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Approved for Release
2026
SECRET
17 December 1953
MEWORANDUM TO: Assistant Director, Scientific Intelligence
FROM
: Chief, Physics and Electronics Division, SI
SUBJECT
: Current Status of Unidentified Flying Objects
(UFOB) Project.
1. In accordance with the verbal request of Mr. Brent, Exec/SI,
on 30 November, the following resume of the current status or unidenti-
fied flying objects activities has been prepared.
P&E Division assued responsibility for the OSI project on
unidentified flying objects as a result of your menorandum of
27 May 1953. The project has been confiaed to maintaining awareness
of the activities of other agencies (notably the USAF) in the
unidentified flying objects business and to maintenance of files.
3. Status of Department of Defense Activities.
Air Force. The Air Force continues to maintain, but wich
apparently decreasing emphasis, its interest in UFOB's. The present
interest of the Directorate of Intelligence, Hg., USAF, is confined to
& cursory cognizance of ATIC's project (Bluebook No. 10073). At ATIC
the project is carried by one officer (Capt. Charles A. Hardin), one
airman (A/1C Max G. Futch), and a secretary operating as the Aerial
Phenomena Section of the Electronics Branch, Technical Analysis Division.
In spite of this limited staff, as well as several changes of project
officer, the project records appear to be up-to-date. ATIC personnel
no longer conduct field investigations of UFOB sightings (these are
requested from USAF intelligence officers [prinarily Air Defense
Command and Airways and Air Communications Service) nearer to the
sightings), but confine their activities to receiving and checking
reports as received, requesting additional field investigation where
necessary, perforning necessary checking against neteorological,
astronomical, aircraft, and balloon data, and recordiug their findings
and conclusions in a cross-referenced systen by date, location, source,
type of observation end conclusion drawn. The Aerial Phenomena Section
also deals directly with the Public Information Office of Hg•, USAF,
reparding information for public release.
For about the past year,
approximately ten percent of the reported sightings have been tagged
as unsolved..
Of particular interest is the fact that ATIC is in the
process of transferring project Bluebook so Hq•, Air Defense Command.
According. to Lt. Col. Harry Johnston, Chief, Electronics Branch, the
reason for the transfer was that ADC had been doing most of the
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lavestigative work of the project and "if it turns out that these
things (UFO8's) are space ships or long range aircraft fron another
country, ADC is the (Air Force) Commind that rould have to take
Col, Johnston followed this comment with the somewhat
contradictory statement that the project transfer did not reflect
any change in Air Force policy. It is indoubtedly true that ADC
is the Al? Force Command primarily concerned with UFOB's at the
present
ine n tha their interceptors are occasionally dispatched
"aga nat" reporied UFOB's and that their reporting stations and
conmonications systers are involved in a considerable portion of
the UFOB act vity,
ATIC will maintain liaison with the project.
Approximately a year and one half ago ATIC initiated a
program to purchase cameras for selected ADC radar siies and AACS
control owers in locations where consistent UFOB reports were
rece ved n the hopes of photographing UFOB's. One lens of the
camera (a stereoscope type) was to be covered with a simple grating
io record the spectrographic nature of the UFOB phoüographed. One
hodred "Videon" 35 mm. cameras with "stereon" anastigmat f 3.5 lenses
vere pirchased along with 100 gratinga (15,000 line) from CENCO,
Chieago. Jeven y-four (74) caneras were distributed. N nety percent
o. the gra inps have "gone bad" -- he actual grating separating from
the plastic noun ing plates. New gratings are expected shortly and
ATIC expecis to recall all of the 74 distributed cameras and re
equip them with the new gratings.
Several months ago we were advised that AJIC planned to
set up a conceni rated instrumentation observational eifort in the
Albuquerque aret.
This has nor been dropped.
Project STORK (SECRET) has beenpreparing, at ATIC request
a coupretensive sla is ical repor: on UFOB sighings during the
period 1047 hro gh 1952. This study is now expected to be completed
by 1: Decerber 1953.
ATTC ssues status reports on Project Bluebook on a tri-nonthly
the rost recent being Report No. 12 30 September 1953.
Navy. The Navy in spile of press reports to the
conirary, is presently devoting only part of one ONI analyst's
to maintaining cogn zance of UFOB's.
Army. The Army has ev denced little or no interest in
UFOB's other thin cooperating with the Air Force in reporting sightings
and pert nent date using the Air Force format.
4. Investigations or Interests of Foreign Governments.
a. Canada. Considerable attention in the U. 3. press was
recently given to reporig that the Canadian Defence Research Board
and Department of Transport had Jointly and officially established a
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"laboratory" for recording observable phenomena connected with UFOB's.
It s interesting to note that in his recently published book "Flying
Sacers Fror Outer Space" Mr. D. E. Keyhoe states thai a lilbur B.
Smith of the Canadian Departuent of Transport had been conducting
"saucer" investigations for three years before 1952, or beginning in
1649. If Keyhoe
is correct and it is the same Wilbur B. Smith
ment oned in his book as in the recent press releases one might
wonder why the matier hit the press four years late. It is, of course
quie possible thai the press item was prompted by the information in
Keyhoe's book. Several reports have been received
thal experiments on a flying saucer are actually being
conducted a: A. V. Roe, Ltd., Toronto.
b. Greal: Briiain. The subject of UFOB's was discussed
briefly
dur ng his recent visit. He
stated that since
investigation of UFOB's of two and
one half years ago, in tiated
the only
British activity is the filing of reports as
received by the RAF.
c. Sweden.
No further information
is a ailable.
Other.
Aside from a few scattered reports, mostly old,
which indicate interest in UFOB's by private individuals or groups,
there is no information of concern or inquiries of consequence in
other foreign countries.
5. Results of OSI Panel Recommendations. The consultants who
considered this problem in January 1953 recommended that UFOß's be
stripped of special status and aura of mystery and that policies on
intelligence, training and public education pertinent to true
indicat ons of hostile intent or action be prepared.
The definite
drop in the number of "sightings" reported during 1953 over 1952
could be attrib: ted to actions following these recommendations.
recent books ("Flying Saucers From Outer Space" by Keyhoe and "Flying
Saucers Have Landed" by Leslie and Adaniski) take full advantage of
"orficial" UFOB reports relessed by the Air Force to develop a central
theme that UFOB's are extraterrestrial in origin. Fortunstely, the
later book 's so nonsensical and obvously fraudulent that it may
accully help calm down public reaction. These books do, however,
111 strate the risk taken by the present policy. There are no other
as yet apparen, res lts of these recommendations.
TODOS M. ODARENKO
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