DOW-UAP-D155

Air Intelligence Information Report, Saudi Arabia, 1957

Agency: Department of War
Format: Document, 5 pages
Incident date: 1/18/57
Place: Saudi Arabia
Released: Release 07, October 23, 2026
Source: war.gov
Topics: Radar, Intelligence reports

Description from war.gov

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.

Page 1

AF FORM 112—PART I APPROVED : JUNE 1948 COUNTRY SLGRE T (CLASSIFICATION) 1071367 U.S.A. IR-]-57 (LEAVE BLANK) 1071367 AIR INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION REPORT SUBJECT Report of Unidentified Aireraft Sighting AREA REPORTED ON Saudi Arabia DATE OF REPORT January 1957 PREPARED BY (Officer) Capt Alve Sai th REFERENCES (Control number, directive, previous report, etc., as applicable) DATE OF INFORMATION Jamary 1957 FROM (Agency) 22d. Bombardnent #ing : (1), March APB, Calf. EVALUATION B - 2 SOURCE Crew, B-52 Aireraft Number 394 SUMMARY: (Enter concise summary of report. Give significance in final one-sentence paragraph. List inclosures at lower left. Begin text of report on AF Form 118-Part Il.) B-52 aircret number 394 fron Castle APB, California, Commanded by Lt/Col Joll. Morris, of the 328th Bombardment Squadron, 93d Bonbardnent Wing (If), made radar contact with an midentified aireraft while participating in Strategie Air Command mission "Operation Porerflight". Coordinates at time of contact; 27 north - 47 cast (approximately) • Speed of airoraft (B-52) at contact; 648 lots per hour • Altitude, 39,000 feet. Visibilitys night. Buration of contact; five (5) to seven (7) minutes. (approximately) • Coll position of B-52 making contact; o1l leader. Call sign of B-52; Fumer 11. Gunerte name: Call. Beller. Just prior to making rendezvous with tanker aircraft B-52 aircraft nmber 394 picked up an unidentified aircraft on the A-3A gunnery scope. The return of the unidentified aircraft remined at the 6000 yurd marker (center) of the scope for approximately five (5) to seven (7) minutes after which the B-52 made a bank to the left, and the unidentified aircraft return disappeared off the scope to the left. The disappearance may have been caused by the change in direction of the B-52; horever the unidentified airerait seemod to disappear in the direction of the Baghdad Flight Identification Region, The widentified aircraft gave a smaller return on the scope than a similtaniously received return produced byra second B-52 aireraft riding at the 5000 yard muriser of the Signif'1cance; aireraft were expected. The unidentified sireraft appeared on the seope where no Rakert Sulkran ROBERT SULLIVAN Major, USAF Asst Chief Intelligonce Division DECLASSIFIED Mc 78452 3012 0/z |o0 10na 19/24 DISTRIBUTION BY ORIGINATOR 1 Page 1 of 2 pages 15th AP, 1 oy Hg SAC, 1 oy 93đ Bonb #g, 1 oy Hg USAF. NOTE: THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE OF THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE ESPIONAGE ACT, 50 U. S. C.- 31 AND 32. AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR THE REVELATION OF ITS CONTENTS IN ANY MANNER TO AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS PROHIBITED BY LAW. IT MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED IN WHOLE OR IN PART, BY OTHER THAN UNITED STATES AIR FORCE AGENCIES, EXCEPT BY PERMISSION OF THE DIRECTOR OF INTELLIGENCE, USAF. 21360 00161 SECRET (CLASSIFICATION) 16-55569-1 U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

Page 2

AF FORM 112—PART I! APPROVED 1 JUNE 1948 FROM (Agency) SECRET (CLASSIFICATION) AIR INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION REPORT коРокіл. TROL OF 2 A-3A GUNNERY SCOPE PRESENTATION B-52 ACFT. NUMBER 394 8,000 - 7,000 - of unidentified airoratt 6,000 - (amaller rotarn than that produced by B-52) Lisuppeared ofE scope in directio of Baghdad Bight Inder iliestion Region 5,000 — 4,000 — 124p produced by second B-5 30 3,000 — 2,000 - 1,000 Bw52 adrerars making contact atlitude 39,000 feed, speed 64,2 knote - true adr speed. NOTE: THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE OF THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE ESPIONAGE ACT, 50 U.S. C.- 31 AND 32, AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR THE REVELATION OF ITS CONTENTS IN ANY MANNER TO AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS PROHIBITED BY LAW. IT MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED IN WHOLE OR IN PART, BY OTHER THAN UNITED STATES AIR FORCE AGENCIES, EXCEPT BY PERMISSION OF THE DIRECTOR OF INTELLIGENCE, USAF. 00161 SECRET (CLASSIFICATION) 2 3 16--55570-1 *

Page 3

AF FORM 112—PART I APPROVED I JUNE 1948 COUNTRY .S.A. SEGRET (CLASSIFICATION) REPORT NO 1 - 5% (LEAVE BLANK) AIR INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION REPORT SUBJECT Uni donticied AREA REPORTED ON DATE OF REPORT AmANTY • 1957 DATE OF INFORMATION 1.957 FRoM gendardnent iing (1), lareh APB, Celse• 3 - 2 Sat thi REFERENCES (Control number, directive, previous report, elc., at appticable) SOURCE -52 Aireraft Humber SUMMARY: (Enter concise summary of report. Give significance in final one-sentence paragraph. List inclosures at lower left. Begin tert of report on AF Form 118-Part II.) B-52 aircraft manber 396 fran Castle APB, California, Cominded by Lt/Co] Jollo Morris, of the 320th Bonbardment Squadron, 98d Bombardment Wing (I), made radar contact with an unidentified aircraft while parbicipating in Strategie Air Command mission "Operation Porerflight", Goordinates at time of contacts 27 north - 47 osst (approxinately) • Spoed of airoraft (B-52) at contacts 642 Inots per hour. Altitudes 30,000 foot. Visibilitys night, buretion of contaots five (5) to seven (7) minutes. (approxirately) • Coll position of B-52 maling conta obs cell leader. Call aign of Be52g Former 11, Gumoris nones 1/5gt Callo Baller. Just prior to naking rendezvous with tanker aireraft Bo62 aircraft manber 396 picked up an unidentified aircraft on the A-sA gunery seope. The retur of the unidentified aireraft renined at the 6000 yard murier (conter) of the soope for approximtely five (S) to seven (7) minutes after which the B-52 made a bank to the left, and the unidentified aireraft return disappeared oft the seope to the left. The disappourance my have boen caused by the change in direction of the 5e52; horever the unidentified aircraft sonod to diappear in the direction of the Baghdad Flight Identificntion segion. The identified aircraft gave a sualler return on the scope then a simitantously received return produced byna second B-52 aireruft riding at the 3000 yard murker of the Signifione) The unidentified afroraft appeared on the scope where no aircraft were expected. Pokert Sulbran BOBREZ SULLIVAN Major, USAF Asat Chief Intolligonce Division INCLS. Page • 1 of 2 pages DISTRIBUTION BY ORIGINATOR 16ch 1 54G, 1 USAF • NOTE: THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE OF THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE ESPIONAGE ACT, 50 U. S. C.- 31 AND 32. AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR THE REVELATION OF ITS CONTENTS IN ANY MANNER TO AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS PROHIBITED BY LAW. IT MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED IN WHOLE OR IN PART, BY OTHER THAN UNITED STATES AIR FORCE AGENCIES, EXCEPT BY PERMISSION OF THE DIRECTOR OF INTELLIGENCE, USAF. 00161 -SECRET (CLASSIFICATION) M1 2136 16-55689-1 U. S. GOVEINMENT PRINTING OFFICE

Page 4

AF FORM 112—PART II APPROVED 1 JUNE 1948 FROM (Agency) 220 bonDurcise SECRET (CLASSIFICATION) AIR INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION REPORT REPORT NO. Limim57 PAGE OF 2 PAGES А - ЗА GUNNERY SCOPE PRESENTATION B-52 AFT. NUMBER 394 8,000 — 7,000 - blip of unidentatied airozart 6,000 — (Emaller return than that produced by l-52) 5,000 - di suppeared off scope in directio of baghdad FLight Indent- ification Region 4,000 — Blip produced by second B-52 in cell 3,000 — 2,000 - 1,000 - B-52 aircraft melding contact atlitude 39,000 feet, speed 642 knots - true air speed. NOTE: THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE OF THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE ESPIONAGE ACT, 50 U.S. C.- 31 AND 32, AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR THE REVELATION OF ITS CONTENTS IN ANY MANNER TO AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS PROHIBITED BY LAW. IT MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED IN WHOLE OR IN PART, BY OTHER THAN UNITED STATES AIR FORCE AGENCIES, EXCEPT BY PERMISSION OF THE DIRECTOR OF INTELLIGENCE, USAF. 00161 SECRET (CLASSIFICATION) 21360 * U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

Page 5

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Machine summary

Written by Claude Sonnet 5.5 (Anthropic) on October 23, 2026, from the record's text and war.gov's description. It is not part of the record and can contain errors; check it against the document.

This is an Air Intelligence Information Report (AF Form 112) prepared in January 1957 by the 22d Bombardment Wing, March AFB, California, and signed by Maj. Robert Sullivan, Assistant Chief of the Intelligence Division. It is classified SECRET and was later stamped declassified. The source is the crew of B-52 No. 394 (Castle AFB, 93d Bombardment Wing), commanded by Lt. Col. Morris, during a Strategic Air Command mission called "Operation Powerflight." At about 27°N, 47°E over Saudi Arabia, at 39,000 feet and 642-648 knots at night, the crew picked up an unidentified return on the A-3A gunnery scope just before a tanker rendezvous. The return held at the 6,000-yard mark for five to seven minutes. It vanished off the scope to the left when the B-52 banked left, apparently toward the Baghdad Flight Identification Region. It was a smaller return than the one from a second B-52 in the cell.

The report notes that the bank may have caused the disappearance. Its stated significance is that the return appeared where no aircraft were expected. The record contains only a radar observation, with no visual sighting, no performance data, and no follow-up analysis. The file includes a scope diagram and a duplicate copy of the form, with some inconsistent details (the date, the aircraft number 394 versus 396, and the squadron designation) caused by poor OCR. The final page is an inverted scan. It is an early example of a Cold War-era military radar report.

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