= Oo ER ~ 3 = 2672 oct 2 1952 LSUORAD 10s Director of Central Intelligence THROUGH: Deputy Director (Intelligence) FRO: Assistant Director, Office of Scientific Intelligence $u30207: Flying Sacers 1, PRORLSws-To-determiner (a) Yhether or not there are national Fel e security inslicetions in the problen of Nunidentified flying objects"; (0) waether or not adequate study end research is currently being directed to this problea a to such national security inolications; and (c) what furtaer investigation and research snould be instituted, by hon; end-under what eegis, = * ISSISSTON=OST-HES-SAVESLigated the vork currently don "flying seacers” and found that the Air Technical Intellizence Center, DI, USAF, Wright- Patterson Mz Force dase, is the only group devoting gppreclable effort and sindy to this subject, that ATIC is conce: 2s¢ explanation of each resort, @: fort is not alequate to corre- late, evaluate, and resolve the situation on en over all basis, Tae current provlea is discussed in detail in TAB A. S-Wlying saucers" nose two elenents of danger ch have national security duplications. ‘the first Jnvolves nass psyczolozical considerations and the second concerns the vulnerability of the United States to air attack. Both factors are amplified in MB A. conpnysi DED(a) Tnat the Dircetor of Central Intel 8 se the Hational Security Council of the inplications of the "lying saucer" oroblea and request that re: ve initiated, 743 Bis a draft neno- Ban rend to the ESC, for the 20's stsnatures (b) that uss this subject with the Psychological ‘ nasormeun to the UA Psyenolo-ical Stratesy Foard, is attached for sig nature as 7436. (ce) that CfA, with the cooperation of PS3 and other interested desartacnts and agencies, develop aad reconnend for adoation by the NSC aoct 2 i952 ISORADIE Director of Central Intelligence aHPOUGHS Deputy Director (Intelligence) Fao" Assistant Director, Office of Sctentific Intelligence SuBdzCTs Flying Sarcers PRORLE—To determine: (a) ‘hether or not there are national security inlications in the probles of Muntdentified flying objects"; (o) nether or not adequate study and research is carrently boing directed to this problea nto such national security inolicationss and (c) what furtaer investigation and research sould be institated, by whoa, and under what aegis. * PACTS AND DISCISSION—OSE-nes investigated the work currently don Wélying sances" and found that the Intelligence Center, DL, USAF, Wrignt— Mr Porce Base, is the only group devoting report, aad that this effort is not adequate to corre~ lets, eval-iate, and resolve” the situation on en over= all basis, Ta# current. provlea is discussed in detail in MB AY 3. CONDLISTONSuMying SaNcers'-pose-tw-elenents of danger ‘aich have national security iuplications. ihe first involves nass psyctolozical considerations and tho second concerns the vulnerability of the United States to-air attack. Both factors are anplified in TB A. iaat-the Director of Central, Intel- -- Ligence ad ational Security Council of the Aplications of th "ilying saucer® problen and request that rescarch be initiated, 743 Bis a draft neno- ranéwi-to the 180, for the DO's stienature. _(b) “That ~~ discuss this subject with the Psycholopieal, =, A nasoramdun to the Girectcy, Psyctolo-ical Stratery Foard, is attacked for sig- . nabare as TA3.C.--(c) mat CEA, wth the cooperation * - of PS3 and other interested desartrents and agencies, develop and reconnend for adoption by the NSC apolicy of public infornat BOS: fon which will mininize concern and possible panic resulting fron the nuserous sightings of unidentified objects. I Ff rw thn tence ee sistant Director Scientific Intelligence TAB A~enorandaa to DOT, through DOT, Subject: Saucers. TAB BLetter. to Hational Security Council with enclosur »-Psyehologieal, Stratecy Board with TAB C—Yeno-to Director enclosure. CONCUPRENCES: Approved (disepproved): (2epaty Diree tor, FlyingSEP 24 1952 PSNORAMDIN FOR: Director-of Central Intelligence THROUSH + Deputy Director (Intelligence) suaszer t Flying Saucers 1, Poesntly an inquiry 12s conducted by the Office of Scientific 1 to deternino hether there are naticnal security Laplicstions 2) flying saucers; Whether adequate study and research 1s currently tein? directed to this provloa in its relation to such raticer) security snalfeations; and wint Surther investigation and research shovla be instituted, ‘by vaca, end under vhat cegis, 2, Itvas found that the-only wilt of Goverment current]? ine problea is the Directorate cf Intelligence, USAF, whlch ko Mr Technical Intelligence Conter (tT¢f with’ responsibility for investigating the reverts of sightiags,. At ATIC there is a group of thres-officers and tvo secretaries to vhick ema, througa official chinrels, all reports of sightings, Tals grou; ation of the reports, consulting as required vith in teckatcal sorsentiol, & world-wide reporting systex has been-instituted and Tajor-Air Force Sases have ns of unidentified flying objects, on a case basis and is designed to L sighting norial Institute indexing systea for official for the 1s reports of sightings, 3. Since 1947, ATIG has received approximately 1500 official reports of sightings plus an enorcous voltins of Jetters, phone calls, 38 reports, During July 1952 elone, s totaled 250, Of the 1500 reports, Mir Fores cartes 20 ngred ard of those received fron Jaowary through July 1952 At carries 25 percent nex : 4, In its inquiry into this problen, a teau froa Clits Office of Scigntific Intelligence consulted vith a representative of Air Force Special Studies Group; discussed the problen vith those in charge ir Fores Project at ‘richt-Patterson Air Force Base; reviewed mble volune of intelligence reports; checked the Soviot press and oreadcast intices; and conferred with three GxA vonsult vho Fave broid knowledge of the technical areas concerned, ats,5. Tt vas found that the ATIC study is protably valid if the purpose 1s linited to a case-by-case explanation, Hovever, that. study doos not solve the nore fundarental asyects of tha pfoblen, These aspects are to determine definitely the nature of the varius phenonera vhich are causing these sightings, and to discover neans dy which those causes, and their visual or electronic effects, ray be ideatified isediately, Tho CIA consultants stated tht these soluticns vould probably be fovnd on the rargins or just beyond tho frontiers of our present novledge in the fields of atuospheric, fonespheric, and extraterrestrial phencrera, with the added possibility that the présont dissersal of nuclear vaste products might also: bea factor, They recemzended that a study group be formod to porforn three functions: a, eralyze and systonatize tho factors vhich constitute tho fundarental prodless b, doteraine the fiolds of AUndonental science which must be investigated in order.to reach an understanding of the phonons involved; end emake reccmendations for the initiation of appropriate xesearch, Dr, Julivs A of Tocknolog?, constituted a tt Aly Feroots aie é of these rescox Stratton, Vics President of the Mssachusotts Institute indierted to CIA that such a group contd be 4 Institute, Sintlarly, Projest Lincoln, the roject at Mit, could be charged vith saxe situation coatains tuo elerents of éange intermtional tension, have national security 6, be flying sau Which, ina situation of Aplications, These aro: a, Psycholsriozl = "With world-wide sightings reported, it sas fousd that, uo to the tine of the invostigation,there had been in the Soviet press no-report or cement, even satirical, en flying saucers, though Grouyko had rade one humorous rantioa of the eudject, ‘With a State-controlled press, this eculd result oaly fron an official policy decision, The stloa, therefore, arises as to whother or not these sightings: 2) , could be: controlled, (2) couta be predicted, and (3) could v2 used fron a psychological warfare ae point of view, elther offensively or defensively,The public concern with the phenonana, vhich 3s reflected both An the United States cress and in the pressure of inquiry upon tho Air Force, indicates tmt a fair proportion ef our population is rentally conditioned to the accéptanée of the incredible, Jn this fect lies tha potential for the touching-off of mass hysteria and panie, >, Air Vulnerability = The United States Air Varning Systen will undoubtedly alvays depend upon a combiration of redar screens ing and viswil observation, The U.S.S.R. ds credited vith tho prosent capability of delivering an air attack agzinst the . United States, yot at any given mont now, there ray be current a dozen official unidentified sightings plus rang wnofficial ones, At any moaent of attack, ve are nov ina position vhere ve cannot, onan instant bisis, distingutsh hardiare froa phintca, and 2s tension neunts ve vd21 run tha increasing risk of false alerts and the even greater danger of falsely identicying the real_as phanter, 7, Both of these rroblets are prinarily operaticcal in nature ‘at each contains readily aprareni intel 2igence factors, * + 8, Fron an cperatioral point of view, thtes actions are require: a, Isediate stevs shovld be taken to improve identification of doth visual ani electronic phantaa so that, in the event of instent and positive identification of enery plenes en atta A study should te instituted to deternine viat, if any, on could te made of these vhenouere by United States psyeholozical warfare planners and vat, if any, defenses should be planned in-anticipation of Soviet attempts to utilize thei, In order to nininize risk of pante, a rational policy established as to viat should to'told the public @ phenonena, 9, ‘Other intelligence problens which require determination are: a present level of Soviet knovledge regarding ev thes phencmena, werd bd, Possible Soviet intentions and cambilities to utilize these rhenonena to the dotrinont of United States socurity interests,©, Tho reasons for silence in the Soviet prose regarding flying saucers, 20, Additional research, differing in character and enghasis fron that presently being porfornad by Air ¥orca, vill be required to rect the specific reeds of both operations and intelligence, Intelligence responsibilities in this field as regards both collection and enalysis cen te discharged with raidnun effectiveness only after much nore is known regarding the exact nature of these phonosena, U1, I consider this problea to be of such importance that it should be brought to the attention of the National Security Council « in onder that a comunity-wide coordimted offort toands its solution nay be initiated, iy each nab Oe Bans, crapsta,_ | Assistant Director G Scientific Intelligences.