JANAP 146(D) — Canadian-United States Communications Instructions for Reporting Vital Intelligence Sightings (CIRVIS / MERINT)

This document is a comprehensive reference manual titled JANAP 146(D), issued on February 1, 1959, by the Military Communications-Electronics Board. It establishes uniform procedures for the peacetime reporting of vital intelligence sightings, specifically through the CIRVIS (for airborne and land-based sources) and MERINT (for waterborne sources) reporting systems. The manual is designed for use by both United States and Canadian Armed Forces to ensure that information of vital importance to national security is passed to appropriate military authorities with urgency. The document details specific communication protocols, including precedence, addressing, and security requirements for these reports. It emphasizes that these reports are subject to the U.S. Communications Act of 1934 and the Canadian Radio Act of 1938, and that unauthorized disclosure may lead to prosecution.

Beyond the communication instructions, the document includes a briefing note regarding Project Blue Book, the Air Force's program for investigating unidentified flying objects. This section, dated January 1961, provides a historical overview of the project, noting its origins as 'SIGN' in 1947, its transition to 'GRUDGE' in 1949, and its current designation as 'BLUE BOOK'. The project's objectives are defined as determining if UFOs constitute a threat to national security, identifying scientific or technical information, and explaining or identifying all sightings. The document reports that from June 1947 to December 31, 1960, the Air Force collected 6,790 cases, of which 8.54% remained unidentified. It also outlines the role of Dr. J. Allen Hynek as a scientific consultant and describes the coordination between the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) and other government agencies. The document concludes with a statistical table of sightings reported to ATIC between 1947 and 1960, a flow chart of the reporting process, and a list of key personnel associated with the UFO program, including Major Robert J. Friend. The manual also incorporates Air Force Regulation 200-2, which provides detailed guidance on the screening, investigation, and reporting of UFO sightings, including instructions for handling physical evidence such as photographs and radar data.