Britannica Sources used in this answer

Why did the CIA create the Robertson Panel in 1953?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Declassified U.S. military video of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) — unidentified flying object Learn about an unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) sighting from this video (known as the Gimbal video) captured by fighter pilots associated with the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group. The video shows instrument detections of unknown aerial objects, which the pilots were unable to identify, off the East Coast of the United States, 2014–15.

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) established the Robertson Panel in 1953 in response to a record-high number of reported UFO sightings, including a provocative series of radar and visual events near National Airport in Washington, D.C. during the summer of 1952.1

The CIA prompted the federal government to form this expert panel of scientists—led by physicist H.P. Robertson—to investigate the phenomena. The panel’s primary objectives were to evaluate the nature of these reports and determine if they posed a national security threat.1

After reviewing various data, including films, photographs, and interviews with military officials, the panel concluded that the vast majority of sightings were attributable to commonplace astronomical, meteorological, or man-made phenomena. They ultimately determined that there was no evidence of an extraterrestrial origin and that the sightings did not present an obvious security threat.1