Operational Immediate Sighting Report — Patrick AFB, Florida, 11 February 1953

This document is an 'Operational Immediate' military cable dated 12 February 1953, originating from the Commanding General of the Air Force Missile Test Center (AFMTC) at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. It reports a sighting of an unidentified aerial object that occurred on 11 February 1953 at approximately 0300Z. The report, based on the testimony of two airmen, describes a single object observed near the base theater. The witnesses characterized the object as being red in color and larger in appearance than the planet Mars. The object reportedly exhibited a 'zig zag pulsating motion' and made no sound during the one-minute duration of the observation. The sighting ended when the object disappeared into the overcast sky. The weather conditions at the time were noted as overcast with clouds moving to the north. The report explicitly states that no intercept action was taken. The document includes a formal conclusion, noting that there was 'insufficient data for evaluation,' though it suggests the possibility that the object may have been a star or planet. The cable was addressed to the Director of Intelligence at HQ USAF in Washington D.C., as well as the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) at Wright-Patterson AFB, the Commanding General of Ent AFB, and the Air Research and Development Command (ARDC) in Baltimore. The document is marked as unclassified and includes instructions for downgrading at three-year intervals, with full declassification after twelve years per DOD Directive 5200.10.