At 8:30 P.M. PST on October 13, Heyser took off from North Base at Edwards and headed toward Cuba. He started his run over Cuba at 7:31 A.M. EST, October 14. The overflight was made at 72,500 feet, with a flight path that went south to north across the island. At 7:43 A.M., he left Cuban airspace and turned toward McCoy Air Force Base. After landing, the film was removed and flown to Washington, D.C., for analysis at the National Photographic Interpretation Center (NPIC).[208]
The following day, interpreters noticed six long canvas-covered objects in the San Cristobal area. They were about seventy feet long — too large to be SA-2s. They were identified as SS-4 Sandal medium range ballistic missiles (MRBMs). Three MRBM sites under construction were discovered — at San Cristobal, Los Palacios, and San Diego de los Banos. The Cuban Missile Crisis had begun.[209]
On the morning of October 16, President Kennedy learned about the missiles. At the same time, three U-2As of the air force's 4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing were alerted. Over the next week, some twenty U-2 missions were flown. These spotted two more SS-4 MRBM sites at Sagua la Grande. Two SS-5 Skean intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) sites were found at Guanajay and a third SS-5 site was discovered at Remedies.[210]
On October 22, Kennedy announced the existence of the missiles and the imposition of a blockade. He also warned that any nuclear attack from Cuba would be met with a full retaliatory response by the United States.[211]
In the following days, as U-2s flew on high and air force RF-101s and navy RF-8s went in at 200 to 500 feet, work continued on the missile sites.
On October 27, all twenty-four SS-4 pads were considered operational. In anticipation of a U.S. invasion, the nuclear warheads for a Soviet Frog short-range missile battery, IL 28 light bombers, and the SSC-2B Samlet coastal defense missiles were readied. They would have caused tens of thousands of casualties among U.S. troops hitting the beaches. At Key West Airport, four Pershing missiles stood ready. Upon a presidential order, their nuclear warheads would be launched to destroy Havana. Around the world, some 1,200 U.S. bombers and nearly 400 missiles were prepared to hit their targets in the Soviet Union."The Soviet's own smaller nuclear force, 180 bombers, some 20 ICBMs, 100 submarine-launched missiles, and the 24 Cuban sites were on alert. For the first time, Soviet ICBMs were fueled and made ready to fire. Armageddon loomed.[212]
At 8:10 A.M. on October 27, Major Anderson took off from McCoy Air Force Base. As he flew over the Banes naval base, a salvo of SA-2s was fired. One of the missiles exploded above and behind his U-2.[213] One or more fragments penetrated the cockpit and hit Anderson at shoulder level.
The cockpit depressurized and his damaged suit failed to inflate. Anderson lost consciousness within seconds and died.[214]
When word reached Washington that Anderson's plane was overdue, most feared it was a direct Soviet escalation. The pressure to take military action — either striking the SAM sites, or an invasion — was growing. The situation seemed ready to explode with little or no warning. October 27 later became known as "Black Saturday." That evening Robert Kennedy met with Soviet Ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin and delivered an ultimatum. If the Soviets were unwilling to remove the missiles, the United States would attack within a day or two. This was coupled with a deal — the United States would promise not to invade Cuba if the missiles were removed. And, once the crisis was over, the United States would remove the Jupiter IRBMs based in Turkey.[215]
The death of Anderson had a similar impact in Moscow. There had been strict orders not to fire on the U-2s. The attack had been ordered, without authorization, by Gen. Igor D. Statsenko, a senior Soviet commander in Cuba.[216] Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev realized that if SAMs could be launched without authorization, so could other missiles. Robert Kennedy's ultimatum also made it clear he had very little time.[217] Then he received a report that President Kennedy would address the nation "at 5 o'clock."
The Soviets believed it would be an announcement of an air strike or invasion. To forestall this, a message was hurriedly drafted and rushed to a radio station. At 9:04 A.M. EST, October 28, Radio Moscow broadcast a statement announcing the Soviets would remove the missiles. The crisis had ended.[218]
U-2 overflights had been halted following Anderson's death, and there were no guarantees they would not be fired on again when operations resumed, or even if they could resume.[219] The uncertainty caused Undersecretary of the Air Force Dr. Joseph Charyk to reverse the earlier decisions not to use the Fire Fly drones over Cuba. The unit was alerted to prepare for a two-drone mission on short notice.
The Fire Fly's planned mission was different from that envisioned by the test flights. The 147A would fly at a medium altitude, 30,000 feet, rather than 50,000-pIus feet. The drones' autopilot was reprogrammed, and the cameras were modified slightly to accommodate this lower altitude. The scorers were then serviced, loaded with film, and installed in the drones. Everything was ready for the Fire Fly's first overflight. The DC-130 was on the flight line, with all four engines running, awaiting clearance to head down the taxiway to the end of the runway. They were moments away from starting when the mission was aborted on orders of Gen. Curtis E. LeMay, the air force chief of staff. LeMay supported the drone effort but wanted to save the capability for something bigger. U-2 overflights resumed on November 5. Although radar continued to track the planes, no SAMs were fired.[220]
Shortly after the aborted launch, the air force issued a contract for a family of operational drones to undertake different types of missions. The first was the 147B, a specialized high-altitude drone. The wingspan was extended from the 13 feet of the 147A to 27 feet, which raised the altitude ceiling to 62,500 feet. Two test vehicles and seven production 147B drones were to be built.
It would take several months for the 147Bs to be ready. To provide an immediate reconnaissance capability, the air force ordered seven 147Cs, production versions of the 147As. The wingspan was increased from 13 to 15 feet, and the contrail suppression system was added. Three of the 147Cs were then modified to produce the 147D. This drone was designed to undertake a mission that would be impossible for a manned aircraft. The air force needed data on the proximity fuze of the SA-2; to get the data, the drone would have to be hit by the SAM. The three 147Ds were delivered on December 16, 1962. Six weeks after the Cuban Missile Crisis ended, the United States had a limited unmanned reconnaissance capability based on the 147C and D drones.
Because the Fire Fly code name had been compromised, a new one was needed. In keeping with the insect trend of earlier names, the new drones were called "Lightning Bugs."
On July 1, 1963, the 4028th SRS(W) — Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron (Weather) — was declared operational and was placed on seventy-two-hour alert. The unit was initially equipped with two 147Cs and two 147Ds, pending arrival of the first of the production 147Bs. It was located at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, outside Tucson, Arizona, in an old World War I hangar. Like the A-12 unit, the 4028th had its own patch. It showed a cartoon of a fire fly (with a lightbulb in its tail). From its antennas came two lightning bolts — hence a Lightning Bug.
212
"One Minute to Midnight: The Real Story of the Cuban Missile Crisis" (NBC News special, October 24, 1992).
216
James G. Bright and David A. Welch,
219
Pocock,