Burlison-Sought 1952 UAP Recording Released
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A previously unavailable 1952 recording sought by Congressman Eric Burlison (MO-07) was released today as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing effort to declassify and release government records related to unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP).
In May, Burlison wrote to MIT Lincoln Laboratory seeking the preservation and review of a reel-to-reel recording identified as “AF-ATIC-FILM, 03/52” and labeled “flying saucer talk,” which featured a presentation by Air Force officer Edward J. Ruppelt discussing the Air Force’s knowledge of UAP at the time. Burlison requested that the recording be located, preserved, digitized, and reviewed for inclusion in the National Archives’ UAP Records Collection.
The recording and an accompanying transcript were released today through the Department of War’s Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters (PURSUE).
“This is exactly why we have continued pushing to find, preserve, and release these historical records. More than 70 years ago, the Air Force was investigating reports of UAP around some of our nation’s most sensitive facilities and radar returns indicating extraordinary speeds of travel,” said Congressman Burlison. “This tape presents a juxtaposition to the framing that UAP interest in our nation’s nuclear sites is new and can be explained as adversarial drones from foreign countries. While not conclusive, it shows that as far back as 1952, our military was receiving credible reports of unexplained technologies in our airspace, and the American people deserve to hear this historical discussion for themselves.”
During the March 1952 presentation, Ruppelt said approximately 20 percent of roughly 800 reports reviewed by the Air Force could not be explained, including reports from military personnel, airline pilots, scientists, engineers, and other technically trained observers.
Ruppelt also identified concentrations of reports around Los Alamos, Albuquerque, White Sands, and Oak Ridge. He later discussed unexplained Air Defense Command radar returns indicating speeds between 1,000 and approximately 3,500 miles per hour but noted investigators had not ruled out radar malfunctions or atmospheric phenomena.
Throughout the presentation, Ruppelt emphasized that the Air Force had not determined the nature or origin of the phenomena and needed better collection of physical data to evaluate the reports.
Listen to the recording and read the transcript.
Read Burlison’s May letter to MIT Lincoln Laboratory.