CIA-UAP-D022, Unidentified Flying Object Reported near Puerto Rico, 1965
CIA-UAP-D022, Unidentified Flying Object Reported near Puerto Rico, 1965
▮ AI SYNOPSIS · Sonnet 4.6
CIA-UAP-D022 consists of two internal CIA memoranda dated February 1 and February 11, 1965, exchanged between the Assistant Director for Special Activities (AD/SA, Ledford) and the Assistant Director for Scientific Intelligence (AD/SI, Chamberlain). The subject is a series of unidentified aircraft observations near the Atlantic Fleet Weapons Range north of Puerto Rico during November 16–24, 1964. The central incident, on the evening of November 19, 1964, involved a U.S. Navy E-2C pilot who observed a delta-shaped object estimated at Mach 3, corroborated by AN/SPS-49 radar aboard USS Gyatt recording a track exceeding 3,800 knots. The Gyatt was approximately 325 nautical miles from the eastern tip of Cuba at the time.
The record is notable for several reasons. Both offices formally ruled out domestic experimental aircraft, specifically the YF-12A/OXCART, as the source, overturning an earlier attribution by Commander Ramey. The AD/SI assessed the object as likely a high-performance delta-wing aircraft, raising the possibility of Soviet MiG-21 reconnaissance activity—potentially operating from Cuba—targeting scheduled U.S. missile tests in the AFMR. The documents were classified under the BYEMAN control system and restricted to OXCART-cleared personnel, reflecting the sensitivity of the domestic programs being excluded. Radar film and prints were obtained from the Navy for analysis; the results of that analysis are not included in this release.
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Redactions present in this record. Black bars protect identities of eyewitnesses, locations of facilities, or non-UAP-related sensitive material.
This file contains Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) memoranda exchanged between the Assistant Director for Special Activities (AD/SA) and the Assistant Director for Scientific Intelligence (AD/SI) regarding an incident allegedly involving unidentified aircraft in the vicinity of Puerto Rico. The AD/SI was then-responsible for analyzing foreign scientific advancements and technological threats, such as Soviet nuclear, chemical, and ballistic missile capabilities. The AD/SA managed the CIA’s classified overhead reconnaissance operations, including the deployment of advanced aircraft like the U-2 and A-12 OXCART. Together, these offices ensured the United States could both gather critical intelligence over contested territories and accurately evaluate the technical capabilities of foreign adversaries during the Cold War.
The memoranda refer to an incident on November 19, 1964, in which a U.S. Naval aviator described observing an unidentified object as “delta-shaped, about the size of a jet fighter.” The pilot visually estimated the object’s velocity as Mach 3 (approximately 2,200 mph). A corresponding track from an AN/SPS-49 radar system aboard a U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer in the area, USS Gyatt, measured the object’s speed at 3,800 knots (approximately 4,373 mph). The memoranda indicate that, in the opinion of the AD/SI, the object was conceivably associated with foreign intelligence gathering activities, citing active missile testing within the AFWR, or Atlantic Fleet Weapons Range, as being an attractive reconnaissance target. The AD/SA and AD/SI also ruled out domestic experimental aircraft, such as the YF-12A OXCART, as a potential attribution.
