What did the declassified documents reveal?

This is a declassified Central Intelligence Agency memorandum dated September twenty‑third, nineteen seventy, concerning the requirement for missile search of China. It is notable because it marks the transition from a rail‑based search strategy to a photographic analysis program that divided the entire country into twenty‑six geographic areas. The memorandum was released to the public through The Black Vault, posted online as part of the agency’s declassification program. The document is available at the Black Vault URL archive dot org slash download slash us‑china‑intel‑C‑I‑01964 slash C‑I‑01964djvu dot txt. The release date is recorded as the date of posting on that site, and the declassification authority is the Central Intelligence Agency’s internal review board. The document reads as follows: “ZoX° – two, approved for release December nineteenth, two thousand three. Central Intelligence Agency, reference D‑R‑78‑B‑057‑03. September twenty‑third, nineteen seventy. Memorandum for: Executive Director, National Photographic Interpretation Center, through Director of Strategic Research. Subject: Requirement for Missile Search of China. 1. This memorandum terminates our requirement for the rail search for medium‑range ballistic missile deployment, reference C‑R‑R‑7‑84470, supplement one, N‑P‑I‑C 111107EB. 2. While this requirement was in effect, the only two new missile sites detected in China were found by other means. In addition, the nature of the probable training exercises observed at Complex A of the Shuang‑ch’eng‑tzu rangehead in June and July of this year raises the possibility that the type of medium‑range ballistic missile used there might be deployed at considerable distances from rail lines. 3. N‑P‑I‑C’s new practice of dividing China into twenty‑six geographic areas and assigning one photographic interpreter to each area to become thoroughly familiar with that area seems to us to offer much greater assurance than the rail search that new missile sites will be detected in their early stages of development. Under this system, as we understand it, all of the usable China photography of each mission will be searched. 4. With the rail search it was relatively simple to evaluate coverage over a given period of time in terms of percentage of the total rail system. It will now be necessary to develop a new system of reporting. The officers of

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.

Central Intelligence Agency Memorandum Dated September Twenty‑third, Nineteen

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This is a declassified Central Intelligence Agency memorandum dated September twenty‑third, nineteen seventy, concerning the requirement for missile search of China. It is notable because it marks the transition from a rail‑based search strategy to a photographic analysis program that divided the entire country into twenty‑six geographic areas.

Date: AUG 6 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source document

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What was Central Intelligence Agency Memorandum Dated September Twenty‑third, Nineteen about?: This is a declassified Central Intelligence Agency memorandum dated September twenty‑third, nineteen seventy, concerning the requirement for missile search of China. It is notable because it marks the transition from a rail‑based search strategy to a photographic analysis program that divided the entire country into twenty‑six geographic areas.
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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Central Intelligence Agency Memorandum Dated September Twenty‑third, Nineteen

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