Documents / FOIA release

Recent Sightings of Unexplained Objects

Central Intelligence Agency · 2001-03-12 · 5 pages · text by GLM-OCR

This CIA release, approved in 2001, collects 1952 memoranda on unidentified flying objects from the Office of Scientific Intelligence. A July memo says a special study group was formed after recent radar and visual sightings. A later memo from H. Marshall Chadwell says sightings of high-altitude, high-speed objects near major U.S. defense installations could not be attributed to natural phenomena. It proposes a consulting group and attaches a draft memo to the NSC, signed by Walter B. Smith, and a draft NSC directive for a DCI research program.

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# NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL DIRECTIVE

SUBJECT: Unidentified flying objects

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 102 of the National Security Act of 1947 and for the purposes annunciated in Paragraphs d and e thereof, the National Security Council hereby authorizes and directs that:

1. The Director of Central Intelligence shall formulate and carry out a program of intelligence and research activities as required to solve the problem of instant positive identification of unidentified flying objects.

2. Upon call of the Director of Central Intelligence, Government departments and agencies shall provide assistance in this program of intelligence and research to the extent of their capacity provided, however, that the DCI shall avoid duplication of activities presently directed toward the solution of this problem.

3. This effort shall be coordinated with the military services and the Research and Development Board of the Department of Defense, with the Psychological Strategy Board and other Governmental agencies as appropriate.

4. The Director of Central Intelligence shall disseminate information concerning the program of intelligence and research activities in this field to the various departments and agencies which have authorized interest therein.

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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. 5 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.