Air Force's 1949 UFO Reporting Directive
Memorandum establishes procedures for collecting detailed sightings of unconventional aircraft and flying discs.
May 8, 2026
Pending
PURSUE Program

AI Disclosure Brief
AI assistedReported Object Read
No specific UAP sighting described; document outlines standardized reporting requirements for future observations of unconventional aircraft, UFOs, and flying discs.
Notable Characteristics
- Environment: unknown
Reported Motion
No confident entries yet.
Evidence Notes
- Detailed reporting template in Part II covers shape, motion, propulsion, radar, and physical evidence.
This 1949 USAF memorandum formalizes intelligence collection on UFO sightings, routing reports to Wright-Patterson amid early Cold War concerns—evidence of structured official interest, no specific incidents detailed.
Unclear
Pending
100%
Prosaic Leads
- Institutional response to public 'flying saucer' reports post-1947.
- Standardization of prior Army procedures amid aviation proliferation.
Anomalous Indicators
- Comprehensive template anticipates advanced propulsion, radar tracks, physical traces beyond known 1949 technology.
- Designates single AFB as hub, suggesting centralized analysis.
Evidence Gaps
- No attached sighting reports or outcomes from this directive.
- Context of Army memos it supersedes not provided.
Evidence Quotes // source statements
Open archive"continuing Air Force requirements for information pertaining to sightings of unconventional aircraft and unidentified flying objects, including the so-called "Flying Discs.""
Unknown speaker / USAF Directorate of Intelligence
Purpose statement in Part I.
Source"Establishes procedures for immediate electrical transmission of sighting reports to Air Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson AFB."
C. P. Cabell, Director of Intelligence / USAF
Reporting instructions in Part I, Section 3.
SourcePattern Mesh // linked sightings
Unresolved UAP Report, United Arab Emirates, October 2023
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of four minutes and 57 seconds of video footage from an infrared (IR) sensor aboard a U.S. military platform in 2023. An accompanying mission report, DoW-UAP-D23, mentions a UAP was observed during the mission. Video Description: 00:00-01:55: No content. 01:56: An area of contrast becomes distinguishable against the background in the center of the right side of the display. 02:04: The IR sensor pans to center on the area of contrast. 02:14: The sensor field-of-view narrows to zoom in on the area of contrast. 02:15-03:26: The area of contrast remains generally in the center of the sensor field-of-view. 03:27-04:57: The sensor motion causes the area of contrast to move erratically across the display. Due to this motion, the sensor system repeatedly loses and reacquires the area of contrast within the center area of the display. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
Same source archive
Shared tags: pursue-release-1, release-1
Unresolved UAP Report, United Arab Emirates, October 2023
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of 43 seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform in 2023. An accompanying mission report, DoW-UAP-D23, mentions a UAP was observed during the mission. Video Description: 00:00-00:17: An area of contrast remains generally within the top left quarter of the display. 00:17-00:18: The sensor pans from right to left, causing the area of contrast to pass through the center of the display. The sensor then pans from left to right, causing the area of contrast to return to its approximate initial position within the sensor field-of-view. 00:29: The sensor stops tracking the area of contrast, causing it to leave the sensor field-of-view on the left side of the screen. 00:30-00:43: The sensor resumes its motion relative to the background but does not reacquire the area of contrast. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
Same source archive
Shared tags: pursue-release-1, release-1
Unresolved UAP Report, Syria, October 2024
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP) to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of five seconds of video footage from a full-motion video (FMV) camera aboard a U.S. military platform in 2024. An accompanying mission report, DoW-UAP-D32, described the UAP as consisting of a “misshapen and uneven ball of white light,” and reported that a “light/glare halo effect” occurred at the top of the FMV feed. Video Description: 00:01-00:03: Two semi-transparent, irregularly shaped orange areas overlay the background imagery, persisting for less than two seconds each. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
Same source archive
Shared tags: pursue-release-1, release-1
Unresolved UAP Report, Syria, October 2024
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP) to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of six seconds of video footage from a full-motion video (FMV) camera aboard a U.S. military platform in 2024. An accompanying mission report, DoW-UAP-D32, described the UAP as consisting of a “misshapen and uneven ball of white light,” and reported that a “light/glare halo effect” occurred at the top of the FMV feed. Video Description: 00:02-00:04: An area of irregular color and brightness, mainly consisting of white and red highlights, appears near the center of the top edge of the sensor display. The area extends to a width of approximately one-third of the horizontal frame, with a vertical area comprising approximately one-sixth of the viewing area. Overall, its shape is best described as a horizontally-oriented half-oval bisected along its major axis. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
Same source archive
Shared tags: pursue-release-1, release-1
Unresolved UAP Report, Syria, October 2024
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP) to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of five seconds of video footage from a full-motion video (FMV) camera aboard a U.S. military platform in 2024. An accompanying mission report, DoW-UAP-D32, described the UAP as consisting of a “misshapen and uneven ball of white light,” and reported that a “light/glare halo effect” occurred at the top of the FMV feed. Video Description: 00:00-00:01: An indistinctly shaped multi-colored area moves from right to left across the top edge of the sensor display within the first second of the video. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
Same source archive
Shared tags: pursue-release-1, release-1
Unresolved UAP Report, Syria, July 2022
The United States Central Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP) to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of 14 seconds of video footage from an infrared (left) and electro-optical (right) sensor aboard a U.S. military platform in 2022. An accompanying mission report, DoW-UAP-D16, described the UAP as “moving from north to south.” Video Description: At the five second mark, the video depicts an object moving from right to left across the top right quarter of the sensor field-of-view. This video description is provided for informational purposes only. Readers should not interpret any part of this description as reflecting an analytical judgment, investigative conclusion, or factual determination regarding the described event’s validity, nature, or significance.
Same source archive
Shared tags: pursue-release-1, release-1
Chronology Trace // before & after
Apollo 12 NASA UAP Image, 1969
Moon
Large Blue Triangle Hovers Near Facility, March 2023
Pacific Time Zone
FBI Photo B14 Timestamped Capture
Western United States
FBI Photo B7 Radar Plot, 1999
Western United States
Official Files // source material
1 linked65_HS1-834228961_62-HQ-83894_Serial_164
62- HQ-83894 Serials EBF 164 + EBF ENCL BEHIND FILE 62-83894- 164 DO NOT DESTROY 22087 FBI - CENTRAL RECORDS CENTER HQ - HEADQUARTERS Class / Case # Sub Vol. Serial # 0062 83894 1 164 ONLY 8/11/1274166 RRP003IXG8 1142292 DO NOT DESTR( FOIPA # Declassification authority derived from FBI Automatic Declassification Guide, issued May 24, 2007. 62-HQ-83894-EBF 164 RESTRICTED DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES AIR FORCE DIRECTORATE OF INTELLIGENCE WASHINGTON 25, D. C. 15 February 1949 AIR INTELLIGENCE REQUIREMENTS MEMORANDUM NUMBER 4 UNCONVENTIONAL AIRCRAFT PART I - GENERAL 1. PURPOSE The purpose of this memorandum is twofold: a. To enunciate continuing Air Force requirements for information pertaining to sightings of unconventional aircraft and unidentified flying objects, i
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