NSA and the Cuban Missile Crisis

naval

aircraft

approached.

Under

the

watchful

eye

of

Russian

GCI

(Ground

Controlled

Intercept)

controllers,

their

procedures

became

coordinated

and

efficient.

With

the

new

MiG

fighters,

using

Soviet-

originated

ground

control

procedures

and

Soviet weapons,

Cuban

pilots

were

becoming

a

potent

defensive

force.

With

the

antiaircraft

weapons

and

surface-to-air

missiles,

American

aircraft

would

approach

Cuba

at

their

peril.

On

October

10,

NSA

reported

that

the

Cuban

air

defense

system

seemed

to

be

complete.

They

had

just

begun

passing

radar

tracking from

radar

stations

to

higher

headquarters

and

to

defensive

fighter

bases

using

Soviet

procedures. ...