DOW-UAP-D155, Air Intelligence Information Report, Saudi Arabia, 1957

Official Conclusion

No conclusion stated; the object is described as an unidentified aircraft that appeared on the scope where no aircraft were expected (evaluation B-2).

Official Description

This document is an Air Intelligence Information Report (AIIR), a standardized U.S. Air Force reporting form used to record raw information of potential intelligence value for later analysis. The form served as a primary vehicle for U.S. Air Force field intelligence collection throughout the early Cold War, until defense-wide reporting standards were established in the early 1960s. This AIIR records a January 18, 1957, incident over Saudi Arabia in which the crew of a U.S. Air Force B-52 aircraft reported detecting an unidentified return on the aircraft’s gunnery scope for approximately five to seven minutes. The report characterizes the unidentified return as smaller than one produced by another B-52 operating in the area. All descriptive and estimative language contained in this report reflects the reporter’s subjective interpretation at the time of the event. Such characterizations should not be interpreted as a conclusive indication of the presence or absence of any intrinsic object features or performance characteristics.

Key Findings

• →B-52 number 394, commanded by Lt/Col J.H. Morris, obtained an unidentified return on its A-3A gunnery scope on 18 January 1957 at approximately 27N 47E, altitude 39,000 ft, night conditions.
• →The return stayed at the 6000-yard marker (center) of the scope for about five to seven minutes.
• →The return was smaller than that of a second B-52 in the cell, shown at the 3000-yard marker.
• →After the B-52 banked left the return left the scope; the report notes this may have resulted from the aircraft's heading change, yet the object seemed to depart toward the Baghdad Flight Identification Region.
• →The report's stated significance is that the contact appeared where no aircraft were expected; the evaluation rating is B-2.

Extracted Entities