Documents / Memo

FLYING SAUCERS memo

CIA Reading Room · 36 pages · text by OCR

This CIA file, released in 2001, gathers 1952 memoranda from H. Marshall Chadwell, Assistant Director of the Office of Scientific Intelligence, to the Director of Central Intelligence, along with draft letters to the Secretary of Defense and the NSC and a briefing on the Air Force position. It concludes that flying saucers carry national security implications, namely mass panic and air defense vulnerability. It recommends expanded scientific research, a public information policy and study of Soviet interest, noting that about 20 percent of roughly 1500 Air Force reports remained unexplained.

Open the PDF Original source ↗

“CIA”26 pages

  • p. 2 …Approved For Release 2001/04/02 CIA-RDP81R00560R000100020012-7
  • p. 3 …for signature as TAB C. (c) That CIA, with the cooperation of PSB and other interested…
  • p. 6 …In its inquiry into this problem, a team from CIA's Office of Scientific Intelligence consulted…
  • p. 7 …The CIA consultants stated that these solutions would probably be found on the margins or just…
  • p. 8 # SECRET # Approved For Release 2001/04/02 : CIA-RDP81R00760R000100020012-7 The public concern with the phenomena…
  • p. 9 # Approved For Release 2001/04/02 : CIA-RDP81R0060R000100020012-7 c. The reasons for silence in the…
  • p. 10 Approved For Release 2001/04/02 : CIA-RDP81R0560R000100020012-7
  • p. 11 …Approved For Release 2001/04/02 CIA RDP81R00560R000100020012-7
  • p. 12 # Approved For Release 2001/04/02 CIA RDP81R00560R000100020012-7 SECRET Security Information (6) Since 1947, ATIC…
  • p. 13 # Approved For Release 2001/04/02 : CIA-RDP81R00560R000100020012-7 SECRET Security Information h. CONCLUSIONS a. The…
  • p. 14 # Approved For Release 2001/04/02 : CIA-RDP81R00560R000100020012-7 Security Information (2) A study should be…
  • p. 15 …On the basis of these programs of research, CIA develop and recommend for adoption by the…
  • p. 16 …25X1A 7312 Approved For Release 20010402:CIA-RDP81R00560R000100020012-7 Assistant Director for Operations
  • p. 17 …Stand on "Flying Saucers" -- as stated by CIA, in a briefing on 22 August 1952 I…
  • p. 20 Approved For Release 2001/04/02 : CIA-RDP81R00560R000100020012-7 the phenomena and in December 1949 released…
  • p. 21 Approved For Release 2001/04/02 : CIA-RDP81R00560R000100020012-7 In summarizing this discussion, I would restate…
  • p. 22 Approved For Release 2001/04/02 : CIA-RDP81R00560R000100020012-7 civilian groups that have sprung up to…
  • p. 23 Approved For Release 2001/04/02 CIA-RDP81R00560R000100020012-7 Security Information knowledge is achieved of the…
  • p. 24 Approved For Release 2001/04/02 : CIA-RDP81R00560R000100020012-7 In the next few minutes, I intend…
  • p. 25 …been: free baleons, aircraft, astronomical bodies, atmospheric Approved For Release 2001/04/02 : CIA-RDP81R00560R000100020012-7
  • p. 26 …since his plane carried no oxygen equipment. Approved For Release 2001/04/02 : CIA-RDP81R00560R000100020012-7
  • p. 27 Approved For Release 2001/04/02 : CIA-RDP81R0060R000100020012-7 A case under known conditions occurred some…
  • p. 28 …few weeks ago in Washington a man Approved For Release 2001/04/02: CIA-RDP81R00560R000100020012-7
  • p. 30 Approved For Release 2001/04/02 CIA-RDP81R00560R000100020012-7 of a ground radar sighting in Maryland…
  • p. 32 # Approved For Release 2001/04/02 CIA-RDP81R00560R000100020012-7 Security information reported to be traveling at…
  • p. 36 Approved For Release 2001/04/02 : CIA-RDP81R00560R000100020012-7 the vicinity of sightings. Sightings of UFO…
DRAFT COVER SHEET

INTELLIGENCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Flying Unidentified Objects (Flying Saucers)

[alternatively: ThoNsc]

1. Attached is a proposed letter to Secretary Lovett from the DCI recommending the initiation of fundamental scientific research with respect to the nature and causes of unidentified flying objects (Flying Saucers).

2. While it is recognized that the implications of Flying Saucers are of primary concern to the Defense Department in carrying out its responsibility to defend the United States, it is also believed that intelligence must request of appropriate authority such assistance as it needs to carry out its responsibility. It is believed that the scientific research required and the intelligence research contingent thereon can be most fruitful if they go hand in hand.

## 3. Recommendations:

a. That the IAC concur in the proposed letter to the Secretary of Defense.

b. That the IAC request the Watch Committee to give close attention to indications which may reflect Russian actions are being taken with respect to or on the basis of cognizance of Flying Saucers or with respect to the state of United States public opinion in respect of Flying Saucers.

Cited by

About this file

Memo, cited by the archive. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. The text was read from the page images by an OCR model; expect the odd misread word. 36 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.