23857122-0457-180273-0013

Since August 19];7 until the present, except May 19,9 as noted above, the number of reports mafintained a monthly average of approximately twelve, with occasional up=surges often directly attributable to an unusual or overly publicized. report. ITT. Air Force Comizance of Unidentified Aerial Objects In September 19:7, the Air Force was forced te take official cognizance of the "flying discs" because of increasing cemand from the public for an explanation, and as a result of certain publications persisting in using a sensational approach in reporting such items, and often implying that something subversive, dangerous, and fearful was upon uS. Hq. ALC in a letter dated 23 September 191;7, requested the Commanding General, Army Air aid to issue a cirective assigning a priority, security classification and code name for a detailed study of flying disc reports. Hq. AMC explained that their action was based on the opinian that the phenomena reported appeared to be real. Await- ing a specific directive, Hq. ANC collected information on flying disc incidents in order to more clearly define the nature of the phenomena. On the 22nd of Tecember 1947, in a memorandum, “Analysis of Flying lise Reports", the Director of Intelligence, Hq. USAF, concurred with ALC recommendations and forwarded them to the Director of Research and Development, DCS/M, Hq. USAF, for reply to the Commanding Ceneral, ALC. In a letter dated 30 December 19:7, the Director of Research and Devel~ opment, Ies/k, advised the Commanding General, AMC, that Air Force policy was not to ignore reports of 5 cada gerber and phenomena in the atmosphere. To implement this policy, ANC was directed by Hq. USAF, to set up a pro= ject with the purpese of ear tine g, collating, evaluating, and distri- buting to interested government agencies and contractors, all informa- tion conceming sightings and phenomena in the atmosphere which might be construed to be of concern to the national security. This directive assigned a priority of 2A to the project, a RESTRICTED classification and a code name of "Sign". (The code name of "Sign" for the project was changed to "Orudge" by a 16 [ecember 191,85 request of the lirector of Research and pave Open es ms/M. "Grudge" under the U.S. Joint Services coce word index refers to the title "fetailed Study of Flying Iiscs".) As a result of the directive from Hq. USAF for establishment of the special project, Hq. AMC Technical Instruction No. 2185, dated 11 February 1915, was dal ge on and assigned responsibility for the project activities to the Technical Intelligence fivision, Intelligence Tepartment, Hq. ALC. Department of Air Force and Tepartment of Army letters directed all respective subordinate units to report directly to ‘tir Materiel Command all information concerning unidentified flying objects. Air Intelligence Requirements Memorandum Noe lh was published 15 February 1949 at the request of Air Materiel Command in an effort to obtain more comprehensive and accurate information. IV. Project icninistration At the outset, project personnel proceeded ae air to the scene ec sighting to personally interrogate witnesses. This was not oO i Declassification Authority: NND 57565