Documents / FOIA release
This CIA release, approved in 2001, gathers Air Force and Research and Development Board correspondence from late 1952 about how flying saucer reports affect air defense. In it, Air Defense Command says many fast radar tracks came from mutual interference between radar sets. It warns that unexplained tracks could waste guided missiles and interceptors, so their causes must be found. Also included are a CIA memo planning a research program and an RDB memo on radar phantoms.
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# Approved For Release 2001/09/03 RDP81R0050R000100020001-9 DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE Headquarters United States Air Force Washington 25, D. C. AF00P 000.92 29 Dec 52 SUBJECT: (U) Effect of "Flying Saucers" on Air Defense Operations TO: Commanding General Air Material Command Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Ohio ATTH Air Technical Intelligence Center 1. On 23 October 1952 in a meeting with General Maxwell, Air Force Secretary, Research and Development Board, Office of Secretary of Defense, data was requested concerning the effect of the phenomena of "flying saucers" on the air defense system. This data was desired to assist in determining whether or not research and development should apply additional effort in analyzing this problem. 2. As a result of this meeting, the Air Defense Command was requested to submit their thoughts on the "flying saucers" phenomena. 3. Attached for your information and any action deemed necessary are copies of the letter to Air Defense Command and their answer. Copies of the Air Defense Command correspondence have been forwarded to General Maxwall and also to Lt. General Craigie Deputy Chief of Staff, Development. BY COMMAND OF THE CHIEF OF STAFFS 2 Incls 1. Cy ltr to ADC, dtd 27 Oct 52 2. Cy 1st Ind from ADC, 24 Nov 52 /Thomas R. Ford THOMAS R. FORD Colonel, USAF Asst Chief, Operational Plans Div. Directorate of Operations
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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. 11 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.