Working Agreement Governing the Preliminary Phase of Operation BRAVO-CHARLIE
19 May 1954
SUBJECT: Working Agreement Governing the Preliminary Phase of Operation BRAVO-CHARLIE
This Agreement is concluded between the Office of Scientific Intelligence, hereinafter referred to as OSI, and the Western Europe Division, hereinafter referred to as the Division, in accordance with the directive of the Chief of Operations of 4 May 1954, which assigns technical supervision of the above-captioned program to OSI and operational cognizance to the Division, and which directs the two Offices to conclude such working arrangements as are necessary to give effect to that division of responsibility.
The present Agreement governs the conduct of the preliminary phase only. Any field trial recommended at the conclusion of the preliminary phase will be the subject of a separate arrangement to be concluded between the two Offices upon receipt of the further authorization contemplated in the directive of 4 May.
OSI will conduct, at the facility, such examination, reconstruction, and bench trial of the apparatus as it deems necessary to establish the operative parameters of the same. OSI will retain custody of the apparatus throughout the preliminary phase and will be responsible for its security, for the security of the facility, and for the security of all personnel assigned to the technical group. The composition of the technical group, including the assignment of personnel acquired under Operation PAPERCLIP, is reserved to OSI, subject to the customary security review and to the right of the Division to be informed of the identity of all personnel read in to the program.
The Division will, for its part, refrain from any direct participation in the technical work of the preliminary phase, and will confine its activity during this period to such preparatory study as may be required to enable it to discharge its operational responsibilities upon the conclusion of that phase. The Division will in particular undertake, during the preliminary phase, a preliminary survey of candidate temporal coordinates for any field trial that may be recommended, and will be prepared upon receipt of the OSI report of findings to enter into substantive discussion of the same with the technical group. The Division may, at its discretion, engage such historical and geographical consultants as it deems necessary to that end, subject to the security provisions of the present Agreement.
Liaison between the two Offices during the preliminary phase will be maintained through on behalf of OSI and through on behalf of the Division. Routine matters arising in the course of the preliminary phase will be disposed of between the named officers. Matters of substance, including any modification of the present Agreement, will be referred to the undersigned for decision.
OSI will keep the Division informed of the progress of the preliminary phase by means of monthly informal reports, the first of such reports to be rendered not later than 30 June of the present year. The Division will be afforded such access to the facility as may be required for the proper discharge of its operational responsibilities, upon reasonable notice to OSI and subject to the security provisions referred to above. It is understood between the two Offices that no personnel of the Division will be present at the facility during the conduct of bench trials except by specific arrangement.
Costs of the preliminary phase will be borne by OSI, drawing upon the discretionary reserve identified in the directive of 4 May. Any costs incurred by the Division in the course of its preparatory study, including the engagement of consultants, will be borne by the Division and will not be charged against the said reserve.
The security provisions of the directive of 4 May are incorporated by reference into the present Agreement. The two Offices reaffirm in particular that the cryptonym BRAVO-CHARLIE is not to appear in any communication of a classification lower than , and that knowledge of the program is to be confined to personnel specifically read in by the one Office or the other. Each Office will maintain a roster of personnel read in to the program and will furnish a copy of the same to the other Office and to the Chief of Operations.
The present Agreement enters into effect upon the signature of both parties and will continue in force until the rendering of the OSI report of findings or until 31 October of the present year, whichever is the earlier, at which time the two Offices will consult as to the conclusion of a further arrangement governing such field trial as may be authorized.
Asst. Director, Office of Scientific Intelligence
W. SEATON
Division Chief, Western Europe
Copy furnished: Chief of Operations