Unidentified flying objects: hearing before the Committee on Armed Forces of the House of Representatives, Eighty-ninth Congress, second session, April 5, 1966 ...

5992
evaluating
any
possible
threat
to
our
national
security
that
such
ob-
jects
might
pose.
In
carrying
out
this responsibility
let
me
assure
you
that the
Air
Force
is
both
objective
and
thorough
in
its
treat-
ment
of
all
reports
of
unusual
aerial
objects
over the
United
States.
Under
the
name
"Project
Blue Book,"
the
Air
Force
carries
out
a
three-phase
.
program.
We
(1) make
an
initial
investigation
of
eachreport
received;
(2) make a
more
detailed
analysis
of
reports
not
explained;
and
(3)
disseminate
information
on
sightings, findings,
and
statistics.
In
order
to
evaluate
this
subject
as
thoroughly
as
possible,
the
capabilities
of
the
Air
Force
Scientific
Advisory
Board
have
recently
been
focused
upon
the
subject
of
UFO's.
This
Board
has
just
com-
pleted
a
detailed
review
of
this
subject
and
concluded that
the
UFO
phenomena
presents
no
threat
to the
security
of
the
United
States,
and
that the
present
Air Force
program
dealing
with
UFO
sightings
has
been
well
organized.
Recommendations
by
the
Board
are
pre-
sently
under
study
and
are expected
to
lead to
even
stronger
emphasis
on
the
scientific
aspects
of
investigating
the
sightings
that
warrant
extensive
analysis.
Based
upon
10,147 reported
sightings
from
1947 through
1965,
a
summary
of
which
is
attached,
I
believe
it
significant
that the
Air Forcehas
succeeded
in identifying
9,501
of
these
objects.
Virtually
all
of
these
sightings
were
derived
from
subjective
human
observations
and
interpretations.
The
most
common
of
these
were
astronomical
sight-
ings that
included
such
things as bright
stars
and
planets,
comets
and
meteors,
and
fireballs
and
auroral streamers.
Other major
sources
of
reported
sightings include
such
objects
as
satellites,
mirages,
and
spurious
radar
indications.
The
remaining
646
reported
sightings
are those
in
which
the information
available
does
not
provide
an
adequate
basis
for
analysis,
or
for
which
the
in-
formation
suggests
an
hypothesis
but the
object
or
phenomenon
ex-
plaining
it
cannot be proven
to
have
been here or taken
place at that
time.
In
evaluating
these sightings,
the
Air Force has
used
carefullyselected
and
highly
qualified
scientists,
engineers, technicians,
and
consultants.
These
personnel
have
utilized
the
finest
Air
Force
labo-
ratories, test
centers,
scientific
instrumentation,
and
technical
equip-
ment
for
this
purpose.
Although
the past
18
years
of
investigating unidentified flying
ob-
jects
have not
identified
any
threat to
our
national
security,
or
evidence
that
the
unidentified objects
represent
developments or
principles
beyond
present-day
scientific
knowledge,
or
any
evidence
of
extra-
terrestrial vehicles,
the
Air Force
will
continue to
investigate
such
phenomena
with
an open
mind and
with the
finest
technical
equip-
ment
available.
I am
attaching
a
special
report
of
the
USAF
Scientific
Advisory
Board
Ad Hoc
Committee
To
Review
Project
"Blue Book," the
latest
edition
of Project
Blue Book,
dated,
February 1, 1966,
and an Air
Force statement regarding the
UFO
sightings at Dexter, Mich.,
on
March
20, 1966,
and
at Hillsdale, Mich.,
on March
21, 1966.
I
trust that the above information
will
be of
assistance
to you. If
Ican help you further in
any way,
please
do not
hesitate
to
let
me
know.