Signing the Memorandum of Understanding

 

The first of three let­ters attached to the Memorandum of Understanding that created the X-15 research program. Since it was nominally an Air Force program, the Air Force began the signature process.

 

ОСОПЕУ-

DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE

WUHMORM

 

NOV 9 1954

 

The early 1950s was an era where carbon paper and onion-skin copies were kept. Forty-five years later they are not repro­ducible, so the three letters have been recreated.

 

MEMORANDUM TOR THH ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE NAVY FOR AIR

SUBJECT: Principles for the Conduct of a Joint Project for a Hew

High Speed Research Airplane

1. The Air Force concurs in the establishment of a joint NACA- Navy-Air Force project to design and construct a research airplane capable of achieving speeds of the order of Mach Number 7 and altitudes of several hundred thousand feet.

2. Attached is a Memorandum of Understanding. signed in tripli­cate by the Air Force, setting forth the principles fox the conduct by the NACA, the Navy, and the Air Force of this joint project. It 1b reguested that the Navy sign this Memorandum, in triplicate, and forward the signed copies to the Director of the NACA for signature and distribution bach to the signatory agencies.

3. The Air Force is designating Brigadier General В, В. Кеївеу, Deputy Director of Research and Development, as the Air Force representa­tive on the ‘Research Airplane Oonmittee’ referred to in paragraph В

of the Memorandum of understanding.

 

The letters remained SECRET until 3 July 1963 when they were downgraded to CONFIDENTIAL.

It was not until 9 November 1966 that they were finally declassified.

 

feigned.)

Trevor Gardner
Special Assistant (Rid))

 

Enclosure

Memo of understanding

w/1 incl fin trip)