Scientific Advisory Panel on Unidentified Flying Objects, Report, 1952-1953

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RESEARCH ANO 0£VfWPMfNT BOARD
WASHINGTON 25, 0. C .
4 IJovEl!lber l.952
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SO'BJEDT 1
?adar Phantoms
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1.. At our conference hero t.he othsr dq moth Ur. Decker., Iifr.Clark:
ar:d General. Slmf'ord• it 'aa8 agreed tllllt '1f8 "\'10lil.d evaluat.o the radar
phantoms i'rom tho viowpoint or the aeriOUBness of the problem to tbs
r Jefense CC'Ql'l3Xd.
2. Inquiries made to tho appropriate sectious of the Air Starr did
not disclose attr undue concern ovor the phantoms.
I beliovo that this
is because in war and in pe~ce the problem of j.dontif'ying the wst number
of aircra.rt tracks seen by tho Mr Defense radars is a con.fu.-;ing !actor
or nucb groator magnitude.
Bo'1ever., to ma.l{o aure that 'l7e are not ovel"-:
lookine aa;y important considerations, tho JJ.r Force has asked the
Mr
fense c~ to study this PfOblcm and make roocmnondat1.ans.
3.
['hi£, then, iu an interim report to you, because it ma7 be
saveral. 11eeka beforo the ansTror arrives fr<S tbo M.r Defense -Colm:Ja.rJ1.
4.
Natural.17 there 1o general. concern tibout the radar phantom am
tho J.areer problem of the fl¥-i.ng saucers becaw:Je \'l8 are unable to
expbin a sizeable percentage of tbe reports.
Bcuevor, the concensua
seems to :be that a great doal. 0£ n.ctivity Dnd utudy is going on in this
field whi.ch r.ill do much to ~ the sitw:rt:lon.
Tho subject of
miomalous rad4r propQgation ms !bean mrior study tor same t1mG and will
continue with appropriate aqpbasis.
?he Air Technical. IntelJ.ieence
CG:nter, mu:ch anal.yzes "saucer" reports• uill ecipbasize tba radar con­
tusion aspect.
It is also ey i"oeling that, Tlhereas tomerly this nas
a subject uhich sc1entll'ic men did not :wish to beocme involved in, it is
noo becoming "respectable" to :JtudT the UJ.bject am to discuss it publicly.
If this treni continues and our nstronomers am other scientists do t;um
their talents to tho proble1:l., I am sure that tho nrumcrs m.ll be
expedited.
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AI.FRID R. mxrmLL
Brig. General., USAF
Jd:r Force Secre~