Documents / FOIA release

Flying Saucers (PUBD Is Unknown)

Central Intelligence Agency · 1952-06-02 · 26 pages · text by GLM-OCR

This CIA file on flying saucers includes a memorandum from Director Walter B. Smith to the Director of the Psychological Strategy Board. Smith says unidentified flying objects may matter for psychological warfare as well as intelligence and operations. The file also holds an Office of Scientific Intelligence study, draft NSC and Secretary of Defense papers proposing a centrally run research program, a briefing on the Air Force's small ATIC section under Captain Ruppelt, and a Project Blue Book paper on weather and research balloons.

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variety of techniques not now used.

4. As the strictly US military operations problem of improved identification at home and abroad is closely tied to a number of intelligence questions, it would be advantageous to CIA, as well as to the interests of the intelligence corporates of Department of Defense, if intelligence research requirements could be included in any organized inquiry into the subject.

5. At this time we know so little of the exact nature of these phenomena that additional research would be necessary before it could be said whether any preceptible to control and can thus be fertilized for either military or psychological offense or defense, or whether any are predictable, and can thus be taken advantage of in military or psychological operations.

6. It may be found that an appropriate center for such research would be in a group such as Project Lincoln which is now working for Department of Defense on problems of air defense.

At this time we are unable to find any basis in our information for

their intentions or capabilities to utilize these phenomena

our detriment. The Soviet Press has been silent on the subject — which is

itself proponent — and we are not yet able to appraise the present level

of knowledge of Soviet scientists regarding these phenomena.

6. It would be appreciated if this agency could participate in any plans for further inquiry into this subjct.

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About this file

FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. The text was read from the page images by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word. 26 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.