NSA Response to FOIA Request MDR-73494 Regarding UFO Records

This document consists of a 2014 response from the National Security Agency (NSA) to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request submitted by John Greenewald regarding records on Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs). The NSA states that it could not locate unredacted copies of previously released records, with the exception of one document provided with the response. The agency maintains that the withheld information is properly classified as TOP SECRET UMBRA and is exempt from disclosure under various provisions of Executive Order 13526 and Public Law 86-36, as it pertains to NSA/CSS functions and activities. The response includes an in-camera affidavit from Eugene F. Yeates, Chief of the Office of Policy, which was originally submitted in the context of Civil Action No. 80-1562. This affidavit provides a detailed explanation of why the NSA withholds 156 records classified as communications intelligence (COMINT). Yeates explains that these records, produced between 1958 and 1979, are based on intercepted communications from foreign governments. He argues that disclosing these reports would compromise the NSA's ability to gather intelligence, reveal specific interception capabilities, and identify foreign intelligence targets. The affidavit categorizes the records based on their source—second party, third party, or NSA-originated—and describes how they contain information about foreign air defense systems, military build-ups, and other sensitive data. The NSA explicitly states that 'UFOs,' 'extra-terrestrials,' and 'paranormal activities' do not relate to its mission, and that records in its files labeled as 'UFO' documents are either foreign intelligence reports describing conventional aircraft or personal interest items from employees.