Documents
NSA Cuban Missile Crisis Classification Guide
Oct. 25 2017 — 1:06 p.m.

TO USA, AUS, CAN, GBR, NZL
(U) CLASSIFICATION GUIDE Cuban Missile
Crisis, 10-18
(U) PUBLICATION DATE: 30 July 2008
(U) OFFICE OF ORIGIN: Information Security Policy, DJP2
POC: DJ P2
(U) PHONE-
(U) ORIGINAL CLASSIFICATION AUTHORITY:
Associate Director for Community Integration, Policy and Records
(U) Unless otherwise indicated, the information included in this guide
addresses activity during and related to the Cuban lVIissile Crisis
ONLY.
Description of Information lassi?cationMarkings Reason Declass Remarks
(U) The following guidance (items 1-8) pertains to information related to
the Cuban Missile Crisis during the time period 1 January 1959 through 31 December 1963.
1. (ID The fact that the UNCLASSIFIED
following entities were SIGINT
targets during and related to the
crisis:
a. The USSR
b. Soviet Forces in Cuba
c. Soviet Merchant
Shipping
d. Cuba. to include Cuban
Military Forces.
2. (U) Information derived from. UNCLASSIFIED
or pertaining to. unenciphered
Soviet military conmlunications
during and related to the crisis.
3. (U) Information derived from. UNCLASSIFIED
or pertaining to. Soviet air-to-
ground and grormd-to-air GC I
communications in Cuba during
and related to the crisis.
4. (U) Direction-?nding results UNCLASSIFIED
when applied to Cuban and
Soviet Forces during and related
to the crisis. to include merchant
shipping involved in aid to
Cuba.
5. (U) Information derived from. UNCLASSIFIED
SECRETHREL TO USA, AUS, CAN, GBR, NZL

TO USA, AUS, CAN, GBR, NZL
or pertaining to. unenciphered
Cuban internal military and
govenmlental communications
during and related to the crisis.
6. (U) Information derived from
or pertaining to Cuban air-to-
grormd and ground-to-air GCI
communications during and
related to the crisis.
UNCLASSIFIED
7. (U) Infomlation derived from
category product reports
pertaining to Soviet and Cuban
communications during and
related to the crisis. including
Soviet Merchant Shipping
communications.
UNCLASSIFIED
8. (U) Information derived from
category II product reports
pertaining to unenciphered
Cuban internal military and
governmental communications
during and related to the crisis.
UNCLASSIFIED
following guidance (items 9-10) pertains to information related
to
the Cuban Missile Crisis during the time period 1 January 1960 through 31 December 1962.
9. (U) The fact that UNCLASSIFIED
Czechoslovakia was a SIGINT
target during and related to the
crisis.
10. (U) Information derived UNCLASSIFIED
from. or pertaining to. Czech air
and air defense communications
during and related to the crisis.
and ELINT related to those
communications.
(U) The following guidance (items 11-16) pertains to information related to
the Cuban Missile Crisis for all time periods.
11. (U) The fact
targeting/collecting diplomatic
and International Commercial
(ILC) communications during
and related to the crisis.
UNCLASSIFIED
Details
regarding this
targeting/collection shall
remain classi?ed. to
include identi?cation of
the speci?c diplomatic
entity communicating or
identi?cation of the entity
communicating using ILC
communications.
Information
from product reports
derived from diplomatic
and ILC communications
shall not be released
without approval from the
Of?ce of Policy and
TO USA, AUS, CAN, GBR, NZL

TO USA, AUS, CAN, GBR, NZL
Records.
12. The fact of 1.4 25 years*
targeting Soviet General Staff REL TO USA. AUS. CAN.
conmrunications. GBR. NZL
13. (U) Information contained in TOP 1.4 25 years*
Category SIGINT reports COMINT
related to the Cuban Missile
Crisis. Releasability determined on
a case-by-case basis.
14. (U) Information re?ecting 1.4 25 years*
US. relationships with Second
or Third party partners. At a minimum.
Releasability determined on
a case-by-case basis.
15. (U) Identi?cation of SIGINT CONFIDENTIAL 1.4 25 years*
collection systems and
teclmiques. At minimum.
Releasability determined on
a case-by-case basis.
16. (U) Information contained in CONFIDENTIAL 1.4 25 years*
high-level summaries that
contain substantial amounts of At a minimum.
material or high-
level all-source conclusions Releasability determined on
relating to Soviet im'olvement. a case-by-case basis.
(U) ELINT
17. (U) The fact of UNCLASSIFIED
ELINT targeting
during and related to the crisis of
any entities described as
UNCLASSIFIED in this guide.
18. (U) The fact 1.4 25 years*
ELINT targeting any countries REL TO USA. AUS. CAN.
or entities during and related to GBR. NZL
the crisis other than those
described as UNCLASSIFIED
in this guide.
19. (U) The fact of ELINT UNCLASSIFIED (U) The association of an
collection during and related to ELNOT with its related
the crisis of signals ?our a system nickname or other
specific ripe of radar, identi?ed: system identi?er is
- by ELNOT (ELINT classi?ed.
notation). or
- by nickname. or
- by identi?cation of the
associated system.
20. (U) The fact of ELINT 1.4 25 years*
collection during and related to REL TO USA. AUS. CAN.
the crisis of signals ?ow a GBR. NZL
specific type of radar, identi?ed:
- by ELNOT and by
nickname. or
T0 USA, AUS, CAN, GBR, NZL

SECRET//REL TO USA, AUS, CAN, GBR, NZL
-
by ELNOT and by
identification of the
associated system.
21. (U) The fact of land-based
ELINT collection during and
related to the crisis.
22. (U) The fact of airborne
ELINT collection during and
related to the crisis.
23. (U) The identification of
types of aircraft used for ELINT
collection during and related to
the crisis.
24. (U) The identification of a
specific aircraft used for ELINT
collection during and related to
the crisis.
25. (U) The fact of shipborne
ELINT collection during and
related to the crisis.
26. (U) The identification of
types of ships used for ELINT
collection during and related to
the crisis.
27. (U) The identification of a
specific ship used for ELINT
collection during and related to
the crisis.
28. (U) The fact of
satellite/overhead ELINT
collection during and related to
the crisis.
29. (U) Details regarding
satellite/overhead ELINT
collection during and related to
the crisis.
30. (U) The association of a
specific ELINT intercept during
and related to the crisis with a
specific type of collection.
31. (U) The association of a
Circular Error of Probability
(CEP) or a confidence ellipse
with an ELINT intercept during
and related to the crisis.
32. (U) Parametric data derived
from ELINT intercept during
and related to the crisis.
UNCLASSIFIED
N/A
N/A
UNCLASSIFIED
N/A
N/A
Classification determined
on a case-by-case basis.
CONFIDENTIAL//
REL TO USA, AUS, CAN,
GBR, NZL
1.4 (c)
25 years*
UNCLASSIFIED
N/A
N/A
UNCLASSIFIED
N/A
N/A
UNCLASSIFIED
N/A
N/A
UNCLASSIFIED
N/A
N/A
CONFIDENTIAL//
REL TO USA, AUS, CAN,
GBR, NZL
1.4 (c)
25 years*
1.4 (c)
25 years*
1.4 (c)
25 years*
1.4 (c)
25 years*
At a minimum.
SECRET//
REL TO USA, AUS, CAN,
GBR, NZL
SECRET//
REL TO USA, AUS, CAN,
GBR, NZL
At a minimum.
SECRET//
REL TO USA, AUS, CAN,
GBR, NZL
At a minimum.
SECRET//REL TO USA, AUS, CAN, GBR, NZL
(U) Details relating to
specific airborne
platforms and systems
used during the crisis
should be treated
according to applicable
guidance.
(U) Regardless of how
identified.
(U) The association of a
specific ELINT intercept
with satellite/overhead
collection is classified.

SECRET//REL TO USA, AUS, CAN, GBR, NZL
(U) * 25 years: Declassification in 25 years indicates that the information is
classified for 25 years from the date a document is created or 25 years from the date
of this original classification decision, whichever is later.
SECRET//REL TO USA, AUS, CAN, GBR, NZL