The CIA's Aquiline program in the 1960s was the Agency's first program to test the concept of unmanned aerial vehicles as intelligence-collection platforms, but it never became operational.
Notes on verification
Confirmed by CIA's own declassified reading room documentation plus multiple independent secondary sources (Forbes, Wikipedia, The War Zone) all consistent on timeframe, purpose, and non-operational status.
Sources
- FBI NATIONAL ACADEMY A 40-YEAR TRADITION OF ... (cia.gov)
- https://www.twz.com/40966/the-cias-bird-shaped-aquiline-drones-could-still-be-caged-up-at-area-51 (twz.com)
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidhambling/2020/07/31/cia-reveals-details-of-bird-like-1970s-stealth-drone---with-planned-nuclear-propulsion/ (forbes.com)