Record 268 · 1997
CIA's Role in the Study of UFOs, 1947-1990
Central Intelligence Agency · United States
Ledger illustration of the record — not a scan of the original paper. — Night Ledger illustration of the file
The paper traces CIA interest in UFOs, which was substantial in the early 1950s due to concerns over potential Soviet technological breakthroughs or psychological warfare implications, leading to studies, panels, and collection efforts. It notes that most Agency documents from that era concern press reporting of sightings and responses to public inquiries rather than direct investigation of extraterrestrial claims. By the early 1950s, the CIA had largely concluded that UFOs did not represent a direct threat to national security and shifted focus away from the topic, paying only limited peripheral attention thereafter. The report debunks notions of a massive CIA conspiracy to conceal extraterrestrial contact or recovered materials.
Public file: Central Intelligence Agency
