*AFR200-2
*This regulaton supercedes AFR 200-2,26 August 1953,
including change 200-2a, 2 November 1953.
Department of the Air Force
Washington, 12 August 1954
Intelligence
Unidentified Flying Objects Reporting (short title: UFOB)
1. Purpose and Scope. This regulation establilshes procedures for
reporting information and evidence pertaining to unidentified flying
objects and sets forth the responsibility of Air Force activities in
this regard. It applies to all Air Force activities.
2. Definitions:
a. Unidentified flying objects (UFOB)- Relayes to any airborne
object which by performance, aerodynamic characteristics, or
unusal features does not conform to any presently known aircraft
or missile type, or which cannot be postively indentified as a
familiar object.
b. Familiar objects-- include ballons, astronomical bodies, birds
and so forth.
3. Objectives. Air Force interest in unidentified flying objects is
two-fold. First as a possible threat to the security of the United
States and its forces, and secondly, to determine technical aspects
involved.
4. Responsibility:
a. Reporting. commanders of the Air Force activities will report all
information and evidence that may come to their attention,
including that received from adjacent commands of the other
services and from civilians.
b. Investigation. Air Defense Command will conduct all field
investigations within the Z1, to determine the indentity of any
UFOB. [Z1 (zone of the interior) includes continental area of the
United States.]
c. Analysis. The Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATTIC), Wright-
Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, will analyze and evaluate: All
information and evidence reported within the Z1 after the Air
Defense Command has exhausted all efforts to identifiy the UFOB;
and all information and evidence collected in oversea areas.
d. Cooperation. All activities will cooperate with Air Defense
Command representives to insure the economical and prompt success
of an investigation, including the furnishing of air and ground
transportation, when feasible.
6. Z1 Collection.
a. All Air Force activities are authroized to conduct such
preliminary investigation as may be required for reporting
purposes; however, investigations should not be carried beyond
this point, unless such action is requested by the 4602d AISS.
7. Reporting. All information relating to UFOB`s will be reported
promptly.
a. (1) Electrical Reports. All electrical reports will be multiple
addressed to:
a. Commander, Air Defense Command, ENT Air Force Base
Colorado Springs, Colorado.
b. Nearest Air Division (Defense). (for Z1 only).
c. Commander, Air Technical Intelligence Center, Wright-
patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
d. Director of Intelligence, Headquarters USAF, Wasgington
D.C.
d. Report Format. Reports will include the following numbered items:
(1) Description of the object (s):
a. Shape.
b. Size compared to a known object (use one of the following
terms: head of a pin, pea, dime, nickle, quarter, half
dollar, baseball grapefruit, or basketball) held in hand
at arms length.
c. Color.
d. Number.
e. Formation, if more than one.
f. Any discernible features or detail.
g. Trail, tail, or exhaust, including size of same compared
to size of object (s).
h. Sound. If heard, describe sound.
i. Other pertinent or unusal features.
(2) Description of course of object (s):
a. What first called the attention of observer (s) to the
object (s).
b. Angle of elevation and azimuth of the object (s) upon
disappearence.
c.
d. Description of flight path and maneuvers of object (s).
e. Manner of disappearence of object (s).
f. Length of time in sight.
(3) Manner of observation:
a. Use one or any combination of the following items : ground
visual, ground-electronic, air-electronic. (if electronic
specify type of radar).
b. Statement as to optical aids (telescopes, binoculars, and
so forth) used and description ther.
c. If the sighting is made while airborne, give type aircraft
identification number, altitude, heading, speed, and home
station.
(4) Time and date of sighting.
a. Zulu time date group of sighting.
b. Light conditions (use one of the following terms): night-
day-dawn-dusk
(5) Locations of observer (s): exact latitude and longitude of each
observer, or Georef position, or position with reference to a
known landmark.
(6) Indentifying information of all observer (s) :
a. Civilian-- name, age, mailing address, occupation.
b. Military-- name, grade, organization, duty, and estimate
of reliability.
(7) Weather and winds aloft conditions at time and place of sighting.
a. Observer(s) account of weather conditions.
b. Report from nearest AWS or U.S. Weather Bureau office, of
wind direction and velocity in degrees and knots at
surface, 6,000 10,000,16,000, 20,000, 30,000, 50,000 and
80,000 feet if available.
c. Ceiling.
d. Visiblity.
e. amount of cloud cover.
f. thunderstroms in the area and quadrant in which located.
(8) Any other unusual activity or condition, meteorological,
astronimical, or otherwise, which might account for the
sighting.
(9) Interception or indentification action taken (such action maybe
taken whenever feasible, complying with existing air defense
directives).
(10) Location of any air traffic in the area at the time of the
sighting.
(11) Position title and comments of the preparing officer, including
his preliminary analysis of the possible cause of the sighting.
(12) Existance of physical evidence such as marerials and
photographs.
(8) Evidence. the existence of physical evidence, (photographs or
material) will be promptly reported.
a. photographic:
(1) Visual. the negative and two prints will be forwarded; all
original film, including wherever possible both prints and
negatives, will be titled or otherwise properly indentified
as to place, time, and date of the incident(see "intelligence
collection instructions "(ICI), June 1954 ).
(2) Radar. Two copies of each print will be forwarded. Prints of
radarscope photography will be titled in accordance with AFR
95-7 and forwarded in compliance with AFR 95-6.
b. Material. suspected or actual items of material witch come into
possession of any Air Force echlon will be safe guarded in such
manner as to prevent any defacing or alteration which might
reduce its value for intelligence examination and analysis.
(9) Release of facts. Headquarters USAF will release summaries of
evaluated data which will inform the public on this subject. In
representives on UFOB`s when the subject is postively indentified
as a familiar object (see paragraph 2b ),except that the following
type of data warrents protection and should not be revealed: Names
of principles intercept and investigation procedures, and
classified radar data. For those objects which are not explainable,
only the fact that ATIC will analyze the data is worthy of release,
due to the many unknowns involved.
BY THE ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE
