Arthur Lundahl | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Director of the National Photographic Interpretation Center | |
| In office May 1953 – July 1973 | |
| President | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | John J. Hicks |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Arthur Charles Lundahl April 1, 1915 Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Died | June 22, 1992 (aged 77) Bethesda, Maryland, United States |
| Spouse |
Mary Hvid (m. 1944) |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | University of Chicago (BA, MA) |
| Known for | Discovering Soviet Missiles in Cuba leading to the Cuban Missile Crisis; forerunner of American IMINT |
| Awards | Full list |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Navy |
| Battles / wars | World War II |
Arthur Charles Lundahl KBE (1 April 1915 – June 22, 1992) was an American intelligence officer who is known for Cold War imagery intelligence (IMINT) and aerial reconnaissance. His work has been recognized for the discovery of Soviet missile installations in Cuba in 1962 which led to the Cuban Missile Crisis. He was responsible for establishing the Central Intelligence Agency's National Photographic Interpretation Center, a forerunner of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and led the photointerpretation section of the U-2 reconnaissance program. Analyzing reconnaissance films, he briefed presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy as well as the nation's top military and diplomatic officials. Lundahl provided critical intelligence on the arms race and many other international crises, including the Suez Crisis; Quemoy and Matsu, islands controlled by Taiwan; Tibet; Lebanon, and Laos.