DoW · DOW-UAP-D093
1948 Analysis of Flying Object Incidents in the United States
Primary source: DOW-UAP-D093_Analysis-of-Flying-Object-Incidents-in-the-US_1948.pdf Open the official Release 04 collection →
A longer archival version of the early Air Force flying-object analysis, including appendices on report patterns and low-aspect-ratio aircraft. The report argued that some type of object had been observed while preserving conventional domestic explanations such as balloons, rockets, and flying-wing aircraft. It also framed a foreign technology possibility as a national-security hypothesis, not a finding.
Key excerpts
“It is possible that the object, or objects, may have been domestically launched devices such as weather balloons, rockets, experimental flying wing aircraft, or celestial phenomena. (summary)”
“The objects are a threat and warrant more active efforts of identification and interception only if no domestic explanation is firmly indicated. (conclusions)”