Cuban Missile Crisis

The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation between the United States, the Soviet Union, and Cuba in the early 1960s during the Cold War. In Russia, it is termed the “Caribbean Crisis”, while in Cuba it is called the “October Crisis”.

The crisis ranks with the Berlin Blockade as one of the major confrontations of the Cold War, and is generally regarded as the moment in which the Cold War came closest to a nuclear war.

Declassified Documents

1960:

Indications of Soviet arms shipments to Cuba, weekly COMINT Economic Briefing [4 Pages]

1961:

SIGINT report on Cuban pilot training in Czechoslovakia [1 Pages]

Soviet merchant ship Nikolaj Burdenko delivers military cargo to Cuba [2 Pages]

Operators’ chatter reveals Cuban air force personnel to learn Russian [5 Pages]

Radar being installed; possible for use with artillery units [4 Pages]

Spanish-Speaking pilots training at Trencin Airfield, Czechoslovakia, on 31 May 1961 [1 Pages]

SIGINT report on Cuban pilot training in Czechoslovakia [1 Pages]

Soviet freighters scheduled to call Cuba in July 1961 [1 Pages]

1962:

Handwritten summary of basic national security policy document [1 Pages]

Handwritten summary of 1962 funnel messages on Soviet military and technical advisers in Cuba (Page 2) [2 Pages]

Extension of assignment of ASA analyst overseas (Page 2) [2 Pages]

Reference to radar tracking on Russian equipment in Cuba [1 Pages]

Dry cargo shipments to and from Cuba in Soviet ships, 1 January – 31 March 1962 [17 Pages]

Cuban Air Force VHF communications procedure [3 Pages]

New Soviet cargo ship en route Cuba with possible military cargo [1 Pages]

First ELINT evidence of Scan ODD radar in Cuban area [1 Pages]

Cuban Air Force long-range flights [1 Pages]

Electronic intercepts in Cuban area [1 Pages]

Night flights of Cuban jet aircraft [1 Pages]

DIRNSA request for temporary assignment of vessel to Cuban waters until a planned collection vessel is ready [1 Pages]

Memorandum for Secretary of Navy discussing requests for Navy collection resources [1 Pages]

Unusual number of Soviet passenger ships en route Cuba [2 Pages]

Possible reflections of Soviet/Cuban trade adjustments noted in merchant shipping [2 Pages]

Further unusual Soviet/Cuban trade relations recently noted [3 Pages]

WHIFF radar in Cuba [2 Pages]

Status of Soviet merchant shipping to Cuba [2 Pages]

Reflection of Soviet bloc pilot/technicians in Cuban Air Force training, 1 May – 4 Aug. 1962 [4 Pages]

Night aerial gunnery exercises by Cuban jet aircraft [1 Pages]

Further information on Soviet/Cuban trade [2 Pages]

Increase flight activity of Cuban Tactical Air Force [1 Pages]

Further information on Soviet/Cuban trade [2 Pages]

Cuban MIGS scrambled on two U.S. Navy patrol planes [2 Pages]

Reporting instructions for SIGINT evidence of Cuban acquisition of offensive weapons system (Page 2) [2 Pages]

Definition of reporting category “funnel” [1 Page]

NSA need for larger collection vessel than planned [1 Page]

New radar deployment in Cuba [1 Page]

IFF signal in Cuban area [1 Page]

Further information on cargo shipments to Cuba in Soviet ships [1 Page]

Further information on cargo shipments to Cuba in Soviet ships [2 Page]

Blank sample log sheet for crisis actions (Page 2) [2 Pages]

DIRNSA msg to Services on collection effort (Page 2) (Page 3) [3 Pages]

KOMET III radar intercept report [2 Page]

Handwritten draft of DIRNSA reminder about funnel category (Page 2) [2 Pages]

Handwritten draft of DIRNSA note on reporting priorities (Page 2) [2 Pages]

Intercept of probable Cuban Air Defense Grid Tracking [1 Page]

Further information on cargo shipments to Cuba in Soviet ships [2 Pages]

Handwritten draft of DIRNSA announcement of ad hoc group to improve collection and processing of Cuban material [1 Pages]

Hardcopy version of DIRNSA announcement of ad hoc group to improve collection and processing of Cuban material (Page 2) [2 Pages]

DIRNSA directs movement of ASA troops to augment SIGINT effort against Cuba [1 Pages]

Shkval passed messages to Alantika [1 Pages]

Passenger cargo vessel Nikolaj Burdenko related urgent message from cargo vessel Kura for Moscow [1 Pages]

Soviet vessels give positions and Odessa relayed very urgent messages from Moscow [1 Pages]

Message intercepted from Soviet Metallurg Kurako addressed to all vessels in zone FOXTROT [2 Pages]

Sretensk passed message to Moscow radio [1 Pages]

Nikolaevsk reported a ship on approaching course [1 Pages]

Nikolaevsk reported U.S. war ship continuing to accompany her [1 Pages]

Soviet cargo vessel Ustyuzhna carrying on cargo operations in Cuban port of Hoa [1 Pages]

Nikolaevsk reported waiting at unidentified Cuban port awaiting a pilot [1 Pages]

Further information on unusually high level of CRAFT pilots active on 18 October [1 Pages]

Summary of the day’s news – 23 Oct 1962 [1 Pages]

Handwritten draft of DIRNSA note requesting CRITICOMM communications [1 Pages]

Soviet cargo vessel Urgench alters course and is probably enroute back to port [1 Pages]

Soviet cargo vessel Bol’Shevik Sukhanov alters course and is probably enroute back to port [1 Pages]

Soviet cargo vessel Kislovodsk alters course to the North [1 Pages]

Temporary transfer of ASA personnel during training for shipborne collection [1 Pages]

Summary of collection vessel operations in September 62 [1 Pages]

Summary of ELINT and COMINT collection improvements in September 1962 [1 Pages]

Amendment of classification level for reports [1 Pages]

Memorandum on courier flights to Homestead AFB, Florida [1 Pages]

SPOON REST radars identified at three sites [1 Pages]

DIRNSA msg on requirements for improving collection ability (Page 2) [2 Pages]

Funnel reports revert to regular series [1 Pages]

Handwritten note on originating COMINT-derived warnings [1 Pages]

Summary of DIRNSA msg on level of support possible for military services (Page 2) [2 Pages]

Summary of arrangements for representation at JCS [1 Pages]

Activation of Air Force Security Service Emergency Reaction Unit (Page 2) [2 Pages]

Handwritten draft of DIRNSA msg on service arrangements for collection and reporting (Page 2) [2 Pages]

Naval Security Group discusses problems with communications and reporting facilities [1 Pages]

Handwritten draft of DIRNSA note on processing and reporting [1 Pages]

Commander-in-Chief Atlantic concurs with transfer of Cuban problem [1 Pages]

Handwritten note re NSA contribution to intel actions [1 Pages]

Handwritten summary of staff actions re Cuban crisis (Page 2) [2 Pages]

Handwritten draft of DIRNSA note on funding and level of collection against Cuba [1 Pages]

Hardcopy version of DIRNSA note on funding and level of collection against Cuba (Page 2) (Page 3) [3 Pages]

Proposal for a special national intelligence estimate on Soviet military in Cuba (Page 2) [2 Pages]

DIRNSA msg to Naval Security Group re fixed and shipborne collection (Page 2) [2 Pages]

Cover letter and commendation letter on SIGINT contribution during Cuban crisis (Page 2) [2 Pages]

Handwritten note on renotating types of communications in Cuba [1 Pages]

1963:

DIRNSA requests results of hearability tests in Florida [1 Pages]

Status summary for ASA operations (Page 2) [2 Pages]

Meeting to review reporting requirements on Cuban air defense (Page 2) [2 Pages]

Study group established to review reporting on Cuba [1 Pages]

Buildup and changes to collection and reporting on Cuba [1 Pages]

DIRNSA proposal to Navy concerning courier service (Page 2) [2 Pages]

Summary of Soviet ships in Cuban ports, as of 19 June 1963 (Page 2) (Page 3) (Page 4) (Page 5) (Page 6) [6 Pages]

1969:

Buildup and changes to collection and reporting on Cuba [1 Pages]

Undated:

Handwritten summary of DIRNSA suggestion about long-term Cuban collection [1 Pages]

Handwritten note on DIRNSA wishes on level of effort [1 Pages]

Revised DIRNSA lists of funnel msg recipients [1 Pages]

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