A declassified CIA memo titled CURRENT STATUS OF UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS (UFOB) PROJECT, filed under DOC_0000015365, provides a rare internal snapshot of how the U.S. Air Force was managing growing concern over unidentified aerial sightings by the mid-1950s.
The document outlines a formal project underway to monitor, catalog, and explain the persistent wave of UFO reports-while also revealing how officials were increasingly focused on shaping public perception rather than just gathering evidence.
"A policy of taking no official notice of widely publicized sightings has been followed."
The CIA wasn’t simply observing the phenomenon.
It was helping guide how the story was controlled.
🛰️ Behind the Scenes of Project "UFOB"
The memo breaks down the U.S. Air Force’s program to handle UFO investigations as of December 1954.
Dubbed "UFOB" (Unidentified Flying Objects), the project had moved beyond mere data collection and into a new phase-one where maintaining public calm was becoming as important as understanding what had been seen.
Reports were being screened.
Explanations were prepared.
And public statements were carefully managed to avoid escalation.
The document also highlights the Air Force’s growing reliance on debunking as a tool.
While the stated goal was to identify legitimate aerial phenomena, the practical outcome was the routine dismissal of most sightings as misinterpretations or natural causes.
The CIA, informed of the process, appeared more concerned with managing the optics than solving the mystery.
🚫 Policy of Silence, Strategy of Reassurance
Perhaps the most revealing section of the memo is its admission that high-profile sightings were deliberately ignored in public-facing channels.
"The press is given handouts explaining the phenomena in terms of known objects… A policy of not officially commenting on widely publicized sightings has been followed."
This wasn’t accidental. It was institutional strategy.
Officials were briefed on how to respond-off the record, if necessary-and instructed to avoid public speculation.
Even as reports continued to flow in from both military and civilian sources, the response was consistently controlled and cautious.
The idea was simple: avoid fueling belief, maintain calm.
Prevent the perception that the government was concerned, even if it was.
