Department of War PURSUE File
DOW-UAP-D084, US Army-Flying-Saucer-Study_1949
Editorial summary
This 1949 U.S. Army evaluation study examined reports of flying saucers at the request of the Plans and Operations Division of the General Staff. The study aimed to determine whether the sightings stemmed from natural phenomena or could be traced to the activities of a foreign power. According to the attached memoranda, the Intelligence Division concluded that of all cases investigated, there was no foreign nation implication in the flying saucers. The records, dated March and April 1949, were prompted in part by radio messages in February 1949 and a broadcast by Walter Winchell.
Editorial summary written by govweird from the declassified document text. The official government description follows below.
Government description
This file contains an Evaluation Study of the Phenomenon (Flying Saucers) prepared at the request of the Plans & Operations Divisions of the General Staff, U.S. Army (P&O, GSUSA) to determine if the origin could be traced to natural phenomena or the activities of a foreign power.
Caption issued by the U.S. Department of War on war.gov/ufo. Verbatim, unedited.
Originating agency
Department of War
Record type
Incident date
Unspecified
Incident location
Unspecified
Release tranche
Release 03 (May 8, 2026)
Distribution
Cleared for public release