CIA Memorandum on Unidentified Flying Objects

Summary

In July 1953, the CIA reviewed its approach to unidentified flying object (UFO) sightings. An internal memorandum indicated that after evaluating the project, it was concluded that there was no direct threat to national security. It was determined that analyzing the reports did not require continuous effort, so the project was considered inactive. However, periodic reviews would be maintained to identify explainable phenomena and separate them from those truly unexplained. All materials related to UFOs would be archived for future reference unless they raised immediate security concerns.

The CIA planned to handle the project with part-time use of an analyst and a clerk, and requested an additional filing cabinet to improve organization. This decision reflected a pragmatic stance: not ignoring the reports, but also not prioritizing them over other activities. Although the importance of maintaining records was acknowledged, there was no need for in-depth analysis or additional resources. This conservative approach to UFOs would persist for years until new events or discoveries prompted a change.