Approved for Release: 2013/06/25
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Secret NOFORN
Chapter 5
242
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The entire U-2 overflight program was temporarily halted in early November 1967 after an Air Force U-2 in Vietnam was discovered to have cracks in its wing. All Air Force and CIA U-2s were ordered back to Lockheed for ultrasonic inspection of the wings and other stress points to check on metal fatigue. Upon completion of this inspection, both the Air Force and the Agency resumed their overflight activity.⁶⁴
The End of U-2 Overflights of Mainland China
Project TACKLE mounted a mission over northeastern China on 13 December 1967 and an overflight of central China on 5 January 1968. Later that month the Far East became very tense when North Korea seized the US electronic intelligence ship Pueblo on 23 January. One
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⁶² Ibid., chap. 17, p. 72 (TS Codeword).
⁶³ Mission folder C297C (8 September 1967). OSA records (TS Codeword).
⁶⁴ OSA History, chap. 16, p. 44 (TS Codeword).
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Secret
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Approved for Release: 2013/06/25