484. Memorandum from General Joseph Carroll to McNamara, General Taylor, and the Director of the Joint Staff, November 31
SUBJECT
- (U) Status of Soviet Offensive Weapons in Cuba
1. Photographic reconnaissance conducted on 2 November does not furnish conclusive evidence of Soviet intention to remove offensive missile systems from Cuba. Further, it indicates clearly that work continues to bring the BEAGLE/IL–28 force to operational status.
2. Although some missile-associated equipment was photographed at Mariel yesterday, the amount and type provides no conclusive evidence that equipment which had been removed from the MRBM sites on 1 November has actually arrived at Mariel. Former MRBM/IRBM sites were not covered on the most recent photography 2 November. It must be considered that the present location of the material formerly on MRBM sites is now unknown and the possibility or redeployment to alternate sites still cannot be excluded.
3. Positive evidence of a continued buildup of the BEAGLE capability was obtained. Two additional BEAGLE fuselages had been uncrated since the time of the previous day’s photography. Two aircraft are considered flyable and five others (in addition to the two newly uncrated fuselages) were apparently in varying stages of assembly. Nineteen fuselage crates were dispersed about the field, indicating the presence of as many as 28 BEAGLES at San Julian.
4. It is clear that we are now confronted with the problem of not knowing where the Soviet offensive missile systems are located. Thus, our intelligence requirements are in the nature of a search. This underlines the pressing need for a combination of high level, low level, and peripheral photographic reconnaissance.
Director
- Status of Soviet offensive weapons in Cuba. No classification marking. 1 p. NDU, Taylor Papers, Cuba, Cuba Intelligence.↩