Memorandum for the Record: Unidentified Flying Saucers (UFO)

This memorandum, dated June 11, 1957, provides a summary of CIA activity and internal perspectives regarding Unidentified Flying Saucers (UFOs). The document addresses three questions posed to Phil Strong of the Office of Scientific Intelligence (OSI). It confirms that responsibility for UFO matters was transferred from the Air Force to the CIA, though both agencies continue to monitor the subject. The document details the history of a panel formed in 1952 by the Intelligence Advisory Committee (IAC) to study UFOs, listing members such as Lloyd Berkner, H. F. Robertson, Sam Goudsmit, Luis Alvarez, and Thornton Page. The memorandum notes that the Air Force's Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) maintains a project known as 'Blue Book,' and that the CIA's OSI monitors reports for potential Soviet aeronautical developments. Strong indicates that while the CIA does not have a specific collection program targeting UFOs, they remain interested in any radical aeronautical designs. The document also mentions a sensitive British-Canadian project involving a flying saucer prototype with jets on its circumference, capable of vertical take-off and operations at 60,000 feet or higher. The author concludes that the CIA and ATIC work closely to track potential Soviet technological advancements in this field.