – United States Air Force memorandum, November first, nineteen sixty‑eight. This memorandum is notable because it provides a detailed operational report on a reconnaissance sortie flown off the coast of China during a period of heightened Cold War tension.

Date: AUG 7 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source document

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What was Resume Of Mission C168c – United States Air Force Memorandum, November First about?: Resume of Mission C168C – United States Air Force memorandum, November first, nineteen sixty‑eight. This memorandum is notable because it provides a detailed operational report on a reconnaissance sortie flown off the coast of China 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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Resume Of Mission C168c – United States Air Force Memorandum, November First

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