 C00015339.
 .  C)
 ER -- 3 -- 2872
 0CT 2 1952
 L  :n=." TO:          Director of Central Intelligence
 'aOJCH:              Deputy-Director (Intelligence)
 Assistant:Director,:Offico of Scientific
 Intelligence
 SU3J--                      n saucers
 1.  PROM r''==,c=deter?si ies `?{a)-r.hether_or_not there are national,
 security. implications in the problem of "unidentified
 flying obi a ats'_' (b) rx:e ther-or-rot adequate study and
 researc'n1s cuxrrently-tvtn~z-dir"ted to- this problem
 in-its relation'to such national security imolicatl.ons;
 and-(e) :.hat further-investigation and research- should -
 be instituted,- by ;boa; and-under that aegis..
 2.  FACTS-.~'?D'DISC,iSSO:f SZ has=iitvestiga,`,ed the work currently
 being perfo -ed on "flying sa icer s" and found that the
 Air Technical- I relli;erca -Center, DI, USAF, Wright-
 Patterson tr Force :use, is the only group devoting
 appreciable e fort and ssatc'y to this subject, that AtEC
 is concentrattn on-a case-'o  case explanation of each
 report,-and that this effort' is not adequate to corre-
 late, evaluate, and resolve the situation on an over-
 all basis.  The current problem is discussed in detail
 in TI3 A.
 3.  CC:;CLUStO :S--" 'lying saucers" pose two elements of danger
 rbich-have hationa? security. implications.  `idle first
 involves mass psyc%:olo;ical considerations and the
 second concerns the-valnerab;lit;; of the United States
 to air attack,  both factors are a.lplified in 'DIS A.
 7haa the Director of Central Intel-
 ligence advise the :rational Security Council of the
 bplications of thn "flying saucer" oroblem and request
 that research be initiated.  TA3 B is a draft rue-no-
 r andu.. to the SC, for the "SCI's si:tnatere:..(b).?m t --.
 the )CI discuss - tidr, - sub,-jcct -frith -the Psychological
 Str<.t: '               orsndurl to ti:e !iirectc?,
 Psycnolo 1.cal Stratery Board, is attached for sib
 nature as T43 C.  (c) ithat CIA, with the cooperation
 of PS3 and other interested is?art-ents and agencies.,'
 devolop and recommend for adoption by the USC a
 Approve for Release
 OCT 2195?
 M. )ORKDU ' `1A):                Director of Central Intelligence
 THMUGH:                          Deputy Director (Intelligence)
 Assistant Director, Office of Scientific
 Intelligence
 Flying Saucers
 1.  PRO 3L:: ` = To determine: -- (a) the ther or not there are national
 security implications in the problea of "unidentified
 flying objects"; (b) whether or not adequate study and
 research is cuzrentl.y being directed to this problem
 in its relation to such national security implications;
 and (c) what further investigation and research should.
 be instituted,. b;r ?tnom,--and-under .hat aegis.
 2.  FACTS 1ND DISCJSS__O (--o$i  as-investigated the work currently
 being -perfo^ed -on "flying sa icers'?' and found. that the
 Air Tec'rsuczt-Iarzlli;enee -Ce tei, D1, USAF",
 -
 Patte:a -                                tri ghnt
 rson     Force Base,                  _devoti:
 -is-the-only group
 aagreciable effo   and suzc*f to Whis subject, that AM
 is concert tratin, : o:a-a-case=by=case exalanation of.each .
 repo: t, and that- Urds effort is not adequate to corre
 lath  eval:ia a -ar d-resolve- the-situation on an over-
 .2311 -bAsis, - zscurrent-problem is. discussed-in. detail
 in TAB-A.
 3.  CC:;CT~'iSYG::r=-~'~a'! f  g4 .Sa:Ce s~- nose=t~:o = ele ents of danger
 which have hationa"ecuiritr.i iplications.  The first
 involves pass psyciolo_;ical-"o siderations and the
 second concerns--the vulnerability of the United States
 to-air-attack.  Both factors are anaplified in TAB-A.
 'C        Q?t F.rsCC'   D  (a)=:r at tha -Direotor of Central. Intel-
 .    ._
 ligence advise- the-: ational-Security Council of the
 i~plicatioas off'?ti~~ ,lyingsaucer" oroblen and request..
 that-rev,ar::z-ue-initiated j  tS B is a drt t :4e:no-     .
 randw :to -the-=::SC-,for the-DCI's sit attire: --(U)? That
 the DCi discuss - thin su'o ct wit1h the Psychological,
 Stmt= - _~ ~' ---?" ^^:^or riciu`n to the rn rectc_?,
 Psyci:olo=i.cal- Strate5y roerd;-is-attached for sib
 nature as TA3.C.---(c) Diat CIA, vit!i the cooperation
 of PS3-ad ottiec interested dear 'tents and aiencies,
 develop and reconnend for -adoption- by the !CSC a
 C00015339
 policy of public information v&ich      mini-:Lize concern
 and possible panic resulting from the nu..aerous sightings
 of unidentified objects.
 H. 1-03=1 MUM&
 Scientific - Intelligence
 TAB A--:. ora?dza--to_~JCI~:: t roug  DDI  Subject:  flying- --
 S2n1C@rS.-
 TAB.B.Letter- to i:ational Security Council with enclosure.
 3 C-Lem-o to -?irecto-. --?sycnolo,5-ical Strategy Board with
 enclosure,- -
 W :CU?$  C e----- _::
 WYTUS E. BEC M
 Deputy Director/Intelligence
 Approved (disaoproved): _-
 Director
 C00015339
 SEP 24 1952
 2.:11:OZA DUN FC.Zt Director-of-Central Intioi i.oerco
 TMW,:a?i       :  Deputy Director (Intell.isence)
 SDBJ.z r       :  Flying Saucers
 for the latter to stab?.rare n * chfrs=-rode:dno systea for official.
 reports-of sightings,~
 been ordered to make interceptions of unidentified flying _objects~ .-..-
 The research is being eo:?ducted on a-case basis and is designed to
 provice a satisfactory _ e::p? r Uoh q#=e ch_ individual sighti g -- -
 AIIC ?gas concluded an nrrsnge^_?ert frith ?, tte1le-:Venorial Instit:tta
 reporting system has been -instituted?nrid i-i3or :yir Force-Bases have-
 ave -
 other Air Force-and civilian technical personnel;  A worldwide f,_
 other
 through offioil c'.^sl ;-e11Frar~-a#=sightngs.- Uis group conducts irvesti ation of the` re 6rts,-consulting as required t.?ith
 1.  Pe_cently an inquiry *..as-conducted by the Office of Scientific
 IntelliZenee to deter-nine -whether-there-are - national security i.aaiotion:o
 in the problem of "unidentified-f lyinSS oojects," 4-00 ., flying saucers;
 whether adequate study and=zese1:ch-Is vLavintly bean- directed to --
 this problem in its_relaticn_to_suoh-_i ticrs;_sectis ty_  p1i.G tiaas;
 and what further investig tion-and research should be instituted
 by uacm, and under wiat--aegts
 2.  It era s found that the . only- wit of. Gover:rent currently
 studying the problem is- the .Directorate= of~Intelli ence Cat. , which
 has charged the Air Tec:^_.^.i ~3 I ,e2li eace' Ceater  TXC3 th .- ? -.-----------_.
 rosponsibility forinvestig.ting the reports of sichting ..., At  .IC
 there is a group of thTes=officers and"4fNo secz~et^x'ies._to_thich_COr~
 3.  Since 1947, 'ATIC has re oeived _aopt obxbrately 1500 off i cia.   -
 reports. of sightings .plus an enormous .v.olum_e . of letters; phone calls.,
 and press reports. _-.During =July-1952 alone, offcia1 reports- totaled- 2504 Of the 1500 reports; Air-Force-carr=ies 20 percent as une::*~:!^i:r..cd arced
 of those received from-Janwry_-throu   July .1952 it carries 28 percent'
 4.  In its inquiry into this problem- . a .team from ClXIs Office
 of Scientific Intelligence consulted with a- representative of Air
 Force Spacial Studies Group; discuosed the problemm with those in charge
 of the Air Force Project at :lri.^.ht Patterson Air Force ?nse; reviewed
 a eorside:nble volt-ma of intellir,~re eoort ; chec ed the Soviet
 press and broadcast indices; and conferred with three C::. co:nsultants,
 who have broad 1noa1edge of the technical, areas concerned.
 5.  It 'raa found that the ATIC study is probably valid if the
 purpose is liraited to a case-by-case explanation.  However, that
 study daas not solve the lore fundanental aspects of the problem.
 These aspects are to determine definitely the nature of the various
 pbene  na which are causing these sightings, and to discover means
 by which these causes, and their visual or electronic effects, ray
 be identified iznediately. -The CI.A consultants -stated that these
 solutions would probably be found on the rargins or just beyond the
 frontiers of our-present knowledge in the-fields of atmospheric. -
 ionospheric, and extraterrestrial phenena, %rith the added possibility ..
 that the present dispersal of nuclear waste products might also
 be a factor.  They reccended that a study group be formed to perfoxa
 three functions:
 a.  analyze and systcrati20 the factors which constitute
 the fundare:ztal.-problem; _
 b.  determine the fields of -. luidouZRtal science which
 must be investigated An-order, to reach an-understanding of
 the phenomena involved; and
 c-,--aeke nee     dstfors_#ar t1~e i itiatiea o# appropri. to-
 research.
 Dr. Julius-A. Stratton, Vice P:?si3ent oaths l~?ssachusetts Isi"stituta-`- -
 of Technoloa, has indicated-to-C-1 that"such a group could be
 constituted at that Institute.  Sihnilarry, Pro jest -Lincoln, the
 Air Force's air defense project at 1sT,--could.be chargeci,ti~it3~_sc  _..
 of these responsibilities.
 6.  The frying saucer situation contains tiro elements of danger
 C00015339
 which, in a situation of international -'tension, have national security
 implic tions.-- These are:               -. -- .
 a   Fsycho2   o           hwo ld wide sightings reported, it
 tae found that, up to the time of -the-invostigation,there had
 been in the Soviet-press-no-report or oO cent, even satirical,
 on flying saucers,-- though-Grcmyko bad rad.e one humorous
 renttoa of the subject. ?tlith a Susie-controlled press, this
 could  result only from an official policy cision.  The
 de-
 ques pion, therefore, - arises as to whether-or not these sightings:
 1   could bo- controlled
 (2)  could be predicted, and
 (3)  could be used fro,n a psychological varfaro
 point-.of view, either offensively or defensively.
 C00015339
 C
 unofficial ones.  At any _RMent of attack, ve are now in a
 position where -w.e ca*nnot, on an instant basis, distinguish -
 bard,.are fron pbantom, and as tension mounts ve ..rill- rum -the
 increasing risk of fa lW -al is -end the - ever. greater danger
 of falsely identifying the-reaLas phantc.
 The public concern rdth the phenonera, which is reflected both
 in the United States Press and In the pressure of inquiry upon the
 Air force, indi^,.ates that a fair rroportion of our population
 is Mentally conditioned to the acceptance of the incredible.
 In this fact lies the potential for the touching-.off of rasa
 }iystaria and panic,
 b.  Air Vuln#rr_, _h1ijt~  T}a~_II   s}-Statos Air Warning System
 will undcubtedly always dep ndupon a combination of radar screen-
 ing and visual observation.                                        The .U.S.S.R. is credited .rlth the
 present capability--of d-
 elivering air"attack ag instthe
 United States, yet at any-given me       nt now, there ray be
 current a dozen -offfetal-tu ide-Atitiad sightings plus rxny
 7.  Both of these probleas are primarily ooeratio:.al in nature
 but each contains readzJ7 apparen =intelligencefactors....-
 8.  rron an operational point or let th c actions are,
 required:
 a.  I =e3iate steps. should be aken to iraorove identification
 of both visual a d .electro iic rl^antci so"that, in the event of
 an attack, instant and positive identification of eneny  j=s--
 b.  A study s? ot??d. k -in54itiated-to deterr..ine .chat, if Any; =
 utilization could be   de o# these pheno:yem by United States
 psychola ice l _war are planners a   what-If any, defenses should
 be planned in-anticipation of Soviet attempts to utilize their. _, -
 c.  In order to ninictize risk of panic, a rational-po]3af
 -
 should be established as . to Voa.t should-be.-told the public
 regarding the pheror.ans.
 9. :Other ir~tell.Bence problertis .rhica require deterr-Lontion
 are:        ` -
 a.  The present--level of Soviet knowledge rea ruing
 these phenccena,
 b.  Possible Soviet intentions and capabilities to
 utilize these r.benoccena -to the detriment United States
 socuritp interest.._=
 C00015339
 0
 c. The reasor..a-for-silence in the Soviet press
 regarding flying saucers.
 10. Additional research, differing In character and em pl-asis
 fray that -pre sontly_b  rg: performed _by Air_ Pcrce, trill be required
 to meet the specific reeds of both pperations and intelligence.
 . Xntelligence responsibilities in this field as regards both collection
 and analysis can bo.disch:rCed with =,Yin t effectiveness only after
 much more is known regardirg the exact nature of these plhena sra
 U.  I coasider this-problem to be of such importance that it
 should be-brought td-the: attention of:_the-P'atiola1 Security Council
 in order that a -cc  unity_.ric o. coorain ted effort _tor rds its solution
 my be initiated.
 Assistant Director
 Sole atificIntell+.gence

