CIA Document Talks About “Flying Saucers” Traveling 7,400+MPH in 1955; More Information Discovered Yet Withheld By Agency

The Black Vault attempted to get a CIA document that has been shrouded in secrecy for decades further declassified. Although no redactions were lifted in the process, it revealed that even more information by the CIA is withheld on a UFO case that suggests a technology beyond known human capability at the time.

Originally disclosed in 1978, the “Information Report” originally classified “Confidential” has a subject header of “Unusual Flying Object Sightings and Attendant Scientific Activity”. It had multiple, but relatively minimal, redactions when the single page was originally released. In January 2020, The Black Vault filed a Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) case, seeking to uncover more details and get those redactions lifted.

The document, identified as REPORT NO. 00-B-93674, details an intriguing account from a source in Hungary, who in the winter of 1955 received a letter mentioning the mysterious “flying saucers”. These objects, described as “very fast speeding flyers,” were estimated to be traveling at a speed of “12,000 kilometers per hour,” or in excess of 7,400 miles per hour.

Although the MDR was unsuccessful getting any previous redactions lifted, the case did reveal that there was more information than previously known. It brought to light the existence of two additional pages, and those were redacted in full. The deletions were made on the basis of Sections 3.3(h)(2) and 6.2(d) of Executive Order 13526. Section 3.3(h)(2) of Executive Order 13526 establishes procedures for the automatic declassification of information that is more than 25 years old, unless it falls under specific exemptions outlined in the order. Section 6.2(d) concerns the protection of information that, if disclosed, could reasonably be expected to cause identifiable or describable damage to national security or foreign relations. It allows for the continued classification of such information to prevent harm to the national security interests of the United States.

The revelation of these additional pages adds a new layer of mystery to the case. It raises questions about what further information might be contained within and why it is deemed so sensitive that it warrants complete redaction.

To put the reported speed of the flying objects into perspective, it is worth noting that the fastest aircraft in the world in November 1955 was the North American F-100C Super Sabre, which set a record on August 20, 1955, of 1,323 kilometers per hour, or 822.1 miles per hour.

The speed of 12,000 kilometers per hour (7,400+ miles per hour) mentioned in the CIA record far exceeds that, suggesting that the flying objects were of an extraordinary nature for the time they were seen. However, maybe they were not aircraft at all.

The CIA document did mention “rockets”, but it is unclear if the parenthetical was an attempt at an alternate translation by a CIA analyst, or if the word was truly relayed by the CIA’s source. However, to address the possibility these objects were, in fact, rockets; historical context is needed.

In 1955, the race for supremacy in rocket technology was in full swing, with both the United States and the Soviet Union pushing the boundaries of what was possible. While the exact speeds of rockets at that time are not well-documented, it is known that the era was marked by significant advancements in rocket propulsion and aerodynamics. The V-2 rocket, developed by Germany during World War II and later used by both the US and the USSR for research, could reach speeds of up to 5,760 km/hr or 3,580 MPH. However, it was the development of the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and the early space race that truly pushed rocket speeds to new heights. By the end of the 1950s, rockets were capable of reaching speeds that far exceeded those of any aircraft, laying the groundwork for the exploration of space and the eventual moon landing. While the reported speed of 12,000 kilometers per hour (approximately 7,456 miles per hour) for the unidentified flying objects in the CIA document was extraordinary for its time, it foreshadowed the incredible velocities that rockets would achieve in the years to come.

But is there a connection? The Redstone rocket, believed to be one of the faster rockets around the same time, still fell thousands of miles per hour short of the speed mentioned in the CIA document.

Was the source and information available in the report wrong or grossly exaggerated? If so, why is there a need for such excessive secrecy nearly 70 years after the event?

The MDR case was completed and the document released in January 2022, though was never posted on The Black Vault. It is one example of, literally, hundreds and hundreds of FOIA releases that have yet to be put online by The Black Vault simply due to a backlog and lack of time.

Since two years have no elapsed, a new MDR was filed by The Black Vault on March 12, 2024. Those results will be posted, when available.

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CIA Document Talks About “Flying Saucers” Traveling 7,400+MPH in 1955; More Information Discovered Yet Withheld By Agency [4 Pages, 1.2MB]

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