US Army Foreign Science and Technology Center Planning Document

In August 1962, the Army Foreign Science and Technology Center (FSTC) was created as a special-purpose military unit to produce technical intelligence. FSTC was subordinate to the commander of the newly created US Army Materiel Command (AMC). FSTC was created using personnel and resources of a number of Army technical intelligence agencies including: The Chemical Corps Intelligence Agency The Ordnance Technical Intelligence Agency The Signal Corps Intelligence Agency The Transportation Intelligence Agency The Quartermaster Intelligence Agency Organizations subordinate to the Corps of Engineers. As well as from the Technical Intelligence Field Agency, ACSI Background On May 18, 1962, the Army Chief of Staff had issued Reorganization Planning Directive, 381-2, “Technical, Area Analysis, and Order of Battle Intelligence Production,” directing the creation of a technical intelligence agency which became the Army Foreign Intelligence and Technology Center among other things. Apparently this document was prepared in the interim between May 1962 and August 1962. It was entitled, “Foreign Science and Technology Division, Materiel Development and Logistics and Command (MDLC).” Obviously, the names of FSTC and AMC were changed before the plans were finalized. This document outlined the mission, structure, and resources of the new agency. It explained in detail the functions of each subdivision and where the resources of each subdivision were to be obtained. In the time between when the document was completed and FSTC was created, a number of changes were made. For example, a Missile and Space Weapons branch with resources obtained largely from the Missile Intelligence Office of the Army Ordnance Command was anticipated. The intelligence functions of the Army Ordnance Missile Command were, in fact, left in place when FSTC was created. The intelligence resources of the Army Ordnance Missile Command later evolved into a separate Missile and Space Intelligence Center