Fact Sheet Air Force UFO Report

Read from the scan by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word.

Approved For Release 2004/03/26: CIA-RDP81R00560R00000040013-4 country; and finally, no physical or material evidence, not even a minute fragment of a so-called "flying saucer" or space ship has ever been found.

The Air Force emphasized the belief that if more immediate detailed objective observational data could have been obtained on the unidentified or unexplained sightings, these, too, would have been explained satisfactorily.

The Air Force, assigned the responsibility for the Air Defense of the United States, will continue to investigate all reports of unusual serial objects over the U. S. including objects that may become labeled Unidentified Flying Objects. The services of qualified scientists and technicians will continue to be utilized to investigate and analyze these reports, and periodic public statements on the subject will be made as warranted.

The Air Force Inspector General's Brief, dated 24 December 1959, contained a notice to all unit Commanders that UFO reports are serious business since they are vitally involved in the Air Force's air defense mission. This Brief stressed that Commanders are responsible for seeing that UFO sightings are investigated and evaluated quickly, thoroughly and accurately. The Brief referred to Air Force Regulation 200-2 concerning unidentified flying objects which outlines the Air Force's obligation to keep the public adequately informed on this subject and also stresses the fact that UFO sighting reports are not to be classified. If an UFO report is classified it is classified for other reasons than the UFO sighting itself.

The Air Force is charged by many private UFO groups with possession of classified information which concludes or proves that space ships from other planets exist and are visiting our atmosphere. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Air Force possesses no information, classified or unclassified, which proves this contention. Many individuals associated with these private UFO organizations are self-appointed authorities on UFOs and consider themselves entitled to be unofficial advisors to the United States Air Force Intelligence Community. Since they are not charged under law with these responsibilities it would be entirely unappropriate and even dangerous at times to exercise the Intelligence system in order to give them, or their organizations, any notoriety or publicity. It is an interesting fact that most of these individuals fail to recognize the fact that there is such a thing as legitimate classified security information. For the past thirteen years these groups have repeatedly stated that their organizations possess documented evidence proving the existence of space ships from other planets. However, when asked as patriotic citizens to deliver this evidence to the United States Air Force or other government agencies they have refused to do so. The obvious conclusion is that they do not possess this information or evidence proving the existence of space ships.

From time to time the Air Force has been asked the cost of conducting the UFO program. It is impossible to estimate the exact amount of funds expended by the Air Force in investigating reported sightings of unidentified flying objects because in addition to the entire facilities of the Aerospace Technical Intelligence Center, the entire facilities of the nation's scientific and technical community are at the disposal of the evaluators, and the degree of use varies with each case. Also, investigation in the field can involve individual Air Force base personnel and special investigative units and again, in these instances the amount of time expended and the number of personnel assigned to a specific sighting will vary with each case.