Intelligence - Sightings of Unknown Objects - Outside Canada

This document file, spanning from 1950 to 1980, contains a collection of correspondence, memoranda, and reports regarding the Royal Canadian Air Force's (RCAF) handling of 'Unidentified Flying Objects' (UFOs) or 'Flying Saucers.' The file reveals a consistent institutional policy within the RCAF to avoid direct involvement in UFO investigations. Multiple documents indicate that the RCAF did not consider itself equipped or responsible for investigating these phenomena. Instead, the RCAF frequently referred inquiries to other entities, such as the Department of Transport, the Defence Research Board, or the National Research Council of Canada. The file includes specific incident reports, such as an explosion near Lac Raquette in 1964, which was investigated by the RCMP and later referred to the Air Force. Another recurring theme is the coordination between Canadian and US authorities regarding the CIRVIS/MERINT reporting system, which was designed to report vital intelligence sightings, including unidentified aircraft, to military authorities. The file also contains personal correspondence from citizens reporting sightings, which were often handled with a standard, non-committal response. Throughout the decades covered, the RCAF maintained that it lacked the investigative capability to deal with these sightings, often attributing them to natural phenomena, weather balloons, or misidentified conventional aircraft. The file also documents the internal administrative processes for handling these reports, including the use of 'Temporary Dockets' and the eventual closure of files.