Documents / Official release
This memorandum, dated 17 December 1953, went from the CIA's Chief of the Physics and Electronics Division, Office of Scientific Intelligence, to the Assistant Director for Scientific Intelligence. It reports the status of the unidentified flying objects project, which had been limited to following other agencies' work and keeping files. It says Air Force interest was declining and that ATIC's Project Bluebook had only a small staff and no longer did field investigations. About ten percent of sightings were unsolved, and Bluebook was being transferred to Air Defense Command.
From the source:Release of 2026-06-12 This December 1953 memorandum provides a status update on the Air Force's UFO project activities, including ongoing intelligence operations, equipment procurement for photographing UFOs, and Canada’s establishment of a "laboratory" for recording observable phenomena. A more redacted version of this memorandum has been available on CIA's public website.
1
Approved f or Rel ease 2026
17 December 1953
r,";g1,~0MNDUM TO, .Assistant Director, 3c:i.entif'ic Intelligence
FROM : Chief, Phys l cs and Electron.ics Division; SI
SUBJECT : Current Status of Unidentified Flying Objects
(UFOB) Project.
l. In accordarii'.~e with the verbal request ol' Mr. Brent,.. Exec/SI,
on 30 November, the following resume of the current status or' unidenti
fied flying objects activities has been prepared.
2. P&E Division assumed responsibility for the OSI project on
unldentified f lying objects as a result oJ: ~,our memorandum of
27 Ma~ 1953. The project has been con:t'l~ed to rr:aintainiog awareness
of the nctlvities of other agencies {notabl_y the USAF) in ·the
unidentified f lying objects business and t o !aa.intenance of files.
3. Sta.tus ot' Depa.rtrnent of Defense Act ivi ties.
. .
a. Air Force. The Air Force continues to ,1JS.1.Gtain, but with
aJ)parently decreasing emphasis, .Lts interest in UFOB's. The present
interest of th•~ Directorate of Intel ligence, Hq. , USAF, is conf.).ned to
a curso~ cop.,nlzance of ATIC's project (.iuebook No. 10073). At ATIC
the project is carri ed by one officer (Capt . Charles A. Hardin), one
airman (A/lC Max G. Futch), and a secreta.lJ· operating as tlie .Aeri al .
Phenomena. Secti on of'. the Electronics Branch, Technic_al A:Qalysis Division.
In s:pite of thls 11.::nited staff, as weLle as several changes or proJect •
officer, the project records appear to be up-to-date. ATIC personnel
no longer conduct f ield investigations of UFOB sightings (these are
requested from USAF intelligence officers C9priroarily Air Defense
Command and Airways and Air Communications ServiciJ nearer to the
a j ghtings), but confine their activl tiea .to receiving and checking
reports as received; requesting a.ddi~ional f ield investigation where
necessary, pe.rfcnning necessary checkine against meteorological,
ast~omical, aircraf t, and b.alloon data, and record.lug their findings
and honclusions in a cross-referenced system by date, location, source,
tJ~e ·or observa.tioo and conclusion drawn. The Aerial Phenomena Section
also deals directly ~1th the Public Information Office of Hq., USAF,
re~ing 1nfo:rma.tion for public release. For about the past year,
apprcxbiately ten percent of the reported s.i.gb.tlngs have been tagged
us unsolved. •..
Of pa.:r.ticular interest is the fact that ATIC is i n the
process oi' transterring pr9Ject Bluebook ~6 Hq., Air Defense Command .
Accord Jng to Lt . Col. Harry Johnsto~, Chief, Electroni cs Branch, the
reason for the transl'er was that l\DC bad been doing most of the
s . Not linked to a story yet.
Official release, from the pursue collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. 3 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.