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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14 October 1952 MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD SUBJECT: Flying Saucers Problem 1. At an informal discussion between DD/I, AD/IC, and Acting AD/SI, it was agreed that the saucer problem should be attacked by getting together the responsible individuals in the community to work out a program of research and intelligence which can then be implemented by them directly. The agreed program can then be forwarded to the DCI and possibly the Secretary of Defense and the balance of the National Security Council as an established program rather than waiting for a great deal of formal, high level paper pushing before taking action. 2. DD/I directed Acting AD/SI to contact Dr. Whitman and Gen. Samford to arrange an appropriate time at which this problem can be reviewed. Acting AD, SI to call on Dr. Whitman and review the background of our study before the meeting. 3. Subsequently, Acting AD/SI was advised that the most convenient days for this meeting would be Monday or Tuesday, 20 or 21 October. Those present would be: Dr. Walter G. Whitman, Chairman, RDB Gen. John A. Samford, Director of Intelligence, USAF Mr. Loftus E. Becker, DD/I Mr. James Q. Reber, AD/IC plus others deemed appropriate by the principals. 25X1A CC: Chief, Opns/SI - 1 Chief, SAD/SI - 1 Chief, Prod/SI - 1
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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.