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SF-2026-000790UnverifiedDeep State & Intel Agencies

1953 CIA Memo from Chief, Physics and Electronics Division on Responsibility of UFOB Project

This two-page CIA memorandum, signed by H. Marshall Chadwell (Assistant Director, Scientific Intelligence) and addressed to the Chief of the Physics and Electronics Division/OSI, assigns that division responsibility for maintaining current knowledge of reports of sightings of unidentified flying objects. By carbon copy, the Chief of the Applied Science Division is requested to provide support from a weapons and hardware standpoint. The memo notes that major UFO files are located in the Air Branch, Applied Science Division, and that a file of key documents and administrative papers is held in the Operations Staff office. It states that Jackson Hecker of IPS is custodian of certain files transferred from O/CI, and suggests the Physics and Electronics Division take over custody of the files necessary to fulfill its responsibility, arranging for related material forwarded from O/CI to be routed directly to it. The document is dated May 1953 and was released via the CIA's online reading room.

cia.govIncident May 20, 1953Discovered Jul 4, 2026119.0 KBdocument
sha256:7067f74131220ea9eb31

Description

A 1953 internal CIA memorandum from the Assistant Director, Scientific Intelligence, assigning responsibility for maintaining current knowledge of UFO sighting reports to the Physics and Electronics Division of the Office of Scientific Intelligence (OSI), and directing the transfer of custody of related files.

Claims

  • Responsibility for maintaining current knowledge of reports of sightings of unidentified flying objects is assigned to the Physics and Electronics Division.

    85%
  • Responsibility for maintaining current knowledge of reports of unidentified flying object sightings was assigned to the Physics and Electronics Division/OSI.

    85%
  • Major files on UFOs are located in the Air Branch of the Applied Science Division.

    80%
  • Major files on UFOs were located in the Air Branch of the Applied Science Division.

    80%
  • The Applied Science Division was requested to provide support from a weapons and hardware standpoint.

    80%
  • Jackson Hecker of IPS is the custodian of certain UFO files transferred from O/CI.

    70%
  • Jackson Heckert of IPS was custodian of certain UFO files transferred from O/CI.

    70%

Events

  1. Apr 30, 1953

    Assignment of UFO file responsibility to Physics and Electronics Division

    CIA memorandum assigning responsibility for maintaining current knowledge of UFO sighting reports and directing transfer of related files.

  2. Apr 30, 1953

    Assignment of UFO reporting responsibility to Physics and Electronics Division

    OSI memo assigns responsibility for maintaining current knowledge of UFO sighting reports to the Physics and Electronics Division and addresses file custody.

Dates mentioned

1953-051953-05-20

Keywords

Entities

Extracted text (OCR)
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~Chiee cf tthe Ap spoiied Science Divi sion is “requested to “provide. ae
support from-a-weapons and hardware standpoints ; .

. Major files on U. F. 0.ts are located in Air Pranchy . -
Appice Science Division. A fille of key docunents and
stratiza. pavers are on file in “the Operations Staff_. a LOD
(tee Jackson HeekertJof. IPs - -is-presently the custodian Oa
ofc certain filés_on this subjisct which were. transferred to- ees
TPS fron O/CI.. It-is- suggested t that Physics and Electronics ly get fof © .
eiiDivisicn take ovet custody of” “such of these files_as are ._}} 5. . a
f necessary for-it-to fulfill- ~the_above, respo. sibility. The yee we

Division should @als3- “srranze througn( iro Heéke srtlso that ae 7
material on this su2ject. being forwarded” ‘from-0/CI will ba || Leeuw pn
routed ctrectly to Lhysics and Electronics Divisions

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FROM : Assistant Director, Scientific Intelligehce .

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1. Responsibility for maintaining current knowledze y of \{ bhet D
reports | of sightings of | vnidentified flying obj jects is nerety i te
wassisred to. your, division. By caroon copy of “this nemorandun, er eee
“Chief of the Applied Science Division is requested to provide
spport from a weapons and hardware standgoints .

SUBJECT; Unidentified Flying Objects

2. Major files on U. | Ps 0.'s are located in Air Pranch, .
Applied Soience Division. A file of _key_documerts and -

administzetiye pgoers are-on file in the Operations Staff 3
offica,. | Me.(Jackson: Hecker tJof- IPS is presently the custodian £3 ~
of certain filés on-this sudjéct which were transferred to :
IPS fron o/cI. Itis suggest ted that Physics and Electronics phew és) ~
_vi{Division take over custody_of sich of these files as are beveesepete ©
‘ necessary for it to fult ill the above sresponsibility. The -1\° >
/ Division should 21s5° errenze- through(Mre-Keckertiso that - fis Le
H material on this. subject being. forwarded from O/CL will ba ~ | Hen Jw ;
: routed cirectly to Shysics and Electronics Divisions Guest) or
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