1957: Nikita Krushchev’s victory over an attempted coup consolidates his leadership in USSR

8-19 Jun 57: Continued U-2 overflights into Soviet Union

3 Aug 57: First test launch of Soviet SS-6 ICBM

4-27 Aug: U-2 Detachment B (Adana AB, Turkey) begins overflights of Central USSR

26 Aug 57: Soviet’s TASS News Agency reports the launch of the USSR’s first ICBM and their ability to “send missiles to any part of the world”

10-15 Sep 57: Continued U-2 overflights of USSR

4 Oct 57: Soviet’s launch first satelliet (Sputnik I) into orbit with a SS-6 ICBM

1958: U-2 flights helped verify that no “bomber gap” existed and that Soviet missile development was far behind what was being claimed by Soviet leadership – Helped Eisenhower lower military expenditures.

2 Sep 58: Soviet MiG’s shoot down SIGINT-configured C-130 over Armenia U.S./USSR debate begins about incident and return of crew

11 Oct 58: PRC Army begins shelling of Nationalist Chinese (Taiwanese)-held Quemoy islands

Nov 58: Soviet Premier Krushchev announces plan to sign peace treaty with East Germany and terminate Allied rights in West Berlin

4 Dec 58: Soviet delegation at Geneva Conference claims to be mass producing Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles

1 Jan 59: After four years of guerrilla war, Castro’s troops take control of Cuban government

Feb 59: U.S. Secretary of Defense testifies to Congress that Soviets may have 3 to 1 advantage over U.S. in ICBMs by early 1960’s

May 59: Castro nationalizes American assets in Cuba

Jul 59: U-2 Det B overflight of Tyuratam missile base with another U-2 overflight of USSR occurring later in the year

Aug 59: Soviet’s launched their first Iner-Continental Ballistic Missile

12 Sept 59: Soviets successfully reach moon with their Luna 2 rocket

Oct. 59: USSR launches first satelliete into space orbit around the Earth

7 Oct 59: RB-57D lost over Northern China duriang a PHOTINT mission

Jan 60: Krushchev announces a further cut of 1.2 million men from the Soviet armed forces, belief being that Strategic Rocket Forces will be able to defend the USSR

CIA begins planning on ways to overthrow Castro’s Communist regime in Cuba

Feb 60: Castro signs trade agreement with USSR

Mar 60: CIA proposes training and supporting group of Cuban counter-revolutionaries to retake Cuba from Castro’s government

10 Apr 60: Last successful (and intentional) deep overflight of USSR by a CIA U-2

1 May 60: USSR shoots down U-2 piloted by Francis Powers over Sverdlovsk

3 May 60: U.S. NACA officials announce that one of high-altitude weather aircraft is missing from a flight out of Turkey

5 May 60: Krushchev announces in speech to Supreme Soviet that the USSR has shot down a U.S. “spy plane” over Sverdlovsk

U.S. State Department and NACA continue with lost “weather” aircraft cover story

7 May 60: Krushchev announces that the U-2 pilot is alive and that most of the aircraft wreckage confirms U.S. spying mission

11 May 60: Eisenhower addresses nation – 1st President to announce US efforts to use aircraft to spy on other nations. He takes full responsibility

16 May 60: Paris Peace Summit collapses over U-2 incident

June 60: Soviet delegation walks out of Geneva disarmament talks where Britain’s MacMillan has been pushing for nuclear testing controls

Jul 60: Krushchev delivers 80-page denunciation of Chinese Communists at Bucharest conference of the Romanian party – Sino/Soviet split first made public

Jul 60: USSR starts delivering weapons to Cuba

1 Jul 60: Soviets shoot down RB-47 flying mission off Kola Peninsula