Memorandum: Flying Saucers

This memorandum, issued by the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Walter B. Smith, to the Director of the Psychological Strategy Board, addresses the intelligence and operational implications of unidentified flying objects (UFOs). The document asserts that the phenomenon is a matter of national security, particularly regarding the need for the U.S. military to distinguish between unidentified objects and potential enemy aircraft or missiles. The CIA expresses concern that the current Air Force inquiry, managed by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) under Captain E. J. Ruppelt, is under-resourced and relies on a limited case-history approach that fails to provide a comprehensive understanding of the phenomena. The document highlights that the Air Force has not yet found significant cause for alarm, but the CIA argues that the lack of systematic research and the absence of cross-comparisons between sightings hinder the ability to determine if these objects are predictable or susceptible to control. The memorandum proposes that the National Security Council establish a centrally administered research program to define specific objectives, improve identification capabilities, and assess potential Soviet interest or psychological warfare applications. It also notes that the Soviet press has remained silent on the subject, which the CIA finds provocative. The document includes detailed appendices regarding the identification of weather balloons, which were frequently misidentified as UFOs, and outlines the need for better coordination between the Air Force, Navy, and intelligence components to resolve the problem of unidentified aerial phenomena.